A fitting response to sustainability

The relationship between productivity and office environment is one that continues to be one of the Holy Grail of all building developers. We all know that there is a relationship between the two but how do we improve our designs?

Over the last few years business journals have been full of articles suggesting that the workplace is going to be transformed by improvements in the use of IT. Ideas such as working from home and portfolio workers working on short term contracts became very fashionable. The reality though is that a different picture is emerging. Working from home will continue to happen but it will never become the norm. We all need social interaction in our working environment. Instead what is emerging is that we are becoming comfortable working in a variety of settings. Arrive early for a meeting, work in the lobby; skip breakfast at home, work in a coffee shop; travel to a meeting, work on the train. Wireless technologies, PDA's and mobile phones have had greater impact on our working practices than the paperless office will ever have. That said most workers/employees still have 'an office' where they spend most of their working hours. As developers and designers, we need to behave responsibly and rise to the challenge of creating appropriate sustainable design solutions.

Engineers have recognised the phenomenon of "Global Warming" for some time. Politicians throughout Europe (but sadly not in the US) are waking up to the relevance of reducing CO2 emissions. Our buildings need to recognise that fossil fuel supplies are finite.

Sustainable in simple electrical engineering terms means low energy; can one get below 10 w/m2 of heat gain? But sustainable also means: Are we considering the environmental impact from the new building? Are we making it easy to install the fitting, remove the fitting or modify the fitting? During the life of a building, sustainability means that we must consider wider issues. Are staff being retained? Is absenteeism under control?

New legislation such as the 2005 edition of Part L of the Building Regulations will help. It will bring about improvements in Energy consumption both in new and existing buildings. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive which will become national legislation by 4th January 2006 will introduce energy labelling of buildings in the same way that fridges and other electrical appliances are currently labelled. Increasingly more clients will expect manufacturers to demonstrate sustainable design solutions.

How will lighting manufacturers rise to this challenge? Traditionally manufacturers (and designers) have been focused on aesthetic and light quality issues. An evolution in lighting of the work place has happened in response to the latest version of the CIBSE LG 3 Guide. If the intention was to improve design and bring clarity to issues it has only been partially successful. Much confusion has resulted and hopefully the new codes currently in drafting will be easier to understand and apply.

Building users, occupiers and owners (and their advisors) will be forced to address energy consumption as a corporate issue. With regards to improving the process the construction industry is trying to address the recycling of products, the packaging of products and the ability to manufacture larger components off site. All of these research ideas will impact product development in the future.

This article is one of a series sponsored by the Lighting Industry Federation, the voice of authority on lighting. If you wish to know more about what the LIF can do for your practice, visit: www.lif.co.uk/affiliate