Code For Sustainable Homes: Free Seminar
Do you know the best ways of implementing the Code for Sustainable Homes?
Code Consultancy Services will be presenting at this year’s Ecobuild on Wednesday 4th March at 3.30pm in the Hampton Room at the Ecobuild exhibition, Earls Court, London, in a seminar entitled: “How do the Code’s levels translate in practice?”
The free seminar is to help housing firms understand some of the
biggest challenges and quick wins when implementing the Code for
Sustainable Homes. Steven Knight, Managing Director of Code Consultancy
Services, Manchester, will be speaking alongside representatives from
Communities and Local Government (LCG), Bramall Construction, Barratt
Homes and London & Quadrant Group.
The Code for Sustainable Homes is set to be a much-discussed topic at
this year’s Ecobuild. As all new social housing requires at least a
Code Level 3 certification under the Code and by 2011 this will be Code
Level 4, it is more critical than ever that all companies in this
sector gear up with the knowledge they need to fill in PQQ’s
(pre-qualification questionnaires), tender for work and keep a
competitive edge through these recessionary times.
As there are now only seven years before all new homes have to be zero
carbon (reaching level 6 of the Code), it is urgent that firms who
haven’t yet mastered the best way to Level 3 start to gear up fast. The
seminar will report on the experience of hundreds of Code projects to
draw out the key issues and help firms climb their learning curve.
The seminar on Wed 4th March will also reference the critical Surface
Water Run-off section of the Code for Sustainable Homes which has been
completely revised since Ecobuild last year. Many contractors are
finding it hard to comply because projects in the pipeline which were
designed to meet the criteria of the earlier versions of the Code now
don’t meet the mandatory requirements for Surface Water Run-off. “We
urge developers to check very carefully ongoing projects that were
designed more than a year ago to check they still comply with the
latest version,” says Steven Knight.
Steven Knight’s background is as a civil engineer, sustainability specialist and BRE-licensed Code for Sustainable Homes Assessor. He was one of the technical authors on
the Code Technical Guide as an associate for the BRE and worked on the
first BRE Code training courses. His broad experience of the
construction industry comes from working in the UK and abroad in roles
spanning structural engineering, to drainage, site agent, to project
management and new product development in the water industry.
The seminar will also cover areas where greater harmonisation of
standards and requirements of different agencies is necessary to smooth
the process of compliance with the Code. Advice will be on hand to make
it clearer for developers about how to balance the requirements of
various agencies. This is an area which will be of increasing
importance for local authority planning departments in the near future.
Steven Knight says: “We are delighted to be invited to speak at this
high-profile event and are looking forward to sharing our knowledge and
views on the Code for those visiting Ecobuild this year.” Steven Knight
and associates will be on hand to speak to individuals after the event
about their specific queries about the Code.
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