Green is not for Stop!
When considering refurbishments, many companies go weak at the knees before giving consideration to recycled, re-used or sustainable materials, as their previous experience suggests high costs when associated with large-scale projects and complicated planning permissions.
Certainly, “the green solution” is not for the faint-hearted! However, I am happy to report that there are some large-scale projects, which are going ahead despite the prevailing economic climate, many of which will give the public widespread pleasure for many years to come.
It would be churlish of me to leap aboard my hobbyhorse and tell you about sedum roofs, where all water captured is fed back into a secondary source of water for flushing toilets and other such necessities. Indeed, if someone could come up with a practical solution where captured water was mixed with Pepsi-Cola before flushing, there would be no stained toilets in the country!
Nor do you want to know that wind turbines can generate enough power to run a school or a small supermarket simply from the force of the wind being converted into energy. You already know these things. One such project, currently underway is driven by “a green agenda” despite tight financial constraints, numerous health and safety regulations (which would probably be less stringent if new materials were used), an eye-wateringly tight scale of deadlines and the clear instruction to use substantially recycled, re-used or sustainable materials.
A substantial part of this Project is the timberframing. I have looked at the statistics and am very impressed to find 10% is re-used from an existing structure, most of the recycled materials are to be shipped from a previous project for use in this major refurbishment and 100% of the rest is from sustainable sources. As I mentioned earlier, this is not for the faint-hearted!
The cell-structure of the wood is critical when measuring the maximum stresses to which timber can be subjected.Thanks are due to the Forestry Commission for explaining the matter as simply as possible. Diagram 1 shows how the wood gains strength from the structure of the cells, whilst diagram 2 depicts maximum stresses, which can be applied to operational forces. I was invited to a meeting, which displayed the original plans and timetables for the proposals and must confess that my initial thoughts were that this was “Another project destined to overrun.”
As a member of the public who will be affected by the outcome, I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality and care afforded the consultation process. It is in no small part due to this approach that all of the staff involved in the refurbishment are enthusiastically behind it, now that TUPE considerations have been dealt with. All staff involved know exactly where they stand and the fact that this aspect has been dealt with first, has afforded a smooth transition and a good deal of ideas emanating from those involved.
The Edward Thomas refurbishment is well underway and is very close to the timescales originally mooted.
There are an alarming amount of considerations to discuss in any project of this scale. I propose to outline a few here, which have caught my interest, whilst observing that this checklist is by no means exhaustive.
All timber-framing on site has had to comply with an environmental code and in fact exceeds the regulations in every respect, as briefly detailed above. Both the transport infrastructure and buildings are to be in keeping with previous constructions on-site; indeed most are to use the same methods of construction where possible. The exception to this is to provide a helicopter-landing pad.
Due to increased successes of Wind Power, Edward Thomas has not merely sought a Wind Turbine, but has an entire new windmill under construction. It has proved a very attractive and popular addition to the proposed development, being seen as something of a tourist attraction. All services throughout the refurbishment are to be concealed, in order to protect resident’s existing viewpoints. Local wildlife has been discussed with experts
in the field and their habitats are to be preserved. Indeed, even the grasses are to be reseeded with wild flower mixture to encourage Biodiversity.
The site must not interfere with the smooth running of the landscape nor vice versa. An example of this is that all ballast required has been chemically cleaned to re-use the existing stones in order that minerals leached from them continue to deposit materials, which will support local wildlife. It is cheaper to clean the ballast than to excavate and purchase new from a quarry.
Another sensitive issue is that of car parking, which can be a very tricky balance indeed.Too much, and the locals are overrun, too little and many small, idiosyncratic shops will be lost to supermarkets, rendering the English Village dead as an homogenous mix of the “usual suspects” prevail removing our sense of identity and quirkiness. Oliver Goldsmith pinpointed this trend in “The Deserted Village” with the immortal line, “Where wealth accumulates and men decay.” The greatest area of consternation has been the local bus route. Originally, Bendy Buses were mooted, but this plan has latterly been shelved in favour of a solution more acceptable to both residents and Edward Thomas’s refurbishment team.
It seems slightly surreal these days, that a project will come in on time, on budget, within Health and Safety Guidelines, exceeding the environmental expectations and with the full support of the residents involved.
The key to this success must be attributed to the Consultation Group. They went to local people with a plan, listened to their concerns and involved them in the decision-making process. The full implications for jobs were discussed and some ideas used. Maybe not Rocket Science, but good, sound common sense articulated in a courteous manner. (Pictures of the completed project will be available in November 2009.)
Anne Goodsall, Principal of The Literacy Lounge, provided this article.
www.literacylounge.co.uk
