Please note that the below is a list of commonly asked questions about sustainable construction and circularity in the built environment. This is not an exhaustive list and we will likely continue to add to or amend it.

If you have a question that isn’t covered below, please get in touch and we’ll do our best to help: info@epic.uk.com or submit a query via the contact form.

 

List of questions:

What is ‘sustainable construction’?

Does ‘sustainable building’ and ‘green building’ mean the same thing?

What are the benefits of a ‘sustainable construction’?

What does ‘EPD’ mean?

How can Building Information Modelling (BIM) help achieve a ‘sustainable construction’?

What building materials are ‘sustainable’?

What are the challenges/barriers to building more sustainably?

Does it cost more to build sustainably/is ‘sustainable construction’ expensive?

Is a sustainable construction harder to maintain?

What are the life-cycle stages of a building?

What does ‘circularity’ mean in the construction industry?

 

FAQs:

What is ‘sustainable construction’?

Firstly, we should answer the question ‘what is sustainability?’, and how individuals or companies can effect change through ‘what you can control” and “what you influence through relationships, leadership, and innovation”. Sustainable development was defined by the UN World Commission on Environment and Development as “…development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In other words, avoiding the depletion of natural resources and harmful effects on the environment, looking after people and maintaining a healthy economy.

When looking to create a more sustainable built environment, we’re often working from guiding principles or roadmaps that set out clearly how to minimise our impact on the planet and create buildings that both support the wellbeing of occupants and perform for as long as possible.

There are 7 principles of sustainable construction that feature in most sources:

  1. Design
  2. Durability
  3. Energy efficiency
  4. Waste reduction
  5. Indoor air quality
  6. Water conservation
  7. Building materials

A blueprint was also created for a sustainable built environment by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), which highlights we should prioritise buildings with these key design considerations:

  • Health
  • Inclusivity
  • Net-zero carbon and circularity
  • Resiliency
  • Future proofing, including life-cycle of the building

The United Nations has a helpful graphic which spotlights 17 Sustainable Development Goals (if you visit the linked website, you can click on each panel and it’ll give you more detail on each point).

Does ‘sustainable building’ and ‘green building’ mean the same thing?

Often these words or phrases are used synonymously but they’re not the same. Typically, something that is ‘green’ is often solely focused on the environmental impact. When we talk about whether something is sustainable, we want to take a more holistic view. Yes, we want it to contribute positively to the environment or, at the very least, cause no greater harm, but we also want to consider other aspects too. Such as ensuring it is economically viable, that there are social benefits, and so on.

When looking at designing a ‘sustainable building’, we not only want to target ‘green credentials’, we also want to know that it will last long into the future. That it provides a healthy space that the end user thrives in, and that it enhances the surrounding area in some way.

What are the benefits of a ‘sustainable construction’?

When we take a holistic view towards building new properties or refurbishing existing ones, there are many benefits for all stakeholders, but especially the owner and the end users. With carefully selected materials and a well-planned build programme, these may include:

  • Minimising impact on the planet by reducing carbon emissions.
  • Potentially saving on costs, typically a result of reduced installation time (e.g. offsite manufacture), building systems that may require fewer installers (e.g. solutions delivered as ‘single fix’ with a simplified installation process), and efficient buildings that could be cheaper to run/maintain.
  • Faster build programme when products/solutions are manufactured in the UK and are simple to fix, particularly if they are designed to integrate easily with other products within the building envelope. Many such products also have Building Information Modelling (BIM) Objects/3D Models to aid digital construction, to ensure a more efficient, safer, and higher quality building throughout its life cycle.
  • Improving on-site safety if products/solutions selected offer simplified installation process and are easy to maintain.
  • Potentially improving the wellbeing/health of building occupiers (e.g. air quality, natural light, temperature control).
  • Improving productivity due to wellbeing/health improvements and satisfaction with the working environment.
  • Potentially futureproofing of building by designing for resilience with products/solutions with a proven history of excellent performance and longevity.
  • Market value may increase with interest in sustainable products and initiatives on the rise (this is often linked to ‘green’ credentials and/or certifications under relevant schemes), which can also be more attractive for stakeholders too.
  • Meeting or exceeding UK Building Regulations for energy efficiency on new and existing buildings.

What does ‘EPD’ mean?

An EPD is an internationally recognised ‘environmental product declaration’. These documents are used to certify the environmental credentials of a construction product, and are designed to assist with the selection of materials for a project and whether they meet the standards/performance required for it. This is particularly helpful when aiming for certification under ‘sustainable construction’ programmes, such as BREEAM, USGBC’s LEED rating system, WELL Standard, and UKGBC’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework.

“An EPD is usually valid for five years, and is generated according to the relevant standards. Construction EPDs are based on the ISO 14040/14044, ISO 14025, EN 15804 or ISO 21930 standards.” – Certification and listings of environmental product declarations, BRE Group.

You can find out more about scientifically robust EPD schemes and the ISO and EN standards they relate to on BRE Group.

How can Building Information Modelling (BIM) help achieve a ‘sustainable construction’?

When designing and planning in a digital construction platform, such as BIM, it allows everyone from architects and designers through to end users to be able to collaborate more efficiently. 3D modelled products and solutions (e.g. BIM Objects) typically have data available which allows the build team to assess which are best for the project, based on how they perform. In this way, the ideal products can be easily selected to achieve targets, such as those required for ‘green building’ and ‘sustainable construction’ certification schemes.

What building materials are ‘sustainable’?

Materials may be considered ‘sustainable’ for different reasons, such as if they come from renewable resources, have low embodied carbon, are recyclable or reusable at end of life, or help to conserve energy over an extended period of time. Here we’re looking at the specification of building materials/solutions that:

  • Have high thermal performance.
  • Are robust and designed for climate resilience.
  • Create less waste throughout the building’s life cycle, such as during manufacture, delivery, installation, and end of life.
  • Are, wherever possible, locally sourced.
  • Offer potential cost savings and/or return on investment (ROI), such as through improved performance, energy bill reductions, or market value increase.

Most manufacturers provide this kind of information on their website or supply product data sheets. You can often also find it when designing with or specifying through platforms such as BIM or NBS National BIM Library.

What are the challenges/barriers to building more sustainably?

Whilst there has been an increased interest in addressing the climate crisis, with many people becoming more aware of what the issues are and why we need to act now, there are challenges that affect the construction industry, as well as the wider world. These include:

  • Failure of governments and policy makers to prioritise more energy efficient strategies or not honouring existing laws/frameworks. Though, despite this, we are seeing more organisations holding those in power to account, from protests through to court cases, such as was the case in the UK in Jul 2022 when Friends of the Earth and The Good Law Project won their case, with a judge ruling the Government’s climate strategy was “unlawful”.
  • Initial costs may be higher than less ‘sustainable’ alternatives products, solutions, or processes.
  • Certification schemes and programmes may also present an additional cost.
  • Documentation, reporting, and measuring for relevant programmes can be complex.
  • Investor/stakeholder resistance, potentially due to inadequate education on or understanding of future benefits.
  • Loyalty or familiarity with another building material or brand with fewer sustainability credentials may also pose a barrier, particularly as architects and specifiers are already under immense pressure and there may not be the time to research alternatives unless clients or other decision makers are requesting them specifically.
  • Skills shortages – some products or solutions may require specialist knowledge or training which the existing workforce may not have the time to undertake.
  • Tendency to demolish and rebuild rather than refurbish existing buildings, a ‘take, make, waste’ culture that ignores the potential for a more circular economy.

Refurbishing our existing buildings is a quick and relatively easy way to reduce our environmental impact. EPIC-member panels are also a single-fix solution which can help to lower the number of onsite workers required and which are quicker and more efficient to install than built-up systems.

Many reputable manufacturers also offer free technical advice and training services, guidance documents, and videos. If these are required, it’s worth exploring their websites or getting in touch with them directly to discuss how they can help you to meet targets or learn more.

See EPIC’s summary of the benefits and applications of working with metal-faced, PIR-cored insulated panels or view our guidance documents.

Does it cost more to build sustainably/is ‘sustainable construction’ expensive?

Many building materials and solutions with lower embodied carbon may appear more expensive when purely looking at the upfront costs compared to alternative products and systems. Durable and energy efficient solutions, such as EPIC-member metal-faced insulated panel systems, help to reduce overall costs in the long-term when considering everything from the benefits of offsite construction through to cost savings as a result of improved energy efficiency and maintenance/long product warranties which guarantee performance for many years.

Is a sustainable construction harder to maintain?

This depends on the materials used to create the property. If you’re selecting products that simplify the construction process, such as EPIC members’ durable, one-piece factory engineered insulated panel products, this can help to reduce the amount of maintenance required as there are fewer components to check and/or replace.

Such products are highly durable, typically requiring less maintenance as a result. The majority of insulated panel systems are supplied with coatings and paints which help to protect them from damage due to weather, wear, or extreme conditions.

What are the life-cycle stages of a building?

Typically, we split the stages of a construction into four parts:

  1. Production

Planning/designing, supply of raw materials, and manufacturing of products.

  1. Construction

Delivery of goods and installation during the build programme.

  1. Use

Maintenance of the building, including repairs and potential refurbishment or retrofit to improve performance or replace damaged components.

  1. End-of-life

Dismantling the building, waste management, and transport of recovered materials/waste (also potentially re-use/recycling, though this is sometimes categorised as a fifth stage – ‘benefits and loads beyond the system boundary’ – which is related to whether or not a building is considered ‘circular’).

Read more about stage 4 in our guide: Identification, end of life, and re-use options of Insulated Panels.

What does ‘circularity’ mean in the construction industry?

2020 figures state that up to 32% of construction materials head to landfill. Circularity is about ensuring that anything used can be recycled, reused, or is biodegradable to ensure minimum impact on the environment. Essentially, we’re wanting to move as far as possible towards “designing out waste”, from production and packaging through to demolition (please see the manufacturer’s website for more specific details on their individual progress towards sustainability goals).

At this stage, it’s extremely difficult for construction projects to be 100% ‘circular’, and any claims of complete circularity in the industry should be treated with caution. However, when specifying products, we can ensure that they:

  • Are durable (visit the EPIC member website to learn more/see T&Cs on their warranties for steel faced, PIR-cored insulated panels).
  • Have reliable levels of performance for a building’s lifespan.
  • Help to futureproof properties against changes in requirements e.g. energy efficiency.
  • Have the potential to be reused or recycled at end of life.

Learn more in our ‘Circularity in the Construction Sector’ guide.

Useful sources:

One of our members, Tata Steel UK, created a non-commercial website this year: ‘The Build For Tomorrow – Act Now hub’. This is a Construction CPD platform designed to encourage discussion and collaboration on sustainability issues.

Links to relevant bodies:

BRE Group

BREEAM

Ellen MacArthur Foundation

UKGBC’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework

USGBC’s LEED rating system

WELL Standard