/> Sustainable design | Code for Sustainable Homes


 

 

With the increasing monetary and environmental costs of traditional construction materials, consumers are becoming more environmentally aware when it comes to design and construction, and we here at Arcink firmly believe that building 'green' is the future. That is why we look forward to the introduction of the Code for Sustainable Homes in Scotland, which will ensure designers and builders must meet increasing standards of sustainability when constructing new buildings. To this end, we try to specify as many eco-friendly products as possible, citing ISO 14001 compliance, for the responsible sourcing of materials, as an absolute minimum, and where budget permits, we recommend our clients incorporate locally sourced materials, reclaimed timbers, waste management systems such as greywater recycling, and of course, renewable technologies such as solar panels or ground/air source heat pumps into their build. With future legislation meaning that by 2016, all new-builds must be "net zero carbon", we believe it is fundamental that where budget permits, these standards are met today.

Commercially, we can draw on our experience of a number of projects that have achieved high BREEAM scores of 'very good' or 'excellent', and this is something we are keen to expand upon.