Do we fully understand sustainability and what is involved? Do we really know the consequences of our actions today on tomorrow

1. Are we too afraid of the unknown to design sustainable buildings?
Do we fully understand sustainability and what is involved? Do we really know the consequences of
our actions today on tomorrow?
An architect is like a doctor, in that they need to know a good amount of detailed information about a
lot of different topics. But the sheer volume and breadth of knowledge required means that they can’t
possibly know everything. Too often the lack of detailed knowledge opens the door to a focus on
money, maintenance or client requests, even
before we get to the dreaded value
engineering.
Architects need to rely on specialists to help,
design and advise – to give them the depth of
knowledge they need in their area of
expertise.
The Contractor also has a huge influence on
how sustainable the building finally is. Under
pressure to secure work, deliver on time and
under budget they may feel they have no
choice but adapt aspects of the design for the
sake of value engineering.
It's these unknowns and pressures that cause
the delays in fully sustainable design.
Fear of the unknown
Like most specialists who are selling our
wares, we back up our claims with past
installations, test data and scientific fact. To
maintain our competitive advantage, we are
constantly researching ways to further
improve our products’ performance. But still,
when we present our innovations to our
customers, we face resistance and too many times we are forced back on old methods, which are
proven to be far less effective. Very often these methods provide a cheaper installation cost, but in the
long run cost the customer more.
© 2013 Colt International Licensing Ltd.

2. During a recent discussion with an architect I was presented with the argument against photovoltaics
(PV). I explained how in my case study, we found that building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) shading
could reduce heat gain onto the façade by more than 80%, reduce the client's air conditioning load by
over 20% and likely provide 15 to 20% of the building's annual energy requirements. These are big
numbers. However the architect countered that energy was not that expensive and these numbers did
not represent a great cost.
Movable sun shading is still seen as a luxury, not as a necessity. Why is that? Is it because fixed fins
are so widely available that prices can be extremely low? Or is it fear of the unknown?
I think it's the latter – which leads to the former. Movable solar shading may cost a few percent more,
but can shade more than 20% better than its fixed equivalent, and also allow light to enter when
shading is not required. And yet, we don’t see it on as many buildings as we’d like.
What can we do?
I hope that, with the growing pressure to achieve a sustainable built environment, our industry soon
learns to be less risk-averse and embrace innovation.
For our part, at Colt, we will continue to look for ways to improve energy efficiency in our clients’
designs and do our best to make a convincing case for the innovative solutions available to them.
Do you agree with our view of the industry as risk-averse? Do you share our concerns about our
industry’s fear of innovation? Do you have any ideas about what we can do to make a change?
© 2013 Colt International Licensing Ltd.