Green Building Takes Hold in Britain

As the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) hands out its most recent awards, Sarah Morrison chronicles the mainstreaming of green building in Britain.

1 minute read

April 15, 2012, 11:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj

Morrison looks at a number of indicators that show green building has established a major foothold on design and construction in Britain. According to BREEAM, a leading green rating system, 7,000 projects were assessed for their sustainable bona fides last year, more than double the amount assessed in 2009.

"Despite the economic gloom, the green way of building has never been more popular," writes Morrison. "And soon, it seems, all building work could be green. The Government is consulting on tightening building regulations so that homeowners undertaking major improvements would have to carry out energy-saving measures at the same time."

Morrison lists a number of the winners of this year's BREEAM Awards, which include Thameside Prison, Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts, and St John's Vicarage, Wembley, north-west London, "A traditionally built, zero-carbon dwelling...the first building of its type in the UK to comply with the highest level of the sustainable homes code."

FULL STORY: Unstoppable! The rise and rise of Britain's green buildings

Sunday, March 18, 2012 in The Independent

Architecture Environment United Kingdom Green Building BREEAM

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.