Sustainable Building Guide - Christchurch City Council

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Warm air out Materials Try to use materials that have a low embodied energy content in their manufacture. Embodied energy includes all the energy consumed during initial quarrying of the raw materials right through to their final packaging and transportation to the site. For this reason use local materials where possible. Architecturally, this will reinforce regional identity, sense of place and uniqueness. Cool air in Specify materials from a renewable source where possible. Care must be taken with timber in particular to ensure it is not coming from very rare old growth temperate forests or tropical rain forests but is instead certified from plantations. Ventilation for summer cooling Roof mounted solar water heater Consider using materials that are recycled or reused and recyclable and flexible enough to be reused. Use bolted and screw fixed connections rather than adhesives, staples, rivets and nails. Although slightly more expensive these will facilitate dismantling and reuse with minimal damage to the material and the structure that it has been attached to. Specify for low toxicity both in manufacture and in use. Most types of plywood and chipboard, for example, contain urea formaldehyde resin that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classes as a probable carcinogen. Dangerous heavy metals other than lead such as mercury, tin and arsenic are still present in many paints as are toxic solvents. Many insulation materials can trigger allergies and fine fibres may prove to be dangerous when inhaled. Try to use natural products such as wool insulation. There are alternatives to the industry standard materials but these generally are harder to find and must be clearly specified. Design and specify for long life and for low maintenance. Replacement, repair and cleaning of building shells can be difficult, dangerous and expensive. Materials that may cost less initially can have high hidden long term costs. Hot water cylinder Use self-finishing materials such as timber or stone where appropriate as opposed to those requiring an applied finish such as paint or varnish. This should help to speed up the construction process and keep labour costs down. Consider natural oil and wax finishes or if paints are to be used specify water based, solvent free paints. Domestic Hot Water Supply
Topography On sloping sites, design the building so as to minimize earth works. Try to design to fit the slope, this way less energy and resources will need to be expended to dig out, remove and dump the excavated material as well as support the remaining ground. Retaining walls are generally very expensive in both design and construction and should be avoided where possible. Designing with the slope helps prevent the loss of soil and mature vegetation. It also makes undermining of adjacent structures, land and trees less likely. ‘Touch the earth lightly’ is an expression used by the award winning Australian architect Glen Murcutt to describe his approach to the design of buildings. Hydrology Try to design for water storage on site so as much winter and spring rainfall as possible can be used during summer and autumn droughts. Design for appropriate water discharge from the site to avoid soil erosion, ponding (stagnant water for mosquitoes and other noxious insects) and flooding. Prevent pollution of ground water by catching oil and other chemical spills from workshops and vehicle parking areas with oil and silt traps Where some pollution is inevitable, grade the slope to collect pollutants in a single place. This limits contamination of a site to a smaller area that can be more easily dealt with later on when the site is redeveloped. Use low consumption taps and shower fittings and specify low water usage washing machines.These same fittings will also reduce energy consumption and costs. Recycling and Reuse of <strong>Building</strong>s If at all possible, reuse entire existing buildings, this will result in the least total amount of energy being expended. This approach has the added benefits of the retention of the existing historical context and character, and the retention of craftsmanship, detailing and materials that may be no longer readily available (for example, native timbers or rare exotic timbers). Try and avoid the need to demolish, remove and dispose of materials. This is often a dangerous activity or generates potentially dangerous substances such as dust, noise, falling materials and may disturb dangerous materials, for example, asbestos. This activity may also result in the undermining of adjacent structures and the disturbance of the streetscape. However, earthquake strengthening and the upgrading of fire ratings are not achieved easily in existing buildings and particularly in older masonry structures. The costs can be high and there are issues to be addressed such as how to retain the character and integrity of the existing building while adding structural bracing, insulation, lighting and other services. Advice on appropriate design and strengthening may be needed from architects and structural engineers. Right; Former Biscuit Factory converted to apartments and cafe, Fremantle, Western Australia.
Page 2 and 3: Cover photo credits: Roger Buck & A
Page 4 and 5: Site Design There are many legal pl
Page 8 and 9: Design for Change Try to design so
Page 10 and 11: Summer shadows In areas with high w

Sustainable Building Guide - Christchurch City Council

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