Sustainability

Sustainability Design Audit The BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology) will be used as a design audit to deliver the sustainability strategy with aspirations of attaining “Excellent” and “Outstanding” classifications for individual building developments as part of the Masterplan.

The location, scale of development – that supports a wide range of uses – the density and distribution of those uses, its relationship to the surrounding area, incorporation of significant areas of open space and overall structure of the development, ensures that the Masterplan will represent a sustainable form of development.

We have also developed a sustainability strategy for implementation during design, construction and post occupancy phases to improve on minimum regulative compliance requirements to reduce environmental impact of the development.

The key sustainability strategy themes include;

  • Energy and Carbon
  • Water Reduction
  • Building with Sustainable Materials
  • Sustainable in Operation
  • Positive Contribution to the Community and Built Environment

The Central Square development will minimise environmental impact through design for the requirements of;

  • Planning Policies
  • Building Regulations
  • Welsh Government Targets

At a pragmatic level the need to reduce environmental impact will increasingly be required both to reduce costs as utility prices and associated taxes rise, and to protect reputation by demonstrating the ability to deliver on the sustainability agenda.

Energy & Carbon

The design strategy for reducing energy consumption and associated carbon emissions will be based on;

  • Improving on standard design requirements to reduce building loads.
  • Utilising passive design strategies through improved building air infiltration, solar shading, façade improvements and adopting natural ventilation to reduce reliance on building services systems.
  • Employing efficient systems to satisfy the demand such as LED lighting, chilled beams and high efficiency plant/equipment.
  • Recovering waste energy through ventilation system heat recovery technologies and building waste heat from combined heat and power application at building level.
  • Applying renewable technologies to limit utility consumption using Photovoltaics, Solar Thermal and Wind technologies.
  • Connection to the Cardiff City District Heating System is being evaluated to provide heating and cooling source for the development. Offsetting consumed utility emissions from offsite grid renewables such as wind and solar farms.

Water Reduction

Reducing mains water reliance will be addressed through the design audit;

  • Utilising metering and leak detection to increase site supply efficiency
  • Employing low flow water fittings and controls to minimise water consumption
  • Considering alternative cooling technologies to increase efficiency and limit mains water requirment
  • Using Rainwater and Greywater harvesting to limit mains water consumption
  • Considering sustainable urban drainage systems
  • Ecological enhancement through using planting and green roofs to attenuate drainage flows