Greentec Eco Homes and Filtrex have become the latest approved members of Éasca, Ireland's green building association. Niall Dolan of Greentec sees high demand for sustainable construction and their greenest project to date is a residential home in Galway using insulated foundations, timber frames, air barriers and natural finishes. Brendan Lynch of Filtrex discusses how their motivation to promote sustainable technology stems from seeing biomass boilers utilized abroad and their focus on commercial and public sector biomass projects and fuel preparation systems.
Luxury Villas, Apartments Bangalore, New Homes in north Bangalore which is Well connected to the city Yelahanka is the fastest growing residential & commercial
A one day symposium on zero/low carbon sustainable homes took place at The University of Nottingham on the 24th October, 2012. The event offered professionals within the construction industry a unique opportunity to gain added and significant insight into the innovations, policies and legislation which are driving the construction of zero/low carbon energy efficient homes both here in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. It explored solutions to sustainability issues “beyond” the zero carbon agenda. BZCH followed on from the successful ‘Towards Zero Carbon Housing’ symposium the University hosted in 2007. This event is part of the Europe Wide Ten Act10n project which is supported by the European Commission Intelligent Energy Europe.
A one day symposium on zero/low carbon sustainable homes took place at The University of Nottingham on the 24th October, 2012. The event offered professionals within the construction industry a unique opportunity to gain added and significant insight into the innovations, policies and legislation which are driving the construction of zero/low carbon energy efficient homes both here in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. It explored solutions to sustainability issues “beyond” the zero carbon agenda. BZCH followed on from the successful ‘Towards Zero Carbon Housing’ symposium the University hosted in 2007. This event is part of the Europe Wide Ten Act10n project which is supported by the European Commission Intelligent Energy Europe.
Luxury Villas, Apartments Bangalore, New Homes in north Bangalore which is Well connected to the city Yelahanka is the fastest growing residential & commercial
A one day symposium on zero/low carbon sustainable homes took place at The University of Nottingham on the 24th October, 2012. The event offered professionals within the construction industry a unique opportunity to gain added and significant insight into the innovations, policies and legislation which are driving the construction of zero/low carbon energy efficient homes both here in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. It explored solutions to sustainability issues “beyond” the zero carbon agenda. BZCH followed on from the successful ‘Towards Zero Carbon Housing’ symposium the University hosted in 2007. This event is part of the Europe Wide Ten Act10n project which is supported by the European Commission Intelligent Energy Europe.
A one day symposium on zero/low carbon sustainable homes took place at The University of Nottingham on the 24th October, 2012. The event offered professionals within the construction industry a unique opportunity to gain added and significant insight into the innovations, policies and legislation which are driving the construction of zero/low carbon energy efficient homes both here in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. It explored solutions to sustainability issues “beyond” the zero carbon agenda. BZCH followed on from the successful ‘Towards Zero Carbon Housing’ symposium the University hosted in 2007. This event is part of the Europe Wide Ten Act10n project which is supported by the European Commission Intelligent Energy Europe.
Luxury Villas South Chennai, OMR Perumbakkam ECR, For the first time ever in Chennai, we bring you independence from the grid on water and energy-Zed RIA
Leading Architects and Designers know the impact a building can have on the environment. Strategies to reduce storm water runoff and urban heat-island effect while increasing green space are issues for today’s sustainable designs. Henry’s Hot Applied Rubberized Asphalt Waterproofing and Vegetative Roof Assembly® (VRA) is a fully integrated roofing waterproofing membrane system.
The Henry VRA features: SBS modified membrane with 25% recycled content, root barrier, and water retention/drainage mats which provide optimal aeration and water storage. Henry always has and always will be the best choice for providing tough and durable, economical roofing waterproofing membrane systems. This presentation will examine the problems, discuss the physical properties and review the application method of our tried and true high performance Vegetative Roof Assembly®.
A one day symposium on zero/low carbon sustainable homes took place at The University of Nottingham on the 24th October, 2012. The event offered professionals within the construction industry a unique opportunity to gain added and significant insight into the innovations, policies and legislation which are driving the construction of zero/low carbon energy efficient homes both here in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. It explored solutions to sustainability issues “beyond” the zero carbon agenda. BZCH followed on from the successful ‘Towards Zero Carbon Housing’ symposium the University hosted in 2007. This event is part of the Europe Wide Ten Act10n project which is supported by the European Commission Intelligent Energy Europe.
Green Building Envelopes 101 was given as a 2 hour presentation at the National Building Envelope Council Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba in May 2011.
A one day symposium on zero/low carbon sustainable homes took place at The University of Nottingham on the 24th October, 2012. The event offered professionals within the construction industry a unique opportunity to gain added and significant insight into the innovations, policies and legislation which are driving the construction of zero/low carbon energy efficient homes both here in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. It explored solutions to sustainability issues “beyond” the zero carbon agenda. BZCH followed on from the successful ‘Towards Zero Carbon Housing’ symposium the University hosted in 2007. This event is part of the Europe Wide Ten Act10n project which is supported by the European Commission Intelligent Energy Europe.
Breathe See Touch the Difference. The Cushman & Wakefield Headquarters Project Registers for LEED as part of the LEED EB&OM Project at 1290 Avenue of the Americas.
BREATHE SEE TOUCH THE DIFFERENCE.
Cushman & Wakefield World Headquarters is registered under the LEED Green Building Rating system with a goal of Silver.
The increasing usage of computer technology in our everyday life and especially in our homes and the increasing demand for sustainable life style concepts raise the question of how to combine these two trends. Can we make smart homes sustainable or sustainable homes smart? This paper discusses current trends and challenges arising with these questions and proposes a sustainable smart home approach.
Presented at ICT4S 2013, the First International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies for Sustainability, held in Zurich, February 2013, http://www.ict4s.org
Luxury Villas South Chennai, OMR Perumbakkam ECR, For the first time ever in Chennai, we bring you independence from the grid on water and energy-Zed RIA
Leading Architects and Designers know the impact a building can have on the environment. Strategies to reduce storm water runoff and urban heat-island effect while increasing green space are issues for today’s sustainable designs. Henry’s Hot Applied Rubberized Asphalt Waterproofing and Vegetative Roof Assembly® (VRA) is a fully integrated roofing waterproofing membrane system.
The Henry VRA features: SBS modified membrane with 25% recycled content, root barrier, and water retention/drainage mats which provide optimal aeration and water storage. Henry always has and always will be the best choice for providing tough and durable, economical roofing waterproofing membrane systems. This presentation will examine the problems, discuss the physical properties and review the application method of our tried and true high performance Vegetative Roof Assembly®.
A one day symposium on zero/low carbon sustainable homes took place at The University of Nottingham on the 24th October, 2012. The event offered professionals within the construction industry a unique opportunity to gain added and significant insight into the innovations, policies and legislation which are driving the construction of zero/low carbon energy efficient homes both here in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. It explored solutions to sustainability issues “beyond” the zero carbon agenda. BZCH followed on from the successful ‘Towards Zero Carbon Housing’ symposium the University hosted in 2007. This event is part of the Europe Wide Ten Act10n project which is supported by the European Commission Intelligent Energy Europe.
Green Building Envelopes 101 was given as a 2 hour presentation at the National Building Envelope Council Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba in May 2011.
A one day symposium on zero/low carbon sustainable homes took place at The University of Nottingham on the 24th October, 2012. The event offered professionals within the construction industry a unique opportunity to gain added and significant insight into the innovations, policies and legislation which are driving the construction of zero/low carbon energy efficient homes both here in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. It explored solutions to sustainability issues “beyond” the zero carbon agenda. BZCH followed on from the successful ‘Towards Zero Carbon Housing’ symposium the University hosted in 2007. This event is part of the Europe Wide Ten Act10n project which is supported by the European Commission Intelligent Energy Europe.
Breathe See Touch the Difference. The Cushman & Wakefield Headquarters Project Registers for LEED as part of the LEED EB&OM Project at 1290 Avenue of the Americas.
BREATHE SEE TOUCH THE DIFFERENCE.
Cushman & Wakefield World Headquarters is registered under the LEED Green Building Rating system with a goal of Silver.
The increasing usage of computer technology in our everyday life and especially in our homes and the increasing demand for sustainable life style concepts raise the question of how to combine these two trends. Can we make smart homes sustainable or sustainable homes smart? This paper discusses current trends and challenges arising with these questions and proposes a sustainable smart home approach.
Presented at ICT4S 2013, the First International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies for Sustainability, held in Zurich, February 2013, http://www.ict4s.org
This presentation is a basic introduction to the concepts underlying carbon neutral design. It looks at a LEED Platinum building that is also a carbon neutral building for some ideas as to how to achieve this goal.
Bamboo is considered one of the best eco-friendly building materials. It has an incredibly high self-generation rate, with some being reported to have grown up to three feet within 24 hours. It continues spreading and growing without having to be replanted after harvest. Bamboo is a perennial grass and not wood and grows on every continent, except Europe and Antarctica.
It also has a high strength-to-weight ratio, even greater comprehensive strength than concrete and brick, and lasts incredibly long. It is, therefore, the best choice for flooring and cabinetry. Unfortunately, bamboo requires treatment to resist insects and rot. If left untreated, bamboo contains a starch that greatly invites insects, and it could swell and crack after absorbing water.
2. Precast Concrete Slabs
Precast Concrete Slabs
The slabs are formed at a manufacturer’s site and are shipped in whole sections to construction sites. Some are made entirely of concrete but have large hollow air spaces, like concrete blocks. Precast concrete slabs are used for walls and building facades as they hold up well to all sorts of weather, while others can be used for floor and flat roofs.
Concrete is an excellent way of controlling heat within a building and is affordable as a building material. The sustainability of precast concrete slabs is higher than many traditional concrete options as the slabs often take much less energy to produce and assemble. Precasting concrete also allows the material to properly cure in a controlled environment, rather than exposing it to a variety of unfavorable weather conditions while curing at a construction site. As such, precast concrete slabs avoid cracks and structural faults within the concrete and eventual demolitions.
4. Straw Bales
Straw Bales
It is another green building material that can be used as a framing material. They have good insulation properties and can act as soundproof material. It can also be used as fill material in between columns and in beams framework/ as they cannot allow air through, they can have some fire resistance properties.
Straw can be harvested and re-planted easily with minimal environmental impacts. Making straw into bales also has very low influence. They can also be placed in walls, attics and ceilings, to contribute to cooler the house in the summer and warmer temperatures in the winter.
5. Recycled Plastic
small-plants-bottle-recycle
Source: Canva
Rather than sourcing, mining and milling new components for construction, manufacturers are using recycled plastic and other ground-up trash to produce concrete. The practice is reducing greenhouse gas emissions and is giving plastic waste new use, rather than clogging landfills and contributing to plastic pollution.
A blend of recycled and virgin plastic is also used to make polymeric timbers, for use in making fences, picnic tables and other structures, at the same time, saving trees. Plastic from two-liter bottles can be spun into fiber for the production of
Learn about Bentley Prince Street's Misson Zero promise to eliminate any negative impact it may have on the environment by the year 2020. And see exactly how they are doing it.
If you have been thinking about how to make your kitchen or bathroom renovation a little bit easier on our already burdened environment, our Saturday-Sit Down event titled "It ain’t easy being green" would have been right up your alley.
Reframed Tech Series: Embodied carbon & deep retrofitsPembina Institute
The Pembina Institute, in association with the Reframed Initiative, presents the Reframed Tech Series — webinars on evolving deep retrofit solutions.
https://www.pembina.org/ReframedTechSeries
http://reframedinitiative.org/
1. Éasca member profile:
GREENTEC ECO HOMES
& FILTREX
Sustainable builder Greentec Eco Homes and renewable hea ng company Filtrex have become the latest approved
members of Éasca – the green building associa on’s membership now totals 40 of Ireland’s leading sustainable
suppliers, contractors and designers. Construct Ireland spoke to Greentec MD Niall Dolan and Filtrex MD Brendan
Lynch to find out more.
projects in the pipeline but the greenest one on of extrac on plants by 60%
to date is a residen al dwelling in Barna, Co
Galway. All aspects of the house have been dis- CI: What mo vated you to go this direc on?
cussed with the clients and construc on is due BL: I have been travelling to trade fairs in Ger-
to commence within a fortnight. The agreed products many since 1991, when I visited the Ligna show
for the build include an insulated founda on in Hannover, and I was amazed at how other
system with low carbon concrete, structure from countries u lised their waste or by-products.
Advanced Timber Frame using cellulose and wood This was my first introduc on to biomass boil-
fibre insula on, Pro Clima Intello air ght mem- ers and brique e presses. A er talking to sev-
brane, air-filled Struder C floor insula on and eral manufacturers, I realised that what we in
Fermacell plaster board finished with natural paints. Ireland were calling waste and sending to land-
fill, the Germans and Danes called fuel and
CI: Do you see any poten al problems with a were using to heat their factories and homes.
rapid na onal energy efficiency drive? This trip sparked my interest in renewable en-
Construct Ireland: Is there much demand for ND: Yes, I can see some dangers arising. The ergy and recycling, and I went on to visit dis-
a sustainable contractor in the current market? correct building materials need to be installed trict hea ng models in Denmark and Austria
Niall Dolan: Yes, I am seeing a high demand for for a healthy living environment and contractors fuelled by waste wood and brique es from the
green building work at the moment. Obviously need to take proper training. wood processing sector.
we are currently in recessionary mes and this
seems to have affected all building work re- CI: Where do you see most growth opportuni es?
gardless of building methods, but thankfully BL: We see most of our growth coming from
my company receives a great amount of queries biomass boilers in the commercial and public sector
regarding green building on a regular basis. I and also biomass fuel shredding and prepara-
think that people are now more aware of the on systems for biomass power plants and bri-
effect that construc on has on the environ- que ng plants.
ment and the advantages of building low car-
bon homes. CI: Can you describe a recent project where
you've put sustainable principles into prac ce?
CI: What mo vates your clients to go green? BL: We recently commissioned a 1MW district
ND: One main reason in my opinion is that our hea ng system fuelled by locally produced
lifestyles in general have changed over the past wood-chip for Tralee Town Council in Kerry.
few years to that of an organic nature – for in-
stance with foods and health products. This The district hea ng scheme consisted of five
has also been reflected in the way in which we apartment blocks – each individually zoned in the
want our homes built – free from toxins with as plantroom, with a total of 50 one and two bedroom
many natural products as possible being used. CI: Why is Filtrex a green company? units, each individually metered and charged per
This in turn leads to a healthy living environment. Brendan Lynch : For almost ten years we have kWh – along with a day care centre and library.
been commi ed to promo ng the use of sus-
Also energy savings definitely play a pivotal tainable technology to our customers in order Filtrex were responsible for design, installa on
role in mo va ng my clients. I think they’re ex- to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. In the first in- and commissioning and maintenance. The final
tremely content with the fact that there will be stance this was in the wood processing sector installa on consisted of two 500kW Herz wood
li le or no energy bills in the lifecycle of the house. where we installed the first biomass boilers, chip biomass boilers, two 5000l hot water
elimina ng fuel and landfill costs. We also in- buffers, a wood chip fuel storage bunker fit-out,
CI: What’s your greenest project to date? troduced advanced filter technology u lising boiler house M&E, cyclonic fly ash separa on
ND: At the moment I have a number of green inverter driven fans reducing power consump- and a stainless steel flue system.
(above left) Greentec MD Niall Dolan; (above centre) Filtrex MD Brendan Lynch pictured with environment minister John Gormley
CI 91