As a follow up to the existing theme of creating sustainable zero carbon urban extensions, I will now look at water. Water is an important resource globally and the development sector should as a principle look at ways to use this precious resource as efficiently as possible. In order to look at the bigger picture, so not just the individual homes being built to zero carbon principles within the urban extension, it is important to incorporate as many other sustainable principles as possible across the development. The home is a good starting point though. The aspiration is for all new homes to use water efficiently, and an easy win is designing and installing the taps and showers to low volume principles where their use is hardly noticable from the current accepted norm. Another sustainable principle that is easy to deliver is rain water harvesting. This can be done with an individual system per property or done on a communal basis and shared by a number of properties. They are relatively easy and cheap to install and allow the use of water for flushing toilets within a house which would normally be potable water from the water main. Water butts within garden areas that capture rain water run-off from gutters is also an excellent way to use water for outside purposes such as watering the garden area. In terms of the wider urban extension, the role of Sustainable Urban Drainages Systems (SUDS) is crucial. These systems are now a legislative requirement for new developments in many countries. SUDS are effectively designed to slow and hold water. The benefits are huge and include :- Slows and holds water which allows natural processes to break down pollutants Recharges Ground water to help prevent drought Prevents flooding in urban areas Creates natural habitats for wildlife Permeable paving on road or footpath areas stops run off and feeds into any SUDS system Most SUDS are a combination of swales (shallow drainage channels) and bigger ponds which all interconnect. A final observation on SUDS in terms of sustainability for a house is the use of green roofs. These roof have huge benefits as they reduce run off, add insulation, cool property during the summer, increase sound insulation and also provide a habitat for wildlife. All of the above has been incorporated into the first phase of the Bicester Eco Town in the UK (*) (**) (*) nwbicester.co.uk www.ecobicester.org.uk
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorGerald Walker. BA Hons Economics and Studying for a Masters at UNSW in Property and Development Archives
June 2017
Categories |