Sustainable Housing Design Guide for Scotland (revised 2007)
Abstract
The Sustainable Housing Design Guide for Scotland was published in 2007 by Communities Scotland (abolished in April 2008). The document is an invaluable reference for making all of Scotland's homes environmentally friendly. The guide addresses the challenge of how to improve the green credentials of existing homes as well as new build developments. Foreword, Contents and Introduction Section one: Sustainability and Housing Section two: Existing Housing Section three: Planning, Place and People Section four: Working with the site Section five: Affordable warmth Section six: Saving Resources Section seven: Making Homes Healthier Section eight: Financial and Management Considerations Section nine: Case Study Lessons Case Studies: 1-23 Selected reference material on Sustainable Housing Design
... This shows that professionals and authorities regulating construction in the study area have a clear understanding of the concept of SD and SHD. This is a plus point on the road to achieving SD in the housing sector in the study area and is in line with Aldous (1992), Anink et al. (1996), Brandli et al. (2006), Chiu (2006), Gray (2010), Makinde (2020), Rotman (2006), and Stevenson and Williams (2005) on the importance of sustainable housing. The 100% response to the questions on SD and SHD clearly shows that the key building professionals in the study area understand the concept well. ...
... The response rate was above 80%, but those with a rate below 80% were: The concept SD is neglected and undervalued in the housing sector in Anambra State, Nigeria; and sustainability and SD are often treated as analogues and synonyms, but the two concepts can be distinguished. The findings are consistent with those of Aldous (1992), Anink et al. (1996), Brandli et al. (2006), Chiu (2006), Gray (2010), Makinde (2020), Rotman (2006, and Stevenson and Williams (2005). Table 4 shows how clients perceived the principles of SHD SD. ...
... This is consistent with the findings in Table 3, which are also consistent with Aldous (1992), Anink et al. (1996), Brandli et al. (2006), Chiu (2006), Gray (2010), Makinde (2020), Rotman (2006, and Stevenson and Williams (2005) on the importance of SHD. However, the responses to the themes have a response rate of more than 80%. ...
The concept of sustainable development (SD) has been widely discussed and has gained theoretical importance over the years. Housing is an integral part of human development and as an important part of the built environment; it is therefore an important aspect of SD. However, it appears that the concept of SD in housing is misunderstood and neglected in practice, especially in developing countries, of which Nigeria is not exempt. Therefore, the study examined the perceptions of stakeholders in the construction industry on sustainable housing development (SHD) in Anambra State, Nigeria. The study was based on a survey using a questionnaire. A total of 372 questionnaires were distributed to the respondents out of which 283 were returned and found suitable for the study. The data collected was analyzed using the simple percentage and relative importance index. Hypothesis testing was done using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The study revealed that more than 90% of the respondents were aware of the concept of SD and SHD. However, the result of the hypothesis test shows that there is a significant difference between the responses of the project participants in terms of awareness and perception of the concept of SHD. This is because the concept is perceived as subjective, normative, and ambiguous and therefore neglected. It is therefore recommended that more education (in the form of sensitization, training, retraining and information) about SHD should be done by all stakeholders. This would help to improve existing knowledge about SHD in the implementation of housing projects.
... The characteristics of our built environment are vital to the achievement of sustainability objectives. These include cutting greenhouse gas emissions, reductions in pollution and the conservation of resources, cohesive and inclusive communities, and a prosperous and secure economy (Stevenson and Williams, 2005).Housing in particular can make a significant contribution to sustainability because: it consumes large amounts of resource in its construction, maintenance and use. It is a fixed asset with a long life andit is central to quality of life and has implications beyond housing affecting transport, health, employment and community (Aldous, 1992).The relationship between sustainability and housing is two-way. ...
... This should include the developers, builders and land use planners and also the tenants and owners. Sustainability objectives will be achieved only if they are taken into account at all stages from design through construction to long term use and eventual disposal and recycling (Stevenson and Williams, 2005). ...
... These developments will have an environmental impact, with reductions in carbon emissions, water contamination and other pollutants. Greener communities are expected to serve as models for housing development, subsequently encouraging other communities to adopt best practices for water, energy and waste efficiency (Stevenson and Williams, 2005). ...
... Indeed, Brownfield sites are not restricted to urban areas and should also be used in rural areas when available and appropriate. Not all Brownfield sites will be suitable for residential use (for example where public transport is absent) and difficulties may be presented such as land contamination and fragmented land ownership (Stevenson and Williams, 2000). Previously used land may be either vacant or derelict; it is a waste or under-used if it is situated at a prime location. ...
... Despite many attempts by governments and environmental agencies, there are remains a number of hurdles in the process. Cost is often the largest of these hurdles (Stevenson and Williams, 2000). Many contaminated Brownfield sites sit idle and unused for decades because the perceived cost of cleaning them to safe standards is more than the land would be worth after redevelopment. ...
... An example would be the use of wooden nails in lieu of traditional metal nails; a change which would not be evident without revealing the framed element. Therefore, a disassembly plan is considered a critical element in design for disassembly and reuse [14,43,55,56], ensuring those disassembling the building in the future are aware of the design decisions taken, potentially decades beforehand. ...
Increased timber construction is putting pressure on Ireland’s limited structural-grade timber stock, while recovered timber is currently downcycled or incinerated. Design for Adaptability, disassembly and reuse (DfADR) has emerged as a response to this wasteful linear process, which can increase the life span of structures, the ease of disassembly during and after use, and improve the quality of recovered material. However, while many DfADR strategies have been identified, uptake in architectural practice is lacking. Impediments to DfADR were identified through an analysis of an existing timber-framed structure and a modified design developed based on the ISO 20887:2020 principles to illustrate practical solutions. In tandem, a decision tool was developed that organised the plethora of identified strategies by the ISO principles and the work stages used by designers to facilitate integration into practice. Modest reconfigurations of the space and roof structure increased adaptability, access to services for replacement and repair, and expansion potential to increase service life, while rationalized timber sizes improved reuse potential. Using wood nails in stud and joist framing, with screws replacing nails elsewhere, and omitting adhesives from the floor panels increased the ease of disassembly. These relatively minor changes resulted in nearly 3 times the amount of solid timber with a high reuse potential (≥2348 mm) recovered over the original design, highlighting the impact DfADR can have on the recoverability and reusability of timber.
... Bioregional Reclaimed is a unique company that specialises not only in re-using steel but also in structurally assessing steel for reuse.24 For example, Scottish social housing is only replaced at 1% per year(Stevenson and Williams, 2000) ...
... Firstly, different studies of impact of diversity of use yielded controversial results. Some studies show that a diversity of uses, buildings and tenures accommodated within a common street pattern may contribute to greater security throughout the day due sufficient population in the street in the daytime and better surveillance during the night time [4,21]. On the other hand, some researchers have demonstrated that mixed use increases risk of robberies and in some case assaults and property crimes [18]. ...
Policies of urban development are developed and come into force in form of laws, planning documents and other legal acts in many European countries. The Declarations of the Rights of the European Human right stresses up the safety and declares the necessity to foster a city, which as far as possible prevents crime, offenses and aggression. Both planners and citizens understand the impact of organization of urban environment to life quality, including safety. The problem is that the relationship between the environment and society is very complex. It is not sufficiently investigated how urban environment changes people who reside and socially interact in that territory and how it affects criminality. Public safety is one of the factors that strongly influence the quality of life. Reduction of crime rate can only be achieved if diverse factors, including characteristics of urban environment, are taken into account. The authors of the paper analysed possible impact of different urban parameters to the distribution and dynamics of crimes in open spaces. A theoretical framework of factors that can influence crimes in public spaces was developed on the basis of the classical ‘crime triangle’, linking likely offenders, suitable targets and guardians for the targets in time and space. The main initial hypothesis was that functionally homogeneous zones (i.e., ‘purely’ residential, commercial, or industrial) tend to have significantly higher crime rate than mixed use (polyfunctional) zones. The hypothesis was tested on a densely populated part of Vilnius city – 12 districts with similar morphometric characteristics (density, height and fragmentation) of the built-up areas across the residential zone. The authors have been looking for the relationships between homo- and heterogeneity of the land use and varying territorial crime patterns based on more than 10,000 registered criminal incidents of 2012. The investigation showed that territories with monofunctional commercial use are exposed to the highest risk of all types of crimes in the open space: murders and assaults, robberies and thefts and minor offenses. On the contrary, in the residential zones, less percentage of mixed use means lower crime rate.
... Currently, social housing providers have access to an abundance of advice and guidance on how to deliver sustainability in practice (Carter and Fortune, 2007). As an illustration, the Sustainable Housing Design Guide for Scotland (Stevenson and Williams, 2000) and Six Steps to Sustainable Development for Housing Associations (Beyond Green, 2004) provide a strong base of information for the design and management of sustainable social housings. However every project is different by nature, size or location and having access to a wealth of information about sustainability leaves social housing providers with the difficult task of having to choose some measures and rejecting others (Carter and Fortune, 2007). ...
... Currently, social housing providers have access to an abundance of advice and guidance on how to deliver sustainability in practice (Carter and Fortune, 2007). As an illustration, the Sustainable Housing Design Guide for Scotland (Stevenson and Williams, 2000) and Six Steps to Sustainable Development for Housing Associations (Beyond Green, 2004) provide a strong base of information for the design and management of sustainable social housings. However every project is different by nature, size or location and having access to a wealth of information about sustainability leaves social housing providers with the difficult task of having to choose some measures and rejecting others (Carter and Fortune, 2007). ...
... However, that study focused on the perspectives of commercial office building tenants. Electric heating systems should be avoided because they generally produce between two to four times the overall amounts of CO 2 emissions compared to gas central heating when the full production cycle is taken into account (Stevenson and Williams, 2000). This study investigates the tenant's perceptions of the factors inhibiting or contributing to achieving the sustainability agenda through the refurbishment of the Tower Blocks. ...
Purpose ‐ Refurbishment has been suggested as a means towards sustainable development. The paper seeks to examine the tenants' perception on the benefits, effectiveness and overall satisfaction with the refurbishment process of the tower blocks. Design/methodology/approach ‐ Literature review is used to identify the perceived problems, benefits and overall process of refurbishment. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 67 tenants living in three tower blocks (high-rise flats) in West London. The sample data are analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies including ranking analysis. Findings ‐ The findings suggest that refurbishment as opposed to demolition was a viable option for achieving sustainability. The majority of the tenants agreed that their surroundings and way of life improved after refurbishment. Other notable benefits from refurbishment were improved security, improved social behaviour and social harmony. However, the respondents failed to either identify or suggest future refurbishment works that could improve their estates. Lack of consultation between the service providers and contractors with the tenants was identified as the major barrier affecting the future refurbishment. Research limitations/implications ‐ The cross-sectional data made it difficult to generalise the findings. Practical implications ‐ The paper identifies the benefits and roles of refurbishment in the context of its contribution to sustainability. It is argued that there is a need for early and systematic involvement of tenants or occupants in order to facilitate the refurbishment process as a vehicle for attaining sustainability principles. Originality/value ‐ The paper contributes to empirical research on major benefits and problems of refurbishment when viewed from the tenant's perspective. It also demonstrates how the refurbishment process can be used as a vehicle for achieving sustainability outcomes.
P (2004) Optimising the relationship between passive solar design of new housing and the economics of construction and land value. In recent years the focus of mass housing developments built by speculative developers in the UK has broadly been on maximising density whilst retaining a predominantly detached housing form. This economically led strategy, aimed at maximising sale values, can conflict with the aim of radically reducing environmental impacts. That is, deep, closely spaced detached houses with narrow frontages are difficult to reconcile with the principles of good passive solar design. Whilst a variety of products have been developed to enable design professionals to model and assess the environmental performance (especially in energy use terms) of individual buildings, there are currently no tools for modelling the performance of whole developments, based on variables such as site layout, density, orientation and topography. Using passive solar design as an exemplar for sustainable development offers the opportunity to improve the environmental, spatial and aesthetic performance of speculative developments. This paper describes the development of a tool for planners and developers to optimise the passive solar characteristics of housing developments through an environmental site assessment, encouraging the use of basic environmental design techniques early in the design process.
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