With around 45% of the carbon dioxide emissions in the UK coming from architectural structures, sustainability and eco-conscious building has never been more relevant. Take inspiration from our guide to some of the best examples of eco-architecture from the past year.
Worcester - Associated Architects
Winner of the Royal Institute of British Architects' (RIBA) Sustainability Award of 2005, Cobtun House was originally designed for a disabled client, with wheelchair access throughout and an abundance of environmental credentials.
Credit: Martine Hamilton Knight
The cob walls are made from sun-dried clay, all taken from a nearby building site, saving on energy for transport and firing bricks. The building is insulated with recycled newspapers and the internal joinery is made from boards of compressed recycled plastic bottle tops.
Nothing is wasted with rainwater collected for use in washing machines, toilets and also for tending the garden. Although solar panels were not originally part of the plans due to economic grounds, a provision was made for them to be retrofitted.
Judges from RIBA in their summation of Cobtun House stated that: "This is a building that is truly sustainable, yet avoids wearing its green credentials like badges on its sleeve."
Credit: Lomax, Cassidy & Edwards
Brighton - Lomax, Cassidy & Edwards
Another award-winning project, the Jubilee Library commissioned by Brighton Council, utilises an abundance of passive measures, with the main focus being its use of natural energy.
Pipes set into the walls and floor of the building help to cool or heat water and the combination of large voids within the structure and wind towers on the roof, help to maintain a consistent temperature (there's no air-conditioning system). Renewable energy sources were not incorporated into the design, the sustainability aspect coming from the energy-efficient design of the building itself.
This was an important factor for the architects Lomax Cassidy & Edwards, although Nick Lomax was quick to point out that sustainability usually means more expense for the client: "With discussions on climate change seeming to dissolve rapidly, it's important to take sustainable measures in mind, this usually means, however, that running costs are going to be higher."
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