Sustainable Design & Construction – the role of the Design Commission for Wales

1. Sustainable Design & Construction – the role of the Design Commission for Wales Cindy Harris Head of Design Review

2. Design Commission for Wales • Established by WAG 2002 to “champion high standards of architecture, landscape and urban design in Wales, promoting wider understanding of the importance of good quality in the built environment, supporting skill building, encouraging social inclusion and sustainable development” Four strategic aims • Champion high standards of design across all sectors • Promote design within WAG sustainable development scheme: esp. energy efficiency, waste disposal and public transport • Promote design practice compatible with equal opportunity and social inclusion • Promote excellence in the everyday environment as well as in prestige projects

3. DCFW’s Design Review process • 3 co-chairs; 24 Panel members • Monthly meetings, 5 schemes, 90 minutes each • Lead panellist appointed for each scheme. 8 members in total. • Panel briefing [15 mins] followed by open discussion [1 hour]: from context to detail • Chair summarises, then Panel establish consensus in private [15 mins] • Written report (3-5pp) within 2-3 weeks • Conflicts of interest carefully avoided • Under constant review and development • Training days, debate, CABE liaison • Bi-Annual Design Review publication www.dcfw.org

4. 17 28 28 17 34 18 34 18 46 46 49 Isle of Anglesey Design Review Project Locations 53 Flintshire Blaenau – Gwent 9 13 71 35 36 40 Conwy 29 74 66 89 87 Project Classification Denbigh- shire 20 Torfaen Wrexham 59 39 Masterplans Major med & low rise resd High rise resd Minor resd & intensification Major town centre retail Supermarkets Town centre commercial Major leisure Out of town business Roads, bridges and public realm Institutional incl university & school Visitor centres 41 Gwynedd 67 Newport Powys 56 44 1 54 51 38 76 Ceredigion 78 84 30 83 77 63 80 Carmarthenshire 82 Pembrokeshire Cardiff 14 37 62 8 48 5 16 4 11 81 52 MT Neath Port Talbot 24 21 42 88 7 50 43 57 33 75 Mon 60 12 65 6 23 58 72 69 19 10 85 26 15 79 27 2 70 Caerph 68 RCT 86 64 Swansea 3 47 Bridgend 73 32 45 31 61 25 22 Vale of Glam,

5. What is good design? • Taking WAG’s TAN 12: Design: • Sustainable location, land use and mix, resource consumption and community impact • Responds positively to site and context to reinforce a sense of place • Creates a quality public realm that is accessible , comfortable and attractive • Accommodates a variety of uses and tenures: inclusive • Creates flexible, adaptable, accessible buildings and spaces and fine architecture • Maximises the ‘whole life’ value of the development

6. Urban Design From POSW Model Residential Design Guide: • Character • Quality of public realm • Compactness • Continuity & enclosure • Ease of movement • Legibility • Adaptability • Resource Efficiency • Diversity

7. Density • Important element of sustainable development • Not at expense of design quality • Most appropriate in urban situations – and traditional Welsh villages Terrace renovation, Salford, Urban Splash

8. The Costs of Bad Design • High maintenance costs, or • Premature demolition • Poor occupant performance in schools, offices, hospitals • Urban blight • Anti-social spaces

9. Sustainable Design • Is responsive to site and micro-climate • Provides healthy and comfortable environment • Has low energy requirements and costs • Is constructed with low energy, sustainably produced materials • Is resource efficient and minimises waste • Addresses issues of transport and density • Is durable, adaptable, and flexible Great Bow Yard, Somerset. Stride Treglown 1.6 tonnes carbon per house per year. Annual heating bills £60-100

10. Stage 1 – Design for Energy Conservation and Efficiency • Passive solar design • High levels of insulation • Good air tightness standards • Controlled ventilation • High performance glazing • Protected entrances • Efficient heating systems / appliances

11. Passive Solar Design • Orientation Getting the heat in • Internal layout To the right place • Thermal mass Storing and releasing heat when required Bells Court, Bishops Castle. Architect: Pat Borer

12. Stage 2 – Efficient Supply Systems:Community Heating, Combined Heat & Power[CHP] “LPAs are expected to help facilitate community heating networks & CHP, & should encourage developers to consider such options. Development briefs for larger sites should consider including the need to investigate community heating options.” TAN 8

13. Stage 3 – Renewable Energy and Micro-generation WAG Sustainable Development Action Plan 2004-2007: • Pilot projects to explore use of renewable energy to tackle fuel poverty by 2006 • Encourage development of indigenous micro- renewables industry, especially SMEs • Plans to extend permitted development rights

14. Sustainable Construction Materials • Renewable (or abundant) materials, sustainably produced • Local production and availability • Relatively unprocessed, (low-energy, non-polluting) • Recycled / recyclable • ‘Healthy’ (or at least neutral)

15. Sustainable Water Use & Drainage • Install low-demand WCs, taps, showers • Install water meters • Rain butts • ‘Green’ or water-retaining roofs • Porous surfaces • Sustainable drainage: swales, overflow ponds

16. Winner of Grand Designs ‘Eco House’ award and WHDA 2006 • Well insulated timber frame on brick plinth • Well daylit, efficient glazing • Live/work space • Lime render, sheeps wool insulation, oak cladding • PVs and underfloor heating • Swift nesting slots

17. Affordable Housing: Burry Port Integrated Care Centre • Total energy costs [2 bed flat]: c£6/week • Total construction costs: £750/m2 • Biomass boiler • Solar water heating • Heat recovery • Provision for future PV • Passive solar design including shading • Good daylighting • Healthy internal surfaces

18. Torfaen Eco Building • Built by LA to host seminars and workshops for local businesses • Timber frame and clad. Roof and wall cassettes filled with straw bales • Minimal use of concrete; recycled aggregate • Designed for relocation

19. Zero Carbon Homes? Problems encountered: • Skills - eg delivering air tightness • Materials and technology – availability • Costs – estimated £60k extra per unit?? Lighthouse scheme built at BRE. UK’s first Code level 6 house. Architect Sheppard Robson.

20. Code for Sustainable Homes • Voluntary, but mandatory in the future? • Domestic only • Minimum standards for water/energy efficiency at each code level. For materials, waste and drainage at code entry level. • Aims to create a single national standard. Linked with EPCs and synchronised with BREEAM EcoHomes: CSH level 3 = EH VG; level 4 = EH Ex. levels 5 & 6 = aspirational, zero carbon • Signals future changes to BRegs. Greater certainty and level playing field for developers • Based on post-construction assessment

21. Implementation of CSH

22. Cost Impacts • 3-6% increase on EcoHomes VG to achieve level 3 • Energy efficiency = cheapest whole life cost • CHP and communal heating = lowest capital cost • Wind can be low cost option depending on site • Reduction in cost of technologies over time

23. Passiv Haus • Reduced heating demand to the point where a traditional heating system not required • <15kWh/m2/year • Air tightness <1m3/hr/m2 • Opaque U values <0.15 W/m2/K • Window U values <0.8 W/m2/K • Removal of all thermal bridges • Approved details & components

24. ‘Houses Without Heating’ Lindas, Sweden • 20 terraced houses, 120m2 each • 200,000 Euros per house • Extra ‘eco’ costs equal to cost of heating system

25. Can we afford not to? • Stern report predicts: • Failure to address climate change will cost 5% GDP / year • Climate change will reduce global GDP by 5-20% per annum. In the UK, the effects of climate change could cost £58-321 billion • To prevent this we need to invest 1% of GDP now, or the equivalent of £3.70 per person per week

26. Comisiwn Dylunio Cymru Design Commission for Wales 4th Fl. Building II, Caspian Point, Caspian Way, Cardiff Bay, CF10 4DQ T: 029 2045 1964 F: 029 2045 1958 www.dcfw.org