August 2011
“Creating a sustainable built environment is essential to enable people to live within environmental limits whilst maximising quality of life “thus says the Sustainable Development Commission.
There are many competing interests when looking at development, and the needs of the present. In austere times, perhaps what we need is more development which could stimulate the economy. That would sound attractive to those within the Construction Sector who are still reeling from the massive downturn two years ago. There are still many within that industry and worryingly many of those at the very start of it e.g. architects and surveyors, who are on short time working producing the little that is required, waiting and hoping. It is known that they need to be busy months before construction actually begins. It looks as if the upturn promised is still a long way off.
Alternatively we could take the view that in austere times what we need is to cut our cloth to our means and rather than building we should be repairing. We should be getting back to the basics of our grandparents’ time. No new clothes until our old are done, no new houses unless there is no method of repair.
In terms of sustainability we maybe ought to consider ensuring that the buildings are safe and secure and provided with the means of heating that is sustainable, e.g. solar powered or with windows that magnify the heat of the sun, or even mini windmills attached to the existing houses. This is particularly attractive when we think of what our power bills are likely to be in the future. However, show does that fit in with repairing the old? Should we really be trying to fit modern ideas to existing buildings or should we be creating new?
Many businesses are growing in the Glasgow area that are taken up with the supply of the new energy sources, manufacturing parts for the solar panels, creating prototypes for wave generators. Still other businesses are involved in the building of wind farms. Perhaps we can have both, a recovery and a construction industry. Could these companies give us the kick start we need and the idea of sustainability save our economy?
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