Sustainable Design

Here at Graham Ford Architects we’re putting sustainability at the heart of our projects – from the initial design stage of new commercial and residential projects through to the retrofit projects we carry out.

A sustainable design will not only make you the club or school of choice, but it will reduce your energy bills, reduce your impact on the environment, improve the well-being and health of your employees and clients and enhance your brand. There has never been a more urgent time for leaders to get to work and show the way to a brighter, more sustainable future.

The domination of technology on the form and structure of our cities has increased dramatically since the Industrial Revolution. The ability of mankind to harness the power of nature and utilise chemical energy has given us our competitive advantage over other animals and allowed us to transcend the human scale. The impact of these technological advances has resulted in a massive population explosion, which is now placing enormous pressure on our cities, and the regions that supply resources to these cities. A new balance between technology and nature is now required to enable the establishment of a framework for sustainable urban development.

The criteria necessary to achieve this balance used by Graham Ford Architects have emerged from an analysis of the different strategies of city making and different ecological concepts examined from the scale of the region, to the scale of the building component. These strategies and criteria developed following a travelling scholarship from the Todd Foundation and a post graduate Masters Degree in Architecture and Urban Design from Victoria University in Wellington. Below some of these concepts are demonstrated through case studies.

Sustainable development requires a better balance between ecology and technology, with reduced demand on nature’s capital, a more equitable society and an urban renaissance of our cities. Our built constructions must work with, and not against nature.

Graham’s Sustainability Background

Following the award of a Todd Foundation Scholarship in 2001 Graham met industry leaders in sustainable architectural design and environmental engineering in Australasia, the United States and Europe. He then completed a post graduate Master’s Degree in Sustainable Design in 2002 and he then put this research into practice designing a number of sustainable facilities including a research laboratory in Kew Gardens (for Wilkinson Eyre Architects), and a low energy boathouse in Hyde Park and The River Club Masterplan in Hyde Park.

Our Approach to Sustainable Architecture

We believe a highly integrated approach to sustainable architectural design is now required. We look in detail at the following elements to make sure your project performs to reduce your energy bills and enables you to live more sustainably.

Below is a list of some of the key considerations we may look at with you:

1. The most important aspect of sustainability is understanding orientation in relation to sun. We assess the location and angles of the sun in both winter and summer to ensure you maximise the sun when you need it and we screen out hot summer sun in the south and south-west aspects to prevent your home or building from overheating.

2. It is a legal requirement to have a valid EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) whenever a building is sold, rented, or constructed. The certificate is your proof of how energy efficient your property is, as well as showing any potential savings on energy costs.

You will need a strategy to meet your statutory obligations in 2025 when by law all buildings will require an EPC, and by 2028 when you must have a rating of C or above to lawfully lease it.

The assessment is carried out by the EPC assessor and looks at factors that include:

• The size of the property
• What and how much insulation there is
• The property construction type
• The lighting system
• The heating systems in the house and how they are controlled
• The property’s ventilation

3. Thermal performance is to determine how effective a building can protect against heat loss . This is measured in U-Value. U-values measure how effective a material is as an insulator. This can be calculated by finding the total sum of the thermal resistances of each material that makes the building.

• We work with you to look at different types of insulation material to ensure the best product is chosen for your building or home.
• Insulation can be added to the outside of your building subject to planning permission. Sometimes in renovation project we need to ass insulation to the inside of your home is it is built of solid walls.
• We need to consider carefully ventilation when we insulate your building or house to ensure condensation does not increase and become an issue for you. This is achieved through eaves and ridge ventilation and breathable membranes in the roof construction.

4. The SAPs calculation is the methodology behind the EPC and is essentially a thorough list of calculations to judge the overall performance of a building. The EPC is the proof of those calculations. It’s a measure of the energy and environmental performance of a dwelling. This is calculated by considering ways the structure uses/loses energy:

Construction materials

• Heating systems (and how efficient they are)
• Any solar gains found through openings in the property
• The level of thermal insulation
• Any renewable energy technologies
• The fuel used for water and space heating, light and ventilation
• Air leakage

5. Technological solutions to reduce your energy consumption include:

• Air-Source Heat Pump
• ASHP water heater
• District Heat Network connection
• Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery
• Heat Recovery/ passive house standards.
• Photovoltaic panels
• Solar thermal panels
• Battery Storage

6. Airtightness is important for avoiding heat loss as it means less uncontrolled air movement in and out of the building.

• It can improve health by preventing substances that can provoke allergies from being carried into the building via air leakage.
• Having good airtightness can also result in better sound insulation within the home.
• Affects overall EPC Rating

7. Embodied carbon refers to the carbon emissions involved in the materials, construction and maintenance of a building throughout its entire lifecycle (World GBC, 2019).

Strategies to reduce embodied carbon:

• Using construction products that are made from locally available raw materials, through energy-efficient and low emission processes and by manufacturers local to the construction site.
• Transporting materials with low-carbon vehicles.
• Designing the construction process to minimise waste and reuse or recycle products where possible.
• Using systems and products that have long life spans.
• Designing the building to be able to change its use overtime to minimise future refurbishments.

8. Operational carbon is the carbon emissions created through the energy used to operate a building throughout its lifetime. For example, the emissions associated with lighting, heating or cooling a structure.

9. Water Conservation
Rainwater Harvesting: Collect and use rainwater for non-potable purposes.
Greywater Systems: Recycle greywater (e.g., from sinks and showers) for irrigation.
Low-Flow Fixtures: Install low-flow faucets, showers, and toilets to reduce water usage.

10. Sustainable Materials
Eco-Friendly Materials: Use materials that are recycled, recyclable, or sustainably sourced.
Local Sourcing: Prefer locally sourced materials to reduce transportation emissions.
Non-Toxic Materials: Avoid materials that emit harmful chemicals (e.g., VOCs).

11. Knowledge of timber framed construction, glulam and mass timber including cross laminted
timber.