Sustainability issues
Making waves
Richard McCarthy: The Green Deal may have got off to an unsteady start but, by working with government, the industry can still turn it into a success
Overrated?
Are green ratings helping or becoming a problem in the quest to improve the sustainability of new buildings?
Going green? Give it time
David Weight believes opportunities to reduce embodied carbon are often thwarted by a tight build programme. With careful planning and more time, emissions could be slashed
Rules & regulations
Security regulations: The safety catch
Should the communities department’s recent Building Regulations consultation have done more to tighten security?
The Regs Files: Energy perfomance in homes
With the energy performance of new homes proving far worse in practice than in theory, the government has been spurred into action - but its proposed quality assurance process for Part L compliance has not met with universal approval
Housing ventilation: Bit of an air con
In the race to build ever more airtight homes, it appears that housebuilders are sacrificing air quality, with some 95% of new dwellings failing Part F ventilation standards
The better homes lab
Designing energy-efficient homes is the easy bit - making sure the dwelling performs as expected is more tricky. That’s why forward-thinking housebuilders are embarking on some serious research. Alex Smith verifies the results
