Zero Emissions Day: Construction and architecture sectors can work together
Monday 21 September 2020 is Zero Emissions Day. This day has been created to provide the world a break from fossil fuels, in addition to raising awareness about the damage caused by carbon emissions.
The call to action for Zero Emissions Day is to give the planet one day off a year of using fossil fuels and encourage the use of renewable energy sources. The world’s fossil fuel consumption is unsustainable, and we need to work towards a net zero future.
Today, minimise (or eliminate if you can) your use of electricity generated by fossil fuels and avoid using or burning oil, gas or coal. This day can be a reason to assess the amount of fossil fuels you rely on during a typical day and help you find ways to minimise your use.
Carbon emissions in the construction sector
The construction and built environment is responsible for about 40% of carbon emissions in the UK. Eliminating emissions from buildings is a significant challenge the industry faces and is essential in order for the UK to meet the Government’s net zero target by 2050.
Many professionals in the architecture sector have been advocating for a green recovery from COVID-19 and promoting the need to build back better. This could help boost the economy and create new jobs, while also decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and slowing down climate change.
It’s important to keep in mind that zero carbon buildings aren’t just about buildings’ operational use but also the carbon emitted during the construction phase. We need to actively focus on dramatically lowering the sector’s carbon footprint.
Low energy design and architecture
Low energy designed buildings also need to be a priority moving forward. This is where architects and developers can work together. There are some high-quality examples of carbon neutral architecture projects for inspiration on Dezeen’s website.
Passivhaus in particular is a low energy design standard that dramatically reduces the requirement for space heating and cooling. This is typically 75% less than current Building Regulation standards. To achieve a Passivhaus standard, a design needs to have a ‘fabric first’ approach, specifying high levels of insulation and exceptional levels of airtightness.
A’Bear & Ball Architects LLP can deliver low energy housing projects to the full Passivhaus standard and ultra-low energy design principles. Sustainability and low energy design is central to our overall design thinking. With every client the Practice has, we agree energy performance targets from the outset because of the ever importance of creating energy efficient and sustainable homes.
Read more about our low energy design as an architecture practice. Contact us if you’d like to learn more about how A’Bear & Ball Architects can help you with low energy and sustainable projects.
