Summary of presentation given by Caron Thompson of the Eden Project - - PDF document

Summary of presentation given by Caron Thompson of the Eden Project at: Sustainable Construction – are we closing the loop? A seminar convened jointly by Green Alliance and the Eden Project on 30 January 2006 at the Eden Project, Bodelva, Cornwall. Sustainable Construction at Eden The Eden Project has just been voted Britain’s favourite building and is synonymous with sustainability. It has recently completed a number of buildings under Phase 4 of its development including the ‘Core’. The Education Resource Centre or ‘Core’ was built to demonstrate and communicate the Eden culture, including the central theme of Mankind’s relationship with plants. It is intended to be a marriage of art, technology and science; to be educational in form as well as function; and to demonstrate 21st century technology whilst sitting comfortably with and using nature as a stimulus for design. The building, as well as being iconic, included the desire to be a world-class exemplar of sustainability in its approach to design and its actual construction. Key features In construction:

• A design inspired by natural processes
• Adoption of sustainability benchmarks and targets
• Implementation of a site waste management plan, aiming for high

levels of recycling to meet the ‘waste neutral’ concept

• Monitoring and minimisation of energy use during construction

In the building:

• High standard of energy efficiency (U-values of 1.2 – 1.5)
• Natural ventilation for most of the building, only using mechanical

ventilation where high occupancies likely

• Use of renewable energy – PV panels provide 20,000kWh/yr
• Use of Gulam (glue-laminated timber) for the roof structure– a flexible,

low waste option using certificated timber

• Concrete specification maximises use of secondary materials and local

sourcing

• High proportion of off-site fabrication to reduce waste
• Use of copper for the roof from a single, vetted source, raising the

prospect of certification for metals

• Inclusive design
• PVC-free.

The Targets An Excel spreadsheet detailing the targets agreed between the client and the design and construction teams will be presented at the seminar (see pdf of Powerpoint presentation available on the Green Alliance website). These targets meant a commonality of purpose, informed the process and defined expectations. To successfully achieve these kinds of targets everyone involved in delivering the project has to be aware of some fundamental principles:

• At the enquiry stage the requirements need to be reflected in the tender

documents: specifications, drawings, questionnaires, attendances. This prompts suppliers to think about sustainability issues if they have not already and makes them aware of what the client is looking for from the

• utset.
• They need to be discussed in pre-order meetings.
• The main contractor has to demonstrate that the cheapest option will not

automatically be the one chosen (e.g. this development is PVC free).

• Prizes & award schemes need to be set up to help motive and reward
• staff. Eden and McAlpines also set up an endorsement scheme for

subcontractors who are working in a sustainable manner, as they can then use it in future jobs to help to demonstrate their credentials.

• Processes must be established on site, e.g. for waste recycling.
• Use follow-up questionnaires when contractors are on site.
• Need regular meetings to review progress.
• Must consult contractors on key issues: FSC timber, non-PVC products.

The Targets included several easy wins but others were much more difficult to

• achieve. Workshops were held to get the level of target about right and

ensure they were achievable but still challenging. Target areas included: use

• f grey water, materials, secondary aggregates, waste recycling and training –

they covered all aspects of the construction process. The team periodically measured against the targets through the life of the project. It has been important to be very open with the results and communicate them to those who want to listen at all levels: primary schools, colleges, universities, and professional bodies, as well as within the team to improve the process in future. Major factors in success Client knowledge and motivation

The client states what development they would like to have and for what price. However, they also set the agenda for all other aspects of the project such as the programme and the quality of build. The critical factor in this project was the fact that Eden had sustainability at the centre of the development’s agenda and was a very knowledgeable client, so was able to set prescribed

• goals. It was also, crucially, prepared to pay for these requirements when, on
• ccasions, these incurred an additional cost.

A flexible design team Sustainable construction means thinking holistically early in the planning of a project as well as adopting a positive and flexible attitude amongst the members of the project team. As the contractors, designers, quantity surveyors, acoustic and transport consultants etc make about 95% of the decisions that affect the sustainability of the development, it is essential to select and appoint the right team with the right experience and vision. The client has to delegate decision making to them so needs to trust the team to make the best decisions, but it is also important that the team is continually encouraged to work together towards the same outcome. Eden recognised this and appointed someone specifically to under take this role. Definition Define what the client and the construction team want to achieve and how, and assign responsibilities for delivery and monitoring. Acknowledge the unique nature of each project, and recognise particular aspects of sustainability, depending on where the project is located. An inner- city site will be very different to Eden in Cornwall offering different

• pportunities.

Communication Need to communicate to everyone involved the intent and desires for the project. The Targets helped ensure we had the same hymn sheet. Good lines of communication between the client and the design team and within different members of the design team. Regular meetings with a specific focus on sustainability and regular audits were essential. Legislation Need to understand complex contractual relationships. Need to consider what are the minimum statutory requirements, but try to go beyond them and always look ahead to new legislation. Education

All members of the team and the client are on a steep learning curve and need to share information and continually update the knowledge base on which decisions are made. A key part of the ethos is dissemination of information from the process. Most important of all INSPIRATION Conclusions The Core is not proclaiming to be the world’s most sustainable building, but it has developed an exemplary integrated sustainability process. The value in the project has been largely from recording what the team has been doing, which provides valuable information for others, as well as for all those involved, and serves as a basis for continual improvement. However, one of the most significant outcomes from the project has to be in the training of the workforce, who are now much more aware of sustainability issues. This is likely to affect the way they live their lives, and the way they operate on future projects as they apply the systems and processes learnt from this project elsewhere. Total commitment from everyone and the development of mutual respect and trust in delivering sustainability in Phase 4 has been a phenomenal achievement.