Ecobuild 2011 will play host to the UK final of Isover’s Multi-Comfort House competition, which challenges architectural students from around the world to design a tower to be located in Greenwich South, a district of lower Manhattan, New York.  The high-rise building should incorporate both residential and public areas and must comply with Isover’s Multi-Comfort House principles in order to create a sustainable, multi-use building.

The Isover Multi-Comfort House concept illustrates how energy use in our built environment can be minimised and demonstrates how we can all live more energy efficiently.  It builds on the Passive House model of delivering the highest thermal comfort, while reducing energy consumption and lowering CO2 emissions by considering occupants’ wellbeing, taking into account acoustic and safety features as well as energy saving measures.  

Contests like the Multi-Comfort House competition highlight the emerging architectural talent we have in the UK and show how we are preparing to meet the future challenges that are facing the UK construction market.  They encourage creative thinking in sustainable building design, giving insight from up-and-coming architects.  While some of the designs may seem abstractly modern in their approach, the reality is that the products and systems needed to build to the exceptionally high energy efficiency standards set by the Passive House concept are in fact available today.  As a group, Saint-Gobain is committed to the design, manufacture and supply of innovative products and solutions in order to make the buildings of the tomorrow a reality.

As part of the judging process, the eight shortlisted teams in the UK final are invited to showcase scale models of their designs on the Isover Multi-Comfort House stand (N260) at Ecobuild.  On 2 March, each group will present their project to a leading panel of industry experts in the hope of scooping a place in the international final in Prague and up to £1,000 prize money.  The winners will be revealed in an award ceremony on stand N260 at 15.00 on 2 March.

Judging the final will be special guest Wolfgang Feist, co-founder of the Passive House concept.  Professor Feist’s attendance demonstrates his commitment to upholding the principles of the Passive House concept and his commitment to taking its ideals to a large audience.  He will be joined by a panel of highly respected industry insiders who will be on hand to cast their expert eye over the various projects and select the winners.  These include Roland Matzig, founder of r-m-p architects and engineers which consulted on the renovation of the only Passive House skyscraper in Germany, Bill Butcher, who developed ‘Denby Dale’, the UK’s first Passive House development, and Nick Grant, technical director of the Passivhaus Trust. 

Judges will be looking for the projects that demonstrate Multi-Comfort House and Passive House thinking and design principles at a strategic level.  Having seen the creativity shown by teams in their first stage entry submissions I look forward to seeing their scale models at Ecobuild.

For updates on Saint-Gobain at Ecobuild, follow us on Twitter @SaintGobainUK or visit www.ecobuild.saint-gobain.co.uk.

Lisa Benbow – Head of Communications for Saint-Gobain in the UK, Ireland & South Africa

Our presence at Ecobuild this year offers us the chance to showcase our commitment to sustainability and innovation, at a time when the challenges facing the construction industry are greater than ever. 

Over recent decades there has been a seismic shift in people’s attitudes towards and expectations of the built environment.  Thirty years ago, concrete was an architect’s best friend, with large square structures dotted around our city skylines.  Considered modern when built, these now stand to remind us how much has changed, both in aesthetic and environmental terms.  Buildings are now expected to provide a space that is both pleasant to live or work in, causing minimal environmental impact and fitting in with their surroundings.

So why have our attitudes changed?  The increased awareness of global warming and the importance of reducing our carbon footprint is an international concern and one that makes headlines on a regular basis.  With the introduction of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, world leaders established the need to significantly decrease global emissions.  The UK has since committed to reducing its carbon dioxide output by 80 per cent by 2050. 

One way of contributing to this reduction is to improve the energy efficiency of our homes.  The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) estimates that around 27 percent of the country’s emissions come from our homes.  As 80 per cent of Britain’s 26 million existing properties will still be standing in 2050, refurbishment will play a vital role in meeting the carbon emission reduction targets.

The Existing Homes Alliance estimated that 600,000 whole house refurbishments would be required from 2010 to achieve this goal.  The renovation of our existing building stock is therefore one of the most important environmental challenges facing our society today, as well as one of the biggest opportunities within the construction industry.

Saint-Gobain has invested heavily into developing a wide range of fabric first systems and solutions that can improve the efficiency of existing homes before additional measures such as renewables are introduced.  However, as equally important as the development of such products and systems is the availability of trained construction industry professionals who can fit them properly.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change has highlighted the importance of correct training for people who will be fitting the new energy efficient solutions.  If a product or systems is not installed or applied properly, it may not achieve maximum energy savings.  As a result, as well as being committed to developing products and systems to improve the energy efficiency of the built environment, we are also dedicated to ensuring that the industry is equipped with the skills and expertise to install them correctly. 

Saint-Gobain is sponsoring the Renew area at Ecobuild.  As well as using this as a platform to launch the Saint-Gobain Training Academy, the first of a national network of facilities to combine existing training capabilities from a number of our manufacturing businesses under one roof, the area will also incorporate live workshops to show the application and installation of internal and external insulation, flooring, glazing and drywall solutions.

While renewables have their place, there’s no point installing the latest solar panels or heating technology if the building envelope is leaking energy, so a fabric first approach offers the most effective initial step to improve efficiency.  What’s more, the products and systems it uses are affordable and readily available.  Come and see our daily live demonstrations in the Renew area to see how just how quick and easy they are to install.

Follow our blog or join us on Twitter @SaintGobainUK for the latest updates regarding Ecobuild – we look forward to seeing you there.

Lisa Benbow – Head of Communications for Saint-Gobain in the UK, Ireland & South Africa

Saint-Gobain will be hosting the Renew Zone at Ecobuild this year, packed with live demos and opportunities to ‘ask the experts’.  With a firm focus on refurbishment, the Renew Zone offered us the perfect opportunity to demonstrate how our products can be used to refurbish and upgrade the UK’s existing housing stock in line with government plans for reducing Britain’s carbon emissions.

Ecobuild visitors will also be able to book 30 minute slots with our technical materials experts on Saint-Gobain’s main stand (N310), who will be on hand to offer advice on a range of areas including energy efficiency and acoustics.  Appointments can be booked here where visitors can enter details about the specific project they wish to discuss to ensure that they are matched with the most relevant technical experts.

Lisa Benbow – Head of Communications for Saint-Gobain in the UK, Ireland & South Africa