Wholebuild.co.uk hosts important information for householders and building professionals on sustainable construction and building products used for sustainable development, home improvement and self build projects.

‘Sustainability’ is very much the buzz word of the day but what exactly is sustainable construction and how can this be adopted by trades people and building professionals working in today’s building and construction industry?

Such construction is often overseen by service contractors who specialise in sustainable construction methods but as attitudes change and more and more building professionals are making it their business to change their working practices, new business opportunities are arising as a result. It is a strong likelihood that environmentally friendly construction methods will be more commonplace in years to come. This is, in part, driven by Government Initiatives and guidelines such as Code for Sustainable Homes and The Strategy for Sustainable Construction who are advocating sustainable development, renewable construction and ultimately zero carbon homes by the year 2016.

Sustainable construction, also known as “green” construction specifically looks at sustainable design by architects and other designers keen to reduce the environmental impact of a building over its entire lifetime; it also addresses the use of sustainable ‘eco friendly’ or ‘green’ building materials – products that have been developed for use without causing damage to the environment.

In the past, constructing sustainable buildings was often seen as indulgent statement and prohibitively expensive but with the advent of new building regulations and a focus on energy efficiency and climatic changes, more and more companies are, in some way, addressing their corporate and social responsibility and incorporating some sustainable credentials into their business practices. This often includes ‘in house’ training programmes that aim to educate building professionals in the use and installation of new sustainable products and technologies.

Consumers too, are more ecologically aware and interested in sustainable living. As such, they are building sustainability into their designs and specifying more sustainable building products in their projects. These range from timber construction and sustainable roofs to internal fittings such as sustainable flooring, renewable energy sources and heating systems.

Wholebuild is proud to be working with the following organisations who specialise in sustainable construction:

• Envirotile from Green Roof Tile Company:
  Envirotile is a lightweight and innovative environmentally sustainable roof tile made from recycled products, making them 80% lighter than traditional roof tiles. The Green Roof Tile Company have been nominated for a Lord Stafford Award for Innovation for Environmental Sustainability to be announced September 2011.

• Stephen George and Partners:
  Stephen George and Partners are one of the UK’s leading architectural practices, offering tips and advice on sustainable construction methods and building products as well as BREEAM assessments for the Code for Sustainable Homes.

• YBS Insulation Ltd:
  YBS Non-Itch Loft Insulation is a fully recyclable alternative to traditional insulation designed to save one and a half tonnes of carbon emissions per tonne of plastic bottles recycled in production.

• Swish Building Products:
  Recycled materials such as Swish Gutters made from 85% recycled plastic bottles offer homeowners a sustainable alternative to traditional rainwater systems.

• The Greenhouse Effect Ltd:
  The Greenhouse Effect offer recycled glass clad facades and interiors, securing sustainability by promoting the use of new materials rather than composites.

It remains to be seen as to how quickly these developments will be fully implemented, but suffice it to say that sustainability in construction is certainly here to stay.