"I was brought in by the BCHA in 1996 to see what could be done to reduce its environmental impact, including concerns such as local regeneration and employment, as well as green issues.
Environment-friendly
"When we are planning to build a new scheme, I sit as an extra member of the design team. I assist them in the design and construction, to see if there is a more environment-friendly way of doing things.
"One of the main innovations we use is off-site prefabrication, to reduce waste and time on site. On phase 2B of the Bryce Road scheme [a £1.5m housing development in Dudley, West Midlands] 13 weeks was saved on site through having the kitchens and bathrooms prefabricated. Although it was more expensive to manufacture these pods than to have built the kitchens and bathrooms using traditional methods, the time saved was compensation. On the final phase of the scheme, we aim to cut 20 weeks out of the schedule through the use of prefabrication.
"I admit that sometimes my work can impact negatively on the construction process. I may have an idea that is very good for the environment, but proves too costly and impractical. There have to be compromises. That's why we have the main contractor and specialist subcontractors on the design team, so these things can be sorted out before work starts on site. Although we use traditional contract forms, we favour the partnership approach.
"I usually come up with the ideas for specific environmental innovations, but all the design team read round the subject, and my enthusiasm tends to rub off on them. I start the ball rolling and then everyone comes up with ideas.
"BCHA also provides an external environmental consultancy service. It is mainly in the field of social housing, but not exclusively. We charge £500 a day, but we try and fit in with people's budgets. We ask them how much they can afford and do the best we can within that. We provide training as well as consultancy for that cost.
"There is also the Ecopod at Bryce Road, which is a centre for learning about the innovations used in the scheme. We can either do a guided tour for £35 a head for two hours, or concentrate on a specific topic for a day consultancy, such as insulation. We used three different types of insulation on phases 2B and C, and have cutaway models of them all in the Ecopod.
"Main contractors can make a difference to the environment through their supply chains. They can choose subcontractors that take environmental considerations seriously, if there is little to choose between bids on price. At the BCHA we use 'green tendering' to procure our supplies, which means focusing initially on best value and environmental concerns rather than price. We have no problem with a contractor using its own supplier, but we do insist that they be cheaper than ours, and up to speed with the environmental concerns. We also tend towards local businesses, as it cuts down on costs and gives the local economy a boost.
"I have sympathy with small firms with limited resources, but I can't see any reason why environmental performance can't improve financial performance. We're not special here, or geniuses, but we are prepared to take risks and make mistakes achieve good results."
Source
Construction Manager
