Sustainability
Introduction to PRP
PRP is a large international multi-disciplinary practice providing Architecture and a range of complementary design and consultancy services including Urban Design and Masterplanning, Landscape Design, Environmental, Project Management and Planning. PRP has 50 years experience in housing and our portfolio embraces all aspects of residential and mixed use development, from the general to the specialist and across the public and private sectors. Our projects range from small scale to large urban regeneration projects, new settlements and mixed use developments that involve other sectors including education, health, leisure, retail, work places and community uses. We operate across the United Kingdom and in overseas markets where our knowledge and expertise in housing, sustainable design and place-making adds value to the regeneration and development of towns and cities.
www.prpenvironmental.co.uk www.prparchitects.co.uk
Sectors Research and Innovation Regeneration Sustainable Communities Private Housing Affordable Housing Mixed Use Specialist Housing Student Accommodation Reuse and Retrofit Healthcare Education International Commercial and Retail Hotels, Resorts and Leisure
Services DESIGN Architecture Landscape Urban Design Masterplanning CONSULTANCY Environmental Interiors Planning Project Services Technical Delivery Consultation Graphics Modelshop
Contents
Sustainability Awards Vision Sustainable Design Environmental Services Sustainable Projects St. Matthew’s Keyworker, London The Glasgow House Greenwatt Way, London AIMC4, Epsom Bicester Eco Town, Oxfordshire Forum House, London Retrofit for the Future Retrofit for the Future, Dartford Carradale House, London Bow Cross, London Haggerston and Kingsland, London Clay Farm, Cambridge Mill Hill East, London Prince Charles House, Cornwall
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Thought Leadership Zero Carbon Compendium Milton Keynes - A Sustainable Future Low Carbon Domestic Retrofit Guides Hotel Research
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Primary Contacts PRP Offices
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Sustainability Awards
The Sharp Project, Manchester
Greenwatt Way, Chalvey, London
St. Matthews Keyworker, Lambeth, London
AJ Retrofit Awards 2012 Finalist - The Sharp Project
Greenbuild Awards 2012 Winner - Domestic New Build - Greenwatt Way
Housebuilder Awards 2012 Winner - Best Low or Zero Carbon Initiative - AIMC4
Sustainable City Awards 2012 Highly Commended - Sustainable Buildings Greenwatt Way
Sustainable Housing Awards 2008 Winner - Low Energy Social Housing Project of the Year St Matthews
Sustainable Housing Awards 2012 Winner - The Transformation Award - Leopold Park AJ100 Awards 2012 Shortlisted - Most Sustainable Practice
Housing Innovation Awards 2012 Highly Commended - Most Innovative Use of Renewable Technology - Greenwatt Way Sustain Awards 2012 Finalist - Development - Greenwatt Way
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Sustainability Awards 2006 Winner - Low Energy Building of the Year - St Matthews Clean City Awards 2011 Waste Management Gold Award
Vision
We believe that addressing sustainability is no different to addressing any other business risk. It should be intrinsic to the way a business operates. The risk of not addressing the principles underpinning sustainability has consequences for individuals and business, the wider community and the economy as a whole.
We carefully consider the wellbeing of the building user and respond appropriately through our design proposals. We aim to future proof the buildings that we design from the impacts of climate change, technology advancement, energy supply changes and shifting population demographics.
A core objective of the practice is to minimise the operational impact of our business on the environment and we strive for continuous improvement in reducing our use of energy and resources. PRP is accredited under ISO 14001 and operates an Environmental Policy which forms an intrinsic part of our Environmental Quality Management System.
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Sustainable Design PRP has worked tirelessly over the last decade to position the Practice correctly for what they had already foreseen as critical issues for the built environment in the 21st Century The reality of global warming, water scarcity, struggling ecosystems, as well as the need for renewable energy to meet rising energy demands are imperative for the world community that need to be addressed in all our decision making around the design, construction and operation of the built environment. We have an impressive track record in the design and delivery of many low and zero carbon buildings, both in the UK and abroad. As founder members of the UK Green Building Council and the Existing Homes Alliance we are committed to reducing the environmental impact of the buildings we design. We are working with industry stakeholders to develop technically feasible and economically viable solutions to meet the Government’s targets and timeline for a low carbon future.
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However, it is also clear to us that sustainable design goes well beyond carbon emission reductions and environmental impacts. It also reaches to the very core of what makes our neighbourhoods and wider communities successful and happier places to be in - namely, place making, social stability and economic prosperity. After 50 years in practice we know how important these are both to our clients and to the wider community. Sustainable design can enhance value and support viability, which in turn helps deliver the successful legacy in the built environment which we all want to leave for future generations.
Environmental Services CORE CONSULTANCY SERVICES Energy and sustainability strategies Environmental performance modelling Building performance evaluation and retrofit strategies Regulatory compliance Environmental assessment and certification Financial analysis and funding brokering Corporate policy and social engagement Monitoring and reporting of sustainability performance Training and knowledge dissemination Research and development
PRP Environmental is a specialist team within PRP which aims to support both the practice and its clients to address sustainability and deliver sustainable development The team is made up of individuals with a diverse range of experience and skills, with qualifications in design, architecture, engineering, and economics. All of the team members are committed to sustainability and helping to create a better built environment. PRP Environmental has been operating within the practice for eight years and has developed an interesting and broad portfolio of work. The portfolio covers a wide range of topics, services and functional disciplines for a variety of clients with differing views on sustainability. This extends from those who simply want to meet higher performance standards for the least capital expense to those ‘pathfinding’ companies that want to pioneer new and innovative solutions and adopt a new paradigm in the way they do business or develop / refurbish buildings.
The work we have undertaken includes a unique blend of services aimed at supporting developers to achieve progressive sustainability aspirations or legislation, but also other activities including research & development, corporate strategies and reporting, producing policy guidance and other published material, running education seminars and carbon foot-printing. Through this experience and exposure, we believe we can provide a balance between the long-term objectives of sustainability and the short-term commercial imperative of ensuring our clients’ needs are met cost-effectively and their business remains competitive. We can combine aspects from all our work to inform and enhance the service to our clients through a pollination of ideas and shared experience across the team. 05
RESIDENTIAL Thermal mass, super insulation, solar hot water provision and very happy tenants
Introducing the European clay block (ziegel block) as a solution for low energy housing
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Sustainable Projects
A Zero Carbon, Code Level 6 housing scheme, undergoing a two year monitoring programme
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A fabric first approach
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RETROFIT Developing low carbon retrofit solutions
Testing a variety of retrofit technologies
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MASTERPLANNING One of the largest green roofs in the UK
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Mitigating the impacts of climate change when designing sustainable new communities Page 26
A government endorsed Eco Town
The first ENVAC (vacuum waste collection system) to be implemented in the UK Page 15
The renovation of a Listed building; energy efficiency measures and carbon reduction
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Tower block refurbishment
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EXTRA CARE An integrated, sustainable approach to masterplanning
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Sheltered housing needs low energy, passive design to combat fuel poverty Page 30 SUSTAINABLE PROJEC TS
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RESIDENTIAL
St. Matthew’s Keyworker Lambeth, London Thermal mass, super insulation, solar hot water provision and very happy tenants
Sustainable Housing Awards 2008 Low Energy Social Housing Project of the Year Sustainability Awards 2006 Low Energy Building of the Year Best New Homes Awards 2006 (Commendation) New Development in the Affordable Homes Sector AJ Sustainability Awards 2006 (Commendation)
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A multi award-winning, unique energy efficient scheme by PRP ZEDFactor for affordable housing provider Presentation (now Notting Hill Housing Group); this ÂŁ1.5 million scheme provides 12 flats for keyworkers. This pioneering project demonstrates how passive design and high levels of insulation can be used to reduce the demand for space heating to the point where the heating system is seldom required to operate. It was achieved with a small cost premium over constructing to the Building Regulations minimum at the time.
The building has been designed such that it can be truly zero carbon. The residents have seen benefits in terms of reduced energy bills as well as improved well being from living in a high quality apartment with good daylight levels and air quality. Some residents have reported that their lifestyle has become more sustainable from living in a green apartment. The building demonstrates how good design can deliver attractive homes that were built affordably and can be operated economically.
ST. MAT THEW’S KEY WORKER, LAMBETH, LONDON
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RESIDENTIAL
The Glasgow House Introducing the European clay block (ziegel block) as a solution for low energy housing
SUSTAINABLE FEATURES: 44% carbon dioxide emission reduction Innovative materials Sun spaces Post-occupancy monitoring
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In less affluent areas, energy costs are a huge concern. PRP’s brief was to help tackle energy poverty by building new homes at affordable prices which have lower energy demands. The Glasgow House, which was nicknamed ‘The £100 House’ as its target annual heating bill was £100, is a prototype low energy house for Glasgow Housing Association. It was designed around a single skin, hollow core clay block wall, an innovation for the UK, but widely used in Europe.
The single skin with external, rendered insulation delivered a fabric specification as follows: Walls - U-vale 0.15 W/m2 C Floor - U value 0.1 W/m2 CRoof - U value 0.1 W/m2 C Airtightness - 3 m3/m2/hr @ 50 pa Given the right approach to housing design and attention to cold bridge detailing, the clay block could provide one more way for achieving Code Level 4* cost effectively, without the use of renewables.
THE GLASGOW HOUSE, GLASGOW
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RESIDENTIAL
Greenwatt Way Chalvey, London A Zero Carbon, Code Level 6 housing scheme, undergoing a two year monitoring programme
Greenbuild Awards 2012 Domestic New Build Sustainable City Awards 2012 Highly Commended ‘Sustainable Buildings’ Housing Innovation Awards 2012 Highly Commended ‘Most Innovative Use of Renewable Technology’ British Homes Awards 2011 Innovation Award for Building Technology
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Greenwatt Way is a prototype housing development to gain a better understanding of the issues around low energy housing and to understand what our energy loads might really be over the next 40 years. It is monitored in occupation over two years. It offers a model for affordable sustainable living, which could be rolled out at a larger scale, where clusters of residents feel a sense of wider ownership and responsibility through the shared amenity.
Half the homes are built using off site manufacture and the other half using traditional materials. All of the annual energy needs will be met by energy generated on site, through roof mounted photovoltaics and a local heat network. The communal plant room concept is to test differing low carbon technologies, including fuel cells, as part of the research. SUSTAINABLE FEATURES: Zero carbon dioxide emissions District heating technology Highest possible insulation standards
GREENWAT T WAY, CHALVEY, LONDON
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RESIDENTIAL
AIMC4 Epsom A fabric first approach
Housebuilder Awards 2012 Winner - Best Low or Zero Carbon Initiative
The AIMC4 project is part of a collaboration between Crest and Barratt whose aim is to provide low carbon housing using a standard house type. The AIMC4 consortium has brought together expertise from across the construction industry to help develop and resolve some of the common challenges in delivering Code 4 housing. The AIMC4 plots will comprise one four-bedroom, detached house using a masonry cavity wall construction and a terrace of four-bed town houses using SIPS (structural insulation panel system) construction.
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One of the aims of the project is to utilise new technologies to achieve Code Level 4 whilst remaining usable by the occupants and staying true to the traditional architecture of Epsom, Surrey. The houses are built and now in the post-occupancy phase. The results of the findings will be fed back to the consortium to help understand how individuals’ behaviour effects energy usage within the dwellings.
RESIDENTIAL
Bicester Eco Town Oxfordshire A government endorsed Eco Town
OVERHEATING ANALYSIS Detailed dwelling studies determined the most feasible and effective measures to reduce overheating.
Bicester Eco Town successfully integrates a new settlement, comprising schools, community facilities, a range of employment opportunities and mix of housing with an existing town and community, as an eco-urban fringe development. A series of integrated sustainability strategies, environmental and engineering solutions enable the masterplan to meet the client’s aspirations and policy as a government endorsed eco town, whilst still delivering a commercially attractive and community driven development. PRP’s technical and environmental design teams have turned the design aims of the masterplan into a deliverable product, providing the unique experience of making low energy design a reality, particularly on top of other projects for Code 5 and 6. Work at Bicester has meant first-hand experience developing new solutions to industry wide sustainable design issues.
PRP developed a sustainable led design that successfully integrates zero carbon energy solutions alongside measures to reduce waste and achieve significant modal shift through sustainable transport measures. The project achieves biodiversity net gain and is future proofed against climate change. PRP Environmental carried out an Overheating Analysis and Climate Change mitigation study for Bicester, the assessment was undertaken for the current weather scenario and three more future weather projections 2030, 2040 and 2050. The results of the study determined that the most feasible and effective measures were night time cooling through natural ventilation; and the use of solar shading, such as shutters during the day time. These combined measures reduce any risk of summer overheating up to 2050. 15
RESIDENTIAL
Forum House Wembley, London The first ENVAC (vacuum waste collection system) to be implemented in the UK
Sustainable Housing Awards 2009 Winner - Best Waste Initiative Housebuilding Innovation Awards 2009 Highly Commended - Housing Product of the Year
Forum House is the first completed mixed use block in Wembley City. It covers 21,000m² of residential space for 286 high quality residential apartments, 47% of which are mixed tenure affordable housing. Forum House is also the first UK residential development to adopt the ENVAC system for waste disposal, eliminating the need for residents to use noisy and smelly rubbish chutes. Residents collect waste in their built-in kitchen bins to ensure the quantity fits easily into the system when they come to dispose of their waste at collection points positioned on each floor and in the courtyard at exit points. Each collection point has three separate chutes which look similar to a post box. Valves in the chutes are opened twice a day and the rubbish automatically transported through a fully enclosed vacuum system, at 50 mph, to a single collection station.
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Each holding point features a remote controlled valve which means only one pipe is needed for the three waste streams. Waste can be sucked from up to 2km away from the central collection point. The waste is sucked into a compactor before being deposited into a lorry sized container which are collected by the council’s waste contractor. Recycling figures for the first six months were 41.5%, which is actually double what London Borough of Brent achieve elsewhere in the borough and waste collection costs have been reduced by 80%, along with vehicle movements and CO2 omissions in the process.
FORUM HOUSE, WEMBLEY, LONDON
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RETROFIT
Retrofit for the Future Testing a variety of retrofit technologies
The government invested ÂŁ17 million in 87 social housing projects across the UK to test low carbon building technology. PRP was involved with five of these projects. PRP specifically selected each project to enable the team to test a variety of retrofit technologies on different build types and varying locations. The houses were located in urban, suburban, rural and conservation areas. Construction methods that were retrofitted include steel frame, post Second World War semi-detached dwellings; solid wall mid-Victorian terrace and mid terrace 1936 homes with cavity wall construction.
The team contributed to an education campaign associated with each of its projects to ensure that all the partners, residents and wider community could better understand the impact of retrofit. It is vital to understand the necessary evils involved with retrofitting occupied homes as well as the potential environmental, health and economical benefits the process delivers. Each demonstrator house was carefully evaluated by the Energy Saving Trust for at least two years and the potential for lower cost implementation in volume across the remaining UK social housing stock assessed. PRP has since been appointed to undertake technical inspections of 40 of the projects.
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RETROFIT
Retrofit for the Future Dartford Developing low carbon retrofit solutions
Number 98 Willow Road in Dartford, is one of the Retrofit exemplar projects. The project was aimed to adapt this post second world war suburban terrace house to significantly reduce its energy consumption and carbon emissions through the incorporation of innovative materials and technologies.
KEY IMPROVEMENTS ACHIEVED: Improved Energy Performance Rating to A Significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions (below 17kg/m2/yr) and primary energy consumption (115kWh/m2/yr) Substantial improvements to the thermal performance of the external fabric Significantly improved external appearance of the house through new insulated render and new triple glazed windows and doors
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RETROFIT
Carradale House Tower Hamlets, London The renovation of a Listed building; energy efficiency measures and carbon reduction
Carradale House (1967-70) an iconic Grade II listed modernist building designed by Erno Goldfinger, falls within PRP’s wider regeneration masterplan for the surrounding Brownfield Estate, part of the Balfron Tower Conservation Area. This site has involved balancing statutory conservation requirements with the pressing imperative to address the sustainable upgrade of the existing housing stock to create a landmark exemplar of sustainable upgrade, fit for 21st century living.
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SUSTAINABLE FEATURES: Replacement of existing windows with high performance examples matching original pattern. Upgrade of thermal performance using innovative materials to provide insulation and vapour barriers. Efficient gas fired boilers for replacement communal heating system. New wet services, incorporating water conservation measures.
CARRADALE HOUSE
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RETROFIT
Bow Cross Tower Hamlets, London Tower block refurbishment
A SUBSTANTIAL DIFFERENCE A completed tower block having been re-clad and re-fitted to incorporate high quality low energy homes.
Adjacent to the site of the 2012 Olympics, Bow Cross (formerly known as Crossways Estate) is a significant regeneration project that includes the refurbishment of existing homes and the provision of 400 new homes in a safe community environment. Built in the early 1970s, Bow Cross is a flagship of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets’ Housing for Choice programme to regenerate the Borough’s worst estates. The project includes substantial new infrastructure and the full refurbishment of the existing towers. The three, 25 storey, tower blocks which dominate Bow Cross have been re-clad and re-fitted as high-quality low-energy homes. Communal areas and entrances have been carefully designed for comfort and security. This highly successful environmental and socially sustainable project has ensured that residents have high quality living accommodation with low running costs.
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SUSTAINABLE FEATURES: High quality urban realm Underground refuse storage Energy efficiency measures and renewable energy technologies Social Regeneration
BOW CROSS, TOWER HAMLETS, LONDON
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MASTERPLANNING
Haggerston and Kingsland Hackney, London One of the largest green roofs in the UK
The Haggerston Estate, in close consultation with its residents, has been transformed through an extensive program of reconstruction that focuses on creating a series of distinct smaller neighbourhoods, in which residents have a greater sense of ownership and pride. This £110 m regeneration project includes 761 new homes in a mix of townhouses and apartments, arranged as urban blocks around a network of pedestrian-friendly residential streets. Internal courtyard podium gardens and one of the largest expanse of green roof in the UK, provide generous semiprivate open space in a dense urban environment.
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Green roofs offer many advantages for building developers, owners and users including heat insulation, summer cooling and roof protection resulting in long-term financial benefits. They also contribute to the wider environment through greater sustainability, biodiversity and the attenuation of storm water as a form of Sustainable Urban Drainage (SUDS). The residential units include 55% affordable housing and 45% for private sale. The masterplan focuses on improving safety and security, family dwellings with open spaces and improved car parking facilities.
HAGGERSTON AND KINGSLAND, HACKNEY, LONDON
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MASTERPLANNING
Clay Farm Cambridge Mitigating the impacts of climate change when designing sustainable new communities
Working in collaboration for developer Homes by Skanska, PRP and C.F. Møller Architects have designed a contemporary masterplan which retains historic features from the existing site, whilst providing contemporary homes that are functional, flexible and sustainable. The scheme provides a setting for an original Grade II listed farmhouse which is immediately adjacent, to ensure the history of the site endures and is respected within the new development.
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Surrounding the central park is a diverse selection of housing typologies that create varied and appealing streetscapes, ranging in feel from semi-urban to suburban in response to Design Codes. Courtyard houses, townhouses, terraces and apartments surrounded by mews streets, shared surfaces and courtyard gardens reinforce the enduring design of this customer focused scheme which provides a tenure-blind mix of private and affordable housing. All dwellings will be fully Lifetime Homes compliant, with a ‘fabric first’ approach that includes large triple glazed windows to ensure that either Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 or 5 is achieved for all apartments and houses.
CLAY FARM, CAMBRIDGESHIRE
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MASTERPLANNING
Mill Hill East Barnet, London An integrated, sustainable approach to masterplanning
PRP developed a masterplan for this suburban site at the heart of the London Borough of Barnet. Part of the site is a former MoD Barracks and the remainder ex-MoD housing and a Council Depot site. There is a 30 metre overall fall from north to south and the masterplan has been conceived to orientate buildings along the contours.
A Design Principles document was prepared as part of the outline application submission, which is one of a suite of approved documents. PRP are currently preparing a Design Code for the site to ensure that a high quality of design is maintained and a cohesive place is achieved when parcels of land are sold to developers.
The site is divided into three character areas within which average target densities range from 40dph at the Green Belt edges, to 66dph in the central area of the site and 144dph at the southern gateway to the site adjacent to Mill Hill East underground station.
At Mill Hill PRP’s in-house knowledge of the spatial and technical factors of environmental design enabled us to develop an overarching strategy embracing sustainability and urban planning. It was this key strategy which went on to inform all the other design disciplines. PRP also developed the energy strategy for the masterplan.
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MILL HILL EAST, BARNET, LONDON
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EXTRA CARE
Prince Charles House Cornwall Sheltered housing needs low energy, passive design to combat fuel poverty
Sunday Times British Homes Awards 2012 Winner - Age Restricted Development Housing Design Awards 2012 Shortlisted - HAPPI Award
PRP Architects and PRP Environmental collaborated on this compact three storey building, the first significant demonstrator project for the Cornwall Eco Town. It has been designed to achieve a BREEAM rating of OUTSTANDING and has been inspired by the HAPPI report findings. As such, it is an exemplar supported housing scheme for older people. The new building is in a contemporary style which uses render, timber, green walls, winter gardens and terraces to create a distinctive facade. Communal facilities include a residents lounge, a public activity room, a foyer with ICT suite, a buggy / bike store and several meeting/lounge areas throughout the building. The landscaped gardens have been designed by the nearby Eden Project/Sensory Trust. A key feature of the external spaces is the significant amount of area for gardening projects.
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SUSTAINABLE FEATURES: Inset glazed winter gardens Flexible public space for use by wider community High fabric thermal performance & compact building form Green roofs and green walls Water recycling Electric charging points for vehicles and buggies Photovoltaics Fully integrated refuse, recycling and composting measures Remote monitoring and data collection of building performance
PRINCE CHARLES HOUSE, CORNWALL
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RESEARCH An international compendium on zero-carbon housing standards
A prospectus that embodies the city’s aspiration and vision for a low-carbon future
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New business opportunities arising from low carbon retrofit
Thought Leadership
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Sustainable hotel design and operations
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At PRP, we are committed to improving the design and technical performance of the built environment and advocating sustainability as a means of catalysing change in the industry. We understand the importance of how people use buildings as well as the environment and we believe in the pursuit of learning and development through intelligent debate and a forward thinking approach. Our research and development projects focus on the future – leading the industry in developing new ideas, processes and solutions for our rapidly changing world. Our diverse and dynamic team of creative and highly skilled researchers and technical experts use innovative approaches to research and development in the fields of low carbon buildings, sustainable communities, smart cities and systems and building occupancy.
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Effective communication is an integral part of our ethos – we believe in advocating sustainability, change and innovation through accessible, intelligent and creative visuals and face to face collaborative multidisciplinary working. We use innovative techniques to carry out our research and enjoy working with clients to develop the brief in order to deliver bespoke creative solutions that deliver a high level of value.
AL HAYER RURAL MASTERPLAN, UAE Restructuring the desert farming landscape to rationalise farming in the UAE
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
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RESEARCH
Zero Carbon Compendium An international compendium on zero-carbon housing standards 2011
edition
NHBC Foundation, Zero Carbon Hub and PRP have launched the first worldwide comparison of low carbon housing policy. The report provides the first ever global snapshot of individual countries progress towards achieving lower energy emissions and zero carbon targets in housing. The Zero Carbon Compendium: a record of who’s doing what, in housing worldwide is a unique report comparing the progress and aspirations of 15 major countries in improving the sustainability and carbon efficiency of their new homes. Including energy consumption and climatic data, as well as analysis of national policy targets and achievements, the report shows that the rate and nature of reform in each territory varies hugely, but overall progress on low carbon housing has been significant.
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Figure 6
Non-Fossil Fuel Sources in the Residential Sector, Different Countries
strategies are ion of wind e both relatively rts.
endium have n Building nal certification M, Green ed national these moting more andards emand for
w prototypes gh research elopment r many years in et acceptance. e schemes er lack there remains ment.
s standard ent energy world. Sweden datory for re are over nd a number
Predominantly Biomass
China 57%
India 78%
South Africa 48%
Predominantly Hydro
Brazil 78%
Canada 41%
Australia 19%
Denmark 28%
Austria 53%
Mostly Nuclear
Switzerland 33%
Mostly Wind
Sweden 60%
Nuclear
Solar Thermal
Waste to Energy
Solar PV
Biomass
Hydro
Geothermal
France 19%
UK 2%
Japan 7%
Ireland 7%
Russia 4%
LEGEND
Country Flag
USA 9%
Germany 20%
Mixed Sources
50-50
New Zealand 63%
Netherlands 4%
Country Name
Wind % of total energy from non-fossil fuels
Switzerland 33%
Data source: OECD/IEA (2011).Renewables and Waste and Energy Balances 2008 data, various countries
13 ZERO CARBON COMPENDIUM
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RESEARCH
Milton Keynes A Sustainable Future A prospectus that embodies the city’s aspiration and vision for a low-carbon future
MIL A STO US N TA K INA E BL YN EF E UT S UR AL ow Ca rbo n
Pro spe
Aims
City
Carbon
programme green city
Efficiency Waste to Energy
Sustainable Infrastructure
Protecting the future
Community programme Carbon Electric Vehicles energy
projects Photovoltaics
sustainable efficiency
Meeting national targets
waste engagement Ideas Anaerobic Digester
E
ctu s
Inspired by the success of the Zero Carbon Compendium, the Milton Keynes Council and the Zero Carbon Hub appointed PRP to develop a Low Carbon Prospectus for Milton Keynes, to capture the city’s sustainability history and aspirations for a low-carbon society. Using a combination of desktop research, workshops with Milton Keynes Council and interviews with Milton Keynes residents, PRP created a document which encapsulates the sustainability of Milton Keynes from its inception in the 1960s all the way to today’s projects and innovations, and even venturing into the future to capture the Council’s vision for a low-carbon Milton Keynes.
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strategy
support
YOUR PART IN THE FUTURE
1
MK Low Carbon Living
Think Again about Saving Energy
2010 Wolverton Energy Roadshow
2008 MK Low Carbon Living
2008 Sustainable Schools Conference
2008 Wolverton Urban Farm
2005 Food Train
2002 Commonwealth Common Waste
1992 Future World Exhibition
1981 Home World
1969 The Open University
Engaging the community and local initiatives
The Milton Keynes Master Plan envisaged “a community of active citizens, participating in the provision of its own services and able to take up the opportunities presented by the new city”. It recognised the need for a close knit web of community services at all levels and aimed for a network of opportunities which must be available to, and be understood by the residents of Milton Keynes.
A Key Stage 3 Citizenship Resource
1972
1967 Population of the designated new town area is 40,000 (60,000 MK Borough).
1969 Open University moves into Walton Hall. It will evenutally work closely with Milton Keynes Development Corporation on many groundbreaking energy-related projects in Milton Keynes. Today, it is the largest academic institution in the UK, and one of the largest universities in the world.
Master Plan adopted as the way forward. Public awareness and participation is one of six goals. Milton Keynes Development Corporation (MKDC) believe that by stimulating active interest and encouraging people to get involved, the community as a whole will benefit.
1981
1987
Home World exhibition showcasing innovation in energy efficient homes is seen by more than 140,000 people. The homes will be occupied and form part of the city. Over 95% of the houses have better insulation than required by Building Regulations at the time, and fuel conservation measures are seen by developers as advantageous in selling the homes.
The City Discovery Centre is an amalgamation of two earlier bodies: the Milton Keynes Urban Studies Centre (focused upon urban environmental education, including history and geography) and the Bradwell Abbey Field Centre Trust (focused upon history, archaeology and the natural environment). The charitable company informs and educates visitors about urban geography, new city planning, and the historical and natural heritage of Milton Keynes.
Population of Milton Keynes Borough Population of the designated new town area
60 000 40 000
65 000 45 000
1960s
1976
Milton Keynes formally designated a New Town.
Around 40,000 trees and shrubs have been planted in the new city.
1970
1976
Public exhibition of the new Milton Keynes Master Plan. Milton Keynes will be a ‘city of trees’ with no building higher than the tallest tree and 40% set aside for green spaces.
Buy Insulation Cheap Campaign by MKDC helps existing householders buy loft insulation, draught stripping and insulation jackets for hot water cylinders at half the normal price. Estimates showed the cost of the materials could be recouped through lower fuel bills within, on average, a year.
1977 Energy Research Group produce an ‘Energy in the Home’ course for OU, aimed at teaching householders more about the practical problems of domestic energy conservation.
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111 300 91 000
1970s 1967
1980s
1995
Commonwealth Common Waste student conference held in Council Chamber - 150 children explore aspects of waste minimisation around the Commonwealth as well as in Milton Keynes. Statements from the event are included in the next version of the Council’s waste plan.
A strategy for future sustainable growth is developed by MKP through widespread public engagement in the planning process. Working Together: A Compact for Milton Keynes provides a framework to facilitate interaction between statutory organisations, voluntary and community groups in order to achieve common aims and aspirations for the ultimate benefit of local people.
2009
2010
2011
Milton Keynes celebrates its 40th birthday.
Wolverton Community Orchard established.
Downs Barn Community Orchard is established.
Gulliver’s Eco-Park opens at Newlands, Europe’s first environmental theme park.
2008
Wolverton Urban Farm grows fresh produce for local consumption using innovative, environmentally sensitive growing methods.
Milton Keynes based charity Sustainable Energy Academy win Ashden Awards Charity and Community Category for Sustainable Energy for their ‘Old Home Superhome’ programme which spreads awareness of the ways in which household CO2 emissions can be reduced by 60-80%, and inspires people to make similar changes to their own homes. There is now a network of homes across the UK that have achieved over 60% CO2 reductions and are open for the public to visit.
MK Energy Day is the first annual event focused on the contribution of individuals to reducing Milton Keynes’ carbon footprint. Events included the launch of an online Milton Keynes carbon footprint calculator, promotion of energy efficient driving techniques, an energy monitor borrowing scheme, business energy efficiency event and various energy related activities in schools across the Borough.
Greenfest Mark II planned (subject to funding) following the success of the 2010 seminar. Up to 1,000 young people to attend and investigate sustainability at the OU.
2007 Written by Rosemary Clarke and Sue Carroll with support from Clare Walton and all participating schools Designed by Dylan Jeavons
Newport Pagnell Farmers Market opens. Global Education Milton Keynes
171 750 143 250
205 370 169 370
2000s
1992
The Living Archive Project established to collect and document the cause and effect of change on local residents.
Future World Exhibition provides the public with a glimpse of the way homes might operate in the 21st century.
1985
The Parks Trust is established to provide, maintain and equip parks, gardens, landscaped areas, woodlands, open spaces, playing fields, playgrounds and recreational amenity space for the benefit of the inhabitants and visitors to the area.
MILTON KEYNES: A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE – A Low Carbon Prospectus
2002
2005
1990s
1984
Residents get involved in energy management of their homes at Shenley Lodge, a demonstration project for Energy World, an international showcase of energy efficient housing.
South Midlands Renewable Energy Advice Centre set up to offer expert advice and information on energy saving, domestic renewables, personal transport, water and waste.
2003
2005
Olney Farmers Market is established.
‘Food Train’ community enterprise works to create sustainable local alternatives to the current food system in ways that improve human health, environmental quality and animal welfare, stimulate enterprise and create community.
Milton Keynes Sustainable Community Strategy aims to ensure active involvement of Milton Keynes citizens in shaping the future of the Borough.
Sustainable Schools pilot scheme set up by GEMK, an educational resource centre working to increase awareness and understanding of sustainability and development issues.
2006 Wolverton Farmers Market starts ‘Food Train’. Food Train receive funding from Natural England to look at food economy in Milton Keynes, and ways of supplying more locally produced food.
14 schools have signed up to GEMK Sustainable Schools project. This involves a wide-ranging annual audit linking sustainability to school improvements, the curriculum, the environment and the community.
235 320 198 570
257 690 219 600
2010 and beyond
2010
2008
2008
2009
2010
2012
The site is cleared for the Urban Farm in Wolverton, the new home for Growing People initiative, a horticultural social enterprise project for young people.
Shenley Church End is chosen as one of only six areas across the country for a pioneering new project aimed at drastically cutting rubbish. Two Zero Waste promoters are appointed and visit homes, businesses and schools, and a Zero Waste Day is held which includes pond clearance, home composting and a real nappy event.
Four young people attend international Bright Green Youth Camp in Denmark, sponsored by OU. This previewed the Climate Change summit in December 2009.
Greenfest two day Sustainability Conference at the OU for seventy-five 11-14 year olds to come up with solutions for sustainability problems.
Sustainability Celebration planned (subject to funding) - 20,000 young people to share their learning at the stadium:mk with a spectacular presentation of ideas in an Olympicstyle opening ceremony.
Transition Wolverton is a growing collective of local people who want to see a community wide response to climate change and peak oil. MK Community Enterprise formally established, providing advice and support on social enterprise business planning and funding, such as the Scrapstore at MK Play Association which promotes reuse of waste materials from business for community use.
The Council resolve to become a leader in low carbon living. A Low Carbon Living Strategy & Action Plan will be developed which builds on existing and emerging initiatives in Milton Keynes and engages local communities.
Milton Keynes Sustainable Cities event.
2016
Milton Keynes International Festival takes place from 16 to 25 July 2010.
MILTON KEYNES: A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE – A Low Carbon Prospectus
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MILTON KEYNES - A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
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RESEARCH
Low Carbon Domestic Retrofit Guides New business opportunities arising from low carbon retrofit
As part of the Institute for Sustainability’s FLASH programme, the guides are designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) understand and engage with new business opportunities arising from low carbon retrofit. The guides were written by leading academic and industry experts. Andrew Mellor of PRP was an author of Guide 3 and sat on the editorial team for all guides.
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There are 12 guides in total which provide practical and commercially focused advice and best practice to both trades and professions including architects, surveyors, builders, project managers, plumbers and electricians. The guides cover the complete low carbon domestic retrofit process and can be accessed via the Institute for Sustainability website.
RESEARCH
Hotel Research Sustainable hotel design and operations
PRP developed a bespoke sustainability standard and rating system that could be applied universally across the client’s international property portfolio. We proposed the development of checklists with a weighted scoring system that could be used by in-house trained staff to assess its developments in terms of predetermined sustainability criteria. The tools would cover a wide range of criteria, ranging from the environment, social, economic parameters, through to operational and management issues. We prepared a suite of 16 documents, covering new build and conversion options for both urban and resort properties, with a separate document for the design, construction, operation and disposal stages of the hotel’s life.
PRP’S ROLE: Creation of a Sustainability Rating System Universally applicable to property portfolio, both in terms of project type (Urban, Resort and Conversion properties) and location Covers concept, construction, operation and disposal Weighted scoring system with 3-tier rating Minimum standard using benchmarks Compatible with existing rating systems Checklists and guidance document for users Training for users
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Primary Contacts
Andrew Mellor Partner
Chris Wilford Associate Director
Andy von Bradsky Chairman
Tel: +44 20 7653 3504 Mobile: +44 7720 451 466
Tel: +44 20 8339 3689 Mobile: +44 7796 468 314
Tel: +44 20 7653 3424 Mobile: +44 7850 102 165
andrew.mellor@prpenvironmental.co.uk
chris.wilford@prparchitects.co.uk
andy.vonbradsky@prparchitects.co.uk
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PRP Offices
London PRP 10 Lindsey Street Smithfield London EC1A 9HP Tel: +44 (0)20 7653 1200 lon.prp@prparchitects.co.uk
Surrey PRP Ferry Works Summer Road Thames Ditton Surrey KT7 0QJ Tel: +44 (0)20 8339 3600 prp@prparchitects.co.uk
Shanghai PRP Rm 406/407 Building 2 570 Yongjia Road Shanghai 200031
Moscow PRP Office 411 Building 1 2 Bersenevskiy Pereulok Moscow 119072
Tel: +86 21 6195 0339 Tel: +86 15 121 041 955 ch.prp@prparchitects.co.uk
Tel: +7 (495) 775 35 27 ru.prp@prparchitects.co.uk
Manchester PRP Century House 11 St Peters Square Manchester M2 3DN Tel: +44 (0)161 242 8950 man.prp@prparchitects.co.uk
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London Surrey Manchester Shanghai Moscow 03/13
www.prparchitects.co.uk
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PROJEC T