Sustainability in Architectural Design
What is 'Sustainability in Architectural Design'?
There are countless definitions of 'Sustainability' but our main interest is in how Sustainability relates to Planning and Residential Property.
In Residential Property terms, 'Sustainability' can be summarised as the requirement to 'Do No Harm' - to people, places, culture, resources, environment, in the near community and further afield.
Underpinning Sustainability in Architectural Design is the belief that our role is to leave the future in better shape than today. It's as simple as that.
There are pressures against this every day in a world that is growing. In 1999 there were 6 billion people - in 2020 there are just under 8 billion. Thats 30% growth in 20 years.
Even in countries not experiencing significant population growth it is vital to conserve and protect the resources that affect us all.
At Beacon, we start every project with our Sustainability First Design approach. We characterise the proposition against 24 separate Sustainable Design Criteria in our methodology and this comprises the first and most significant part of the Architectural Design brief.
Some Clients are surprised that we start with Sustainability even before such obvious questions as 'How Many Bedrooms?' but for us the answer is equally obvious. It's just the right thing to do. It is far harder to 'bolt on' Sustainability without compromising the design or the sustainability, and we don't believe in token gestures towards Sustainability and we don't want to compromise your design.
It also helps that Planning in the UK is shaped by Local Plans and the National Planning Policy Framework which has Sustainability front and centre in all planning guidance. If you are looking at development you have to include Sustainability, so do it properly - upfront and get it right.
Does that mean that every property we design ends up looking like the property equivalent of sandals and lentils? No - we have yet to encounter a property style that can't be designed around Sustainability without compromising the integrity of the living design. Whether you are looking for an Ultra Para 79 dwelling in the middle of nowhere, or something less extreme the design isn't limited by being Sustainability First.
The Beacon Sustainability Matrix:
| Sustainable Interiors | Sustainable Construction | Sustainable Energy | Sustainable Daylighting | Sustainable Nightlighting | Sustainable Landscape |
| Sustainable Ecology | Sustainable Biodiversity | Sustainable Traffic | Sustainable Water Use | Sustainable Stormwater | Sustainable Waste |
| Sustainable Food Use | Sustainable Working | Sustainable Accessibility | Sustainable Heating | Sustainable Materials | Sustainable Culture |
| Sustainable Locality | Sustainable Heritage | Sustainable Economy | Sustainable Vernacular | Sustainable Businesses | Sustainable Carbon |