Jane Embury looks at building sustainability
There was an interesting recent article in Building Magazine.
It was written by Sadie Morgan, a co-founding director of dRMM, and chair of the Quality of Life Foundation.
She made the point that 2021 has been a year of transition, ushering us from the global shock of the pandemic into a way of life that is both familiar and completely different.
“The UK’s greatest challenges for development which, aside from infrastructure and mobility, are tied to meeting the country’s housing shortage and tackling the climate crisis,” she said.
One major change is the appointment of Michael Gove as secretary of state at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
“His appointment roughly coincides with the UK’s upcoming hosting of COP26 in Glasgow,” she said. “Its call for the world to step up climate action, signals a type of change that is systemic, all-encompassing, and hopefully permanent.”
We’ve said many times that the government’s manta of build back better must have real sustainability at its heart.
Proposals
We’ve said that the country must make better use of our existing built environment. Not simply knocking things down and starting again.
We’ve welcomed proposals in Ireland to turn empty properties above shops into apartments. We’ve also welcomed the City of London’s plans to convert redundant offices into homes.
We also recently welcomed a scheme to build homes and spaces for work as part of integrated developments. Remote working is here to stay.
“Good design must be at the heart of reform when it comes to the places we learn, live or spend any amount of time going about our lives,” said Sadie Morgan.
“The legacy of that future stands to be one of equitable, sustainable and exemplary urban living. Design will be an important author of that legacy,” she said.
At Wrightstyle, we have always stood for innovation and blue-sky thinking. It’s why our internal and external glazing systems are best-in-class.
But it’s also part of our mantra to champion glass. Besides being endlessly recyclable, it offers huge environmental and other benefits.
It can connect interiors with the outside world, particularly good, for example, for patient recovery in a healthcare context.
In our area of expertise, our systems protect against fire, ballistic or bomb attack. Our systems therefore provide safety and aesthetic advantages.
Wrightstyle systems are specified here and internationally, and we’re proud to have worked on projects from the USA to Beirut to Hong Kong.
But, closer to home, we also recognise how the architectural and construction industries must change to combat CO2 emissions.
Wrightstyle is already part of that change.
