What is sustainability?
Sustainability is all about meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations. It can be measured in terms of economic, environmental and social value. Sustainable design is the buzzword today along with green building. There is a difference between the two. While green building means resource efficient and environmentally conscious, sustainable design is based on three areas; energy conservation, indoor air quality, and resource conservation. Viewed as new-age in construction circles, sustainable design looks at homes holistically, and not just a bunch of unrelated systems thrown together. Natural forms of energy, such as wind, solar, and geo-thermal if available on-site are maximised. Homeowners can expect sustainable homes to be at the minimum more energy efficient and offer occupants better air quality.
The Code for Sustainable Homes was launched on December 13, 2006 by the Department for Communities and Local Government to enable a step change in sustainable building for new homes and replaces the former EcoHomes ratings. Under the Code, homes are given star ratings at six levels, with Level 1 requiring thermal efficiency and Level 6 being 'zero carbon'. The code works by awarding new homes a star rating from 1 to 6, based on their performance against 9 sustainability criteria which are combined to assess the overall environmental impact. One star is entry level above building regulations, and six stars is the highest, reflecting exemplary developments in terms of sustainability.
For further information see the Code for Sustainable Home Technical Guide.