Building for the environment post-covid-19
When the crisis is past, sector must refocus on sustainability, argues Stephen Lewis
At the start of the year, in Scottish business circles, the theme of 2020 was sustainability ahead of November’s Cop26 UN climate change summit in Glasgow.
Understandably, the topic has been moved to one side as Scotland – and the rest of the world – has moved quickly to deal with Covid-19.
Yet, we should not let the subject of sustainability be completely taken over by current events. When the virus has been brought under control and things return to a sense of normality – whatever that may look like – we will still need to be conscious of the impact of our decisions on the environment.
The property sector is no different in that respect. At HFD Property, it has been our view for the past 20 years that any development should have sustainability built into every aspect. That begins with the physical methods and materials used during construction, and applies to the finished product – a building’s design or the technology used to reduce energy consumption.
Around two decades ago, the drive towards sustainability in property began with the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates. These standardised energy efficiency and gave an indication of where the market was heading. HFD wanted to be ahead of that curve with the construction of Solais House at Strathclyde Business Park, by targeting and achieving, an A rating.
Of course, things have moved on substantially since then, with increased standards and new certifications. So too have the ambitions of the property sector, and one of the best examples of this in practice is the University of the West of Scotland’s Ecocampus in Hamilton.
The Ecocampus was the
UK’S first speculatively built net zero carbon office development – a more difficult objective to achieve than a pre-let building. When you already have an occupier for a building, it is comparatively straightforward to plan for net zero – you can gauge what the power and heating requirements will be and factor these in. That is obviously not the case with a speculative build.
The aim was to create the greenest higher education campus in the UK. Sustainability informed every decision made, and we delivered it through a forward-thinking publicprivate partnership. This was supported by a unique power purchase agreement with Blantyre Muir Wind Farm to provide Ecocampus with 100 per cent renewable energy. The wider carbon neutral strategy incorporates a variety of sustainability features, such as rainwater harvesting, electric car charging points, two new bus routes, and 100 cycle spaces.
The experience of delivering the Ecocampus has informed our approach to projects since – not least our current development at 177 Bothwell Street in Glasgow.
Still in its construction phase, we are minimising waste and recycling materials wherever possible. The steelwork and glass will be recycled, and we’re also significantly reducing the use of plasterboard – a difficult material to recycle that requires repainting many times throughout its life.
We are examining every part of 177 to enhance or improve its performance, from understanding how the sun affects it throughout the day, to using 100 per cent renewable energy from an identified source.
There are undoubtedly more pressing priorities for now, but when we emerge from the current situation, sustainability needs to take the precedence it did just a few months ago. Arguably, it will never have been more important.
Stephen Lewis is the managing director of HFD Property Group
“We should not let the subject of sustainability be completely taken over by current events”