Proper use of natural resources in building design

Speaking during a national conference organised by the Chamber of Architects (Kamra tal-Periti), with the theme: "Sustainability as a culture - the culture of sustainability", Resources and Infrastructure Minister Francis Zammit Dimech said that sustainability in the building sector is all about the proper use of our natural resources and about energy efficiency in building design.

Our major natural resource is the Maltese stone which cannot be quarried for ever. There is a limit to the quantities of stone we should quarry every year. Our building industry is a major economic indicator. That is why quarrying and construction move together, he said.

A statement issued by the Department of Information said that the Solid Waste Management Strategy for the Maltese Islands, which is in the process of implementation, deals explicitly about quarrying and construction quantities. A "Recycled Building Materials Working Party" under the auspices of the Building Industry Consultative Council (BICC) within the Ministry for Resources and Infrastructure was created as a forum for regular communication, decision-making and agreement among the main interest groups within the quarrying and construction industry. The aims of this working party is to recover and recycle materials from excavation, demolition and construction.

The principal tasks of the working party are to:

¤ Undertake a proper evaluation of the quarrying and construction quantities and thereafter confirm or re-establish the reduction, recovery and recycling targets for this waste stream;

¤ Identify what materials and from which specific wastes they can be recovered and/or reused and/or recycled, and for which applications;

¤ Ensure that a regular supply of source segregated feedstock is kept;

¤ Provide advice to the Waste Management Services Agency for the setting up of a facility to receive, store and process such wastes, and produce recycled products/materials that meet recognised standards and specifications;

¤ Encourage and provide means of research into developing, discovering recycling, recovery methods, products suitable for local requirements;

¤ Establish the standards and specifications that permit the use of recycled products, materials in various applications;

¤ Create widespread awareness of recycled building products, materials and their potential applications; and

¤ Establish standards and specifications that permit the disposal of excavated rock into the sea.

The working party was established and is meeting regularly, preparing a detailed report and a technical summary as requested.

The other side of the coin of sustainability in the building sector is energy efficiency in building design. BICC has just published a design handbook Energy Efficiency in Building Design.

This handbook by Dr Vincent Buhagiar, a full-time lecturer at the University of Malta, tutoring in Architectural Design and supporting studio design work with a speciality in Bioclimatic Architecture and energy conservation and an active member of the BICC, is aimed primarily for architects. It highlights the potential reduction of embodied energy in design, planning and construction technology so as to achieve energy savings without diminishing human comfort standards.

Local building laws and regulations, which go back hundreds of years, were specifically formulated for energy efficiency at a time when little was known about electricity and the materials being used today to provide artificial lighting and ventilation, heating and cooling systems.

Laws about the height of the ceilings, double walls with a 10 cm ventilated cavity allowing for the circulation of air, the building of basements which were a buffer for rising humidity, damp proof courses, the size of yards and that all rooms should have a window of a size that is comparative with the area of the room - all these measures aimed at providing comfort and energy efficiency.

It is also worth mentioning the way our roofs were covered. Our houses were constructed with double roofs on top of which a layer of deffun - a mixture of crushed pottery - was laid. This provided a waterproof finish and a system that kept our houses warm in winter and cool in summer.

Today energy is the prime mover of life. Buildings are air-conditioned and centrally heated. But all these consume energy. So we have to plan for energy efficiency. This design handbook outlines the respective cost-saving measures to run a building. In its introduction the author states that "in dealing with the different aspects of energy conservation a brief introduction is given to each topic, followed by practical technical advice as dos and don'ts.

This technique of dos and don'ts is innovative, practical and self-explanatory. This handbook deals with thermal comfort and lifestyle; concept design approach; embodied energy; building construction; elements and finishes; building services; energy management; and alternative sources of energy.

The author's practical advice is backed by figures. In general, energy losses occur 35 per cent in walls, 25 per cent in roofs, 15 per cent in floors, 15 per cent in draughts, and 10 per cent from windows.

Having this information the author advises on the ways and means to avert these losses in the planning and design stages of construction.

Achieving a better use of the Maltese stone in the quarrying and construction industry will go a long way towards reducing waste and increasing construction and demolition waste, which makes up over 80 per cent of our solid waste.

Achieving energy conservation in houses and buildings helps us attain sustainability even in this sector that consumes half of the nation's energy supply.

Our country is going through very interesting times. We are on the threshold of joining the European Union. Accession will definitely result in a quantum and quality leap in infrastructural projects, backed by the financial aid which will come our way through the EU's funds.

This is the time to plan for the future. No progress will be achieved without development. But if we do not want to harm the environment, development must be sustainable.