Oct 17 2007
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) will be unveiling a suite of climate change guidance documents for architects and consumers on 18 October 2007. The launch will take place at the RIBA’s Small Practice Conference at the RIBA.
The guidance documents, known collectively as the RIBA Climate Change Toolkit, are primarily aimed at the construction industry though the first guide in the series – the Climate Change Briefing - is designed to have a broad, non-professional appeal.
The RIBA Climate Change Toolkit consists of the following three downloadable PDFs, also available as A4 printed documents, alongside A5 summary versions:
- Climate Change Briefing - ‘setting the scene’ on the relationship between buildings and climate change, this guide focuses on the range of fuel use and carbon dioxide emissions associated with new and existing UK buildings of different types and with different servicing systems, and identifies key factors that affect carbon dioxide emissions. The document emphasises the critical role of the existing building stock, and includes links to sources of energy and environmental benchmarking data. This document is an introduction to the key issues, and has been written to appeal to the consumer, as well as the construction professional.
- Guide to Low Carbon Performance Methods and Assessment Methods – focusing on new and existing buildings, this guidance covers energy and environmental standards for the main building types (residential, commercial and public), and includes references and links for more detailed information.
- Guide to Low Carbon Design Tools – the third guide covers performance simulation software for buildings of different types, post-construction performance testing, and performance monitoring and evaluation methods; and includes references and links for more detailed information.
Three further climate change guides – a Carbon Literacy Briefing, Guide to The Principles of Low Carbon Design and Refurbishment and Guide to Low Carbon Skills and Training - will be published over the following six months to complete a suite of six documents. The RIBA Climate Change Toolkit has been produced by a specialist consultant on behalf of the RIBA.
Speaking about the toolkit, Sunand Prasad, RIBA President, said: “This toolkit is one part of an RIBA programme of work designed to address how the architecture profession, and the institute itself, can play its part in tacking climate change.
“We must design and build both to reduce energy use and to de-carbonise the energy supply. A higher priority needs to be given to improving the existing stock, and fast. Architects have a central role in achieving these aims. I believe the RIBA Climate Change Toolkit provides a vital resource for our members, their clients and industry colleagues, enabling them to better understand the issues, and encouraging them to build upon their existing expertise. The architecture profession is ready to make its contribution to combating climate change.”
The RIBA Climate Change Toolkit was previewed at the RIBA’s party conference events, including an RIBA/ICE reception at the Labour party conference at which RIBA President, Sunand Prasad, shared the stage with Hazel Blears MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, and ICE colleagues.
Publication of the toolkit forms part of a long-running programme of work by the RIBA on climate change. The institute has approved a climate change policy, highlighting the need for a socially equitable solution to climate change and pushing for tougher targets for carbon reduction under the ‘Contraction and Convergence’ model; is undertaking a corporate behaviour audit and action plan (to be unveiled by the RIBA later in the year) to reduce its own environmental impact; will be publishing three further climate change guides for members; and is arranging an ongoing series of talks, exhibitions and education projects.
The RIBA’s Climate Change Toolkit will be dowloadable as a PDF from www.architecture.com/climatechange from 18 October.