Ecology

CO2 emissions from buildings account for 30-40 % of global energy use, so savings in energy usage, even at the level of an individual household, do make a measurable difference when aggregated. Low energy technologies do generally have a higher initial outlay but with the increased cost of fossil-based energy sources payback periods are getting shorter. We try to highlight trade-offs between initial outlay and running costs during the design and costing process to create a sensible balance. There is financial support available from government for some measures, for example solar hot water, and we have secured grants for a few installations.

New building elements, for example extensions and loft conversions, automatically have to meet standards set by the energy sections of the Building Regulations but energy-saving measures to existing houses, such as draught-proofing, insulation of lofts, walls and floors are discretionary at present. However we encourage clients to include this work and we give guidance on likely savings accruing over time e.g. 'Smart' electric meters give owners instant feedback on consumption and also help to identify areas where consumption can be trimmed.

Rainwater can easily be retained for watering plants etc by means of water butts but larger scale provision can be appropriate: We have installed a 15,000 litre underground tank to support irrigation of a very large garden. We specify that timber should be from sustainable sources wherever possible and we use the Forest Stewardship Council certification scheme.