As the introduction to this book states, this text could just as easily have been entitled Sustainable Refurbishment and Property Management or Sustainable Rehabilitation and Building Management as it explores the alteration and reuse of existing buildings and is written specifically with the operational managers of the buildings in mind. The author, Paul Appleby, is a UK-based consultant who has recently been appointed as a CABE, Built Environment Expert for the UK Design Council and has worked on many award winning projects.
There have been many books written over the last few years dealing with the many aspects of sustainable and environmentally friendly design, construction and operation of buildings. This text, however, recognises that over 70 per cent of the buildings that will be in existence in the year 2050 have already been built and, as such, much of what has been written on sustainable construction does not fit well with this existing building stock. What is needed, and the objective of this book, is to address the design and operation of existing buildings and to highlight ways in which well planned and executed refurbishment, or retrofit, can significantly increase the environmentally sustainable features of any building.
The text is presented in four separate parts representing the phases of a buildings lifecycle. The first part provides a background to sustainability and its application to the built environment. It includes a chapter entitled Policy and Legislation which outlines some of the policy objectives in the European Union, the UK and the USA, along with a more general global perspective.
Part Two is entitled Strategy and investigates how a property owner or manager might approach the decision-making process between refurbishing an existing building or starting with a cleared site. It includes sections on the financial considerations as well as the energy and carbon aspects of establishing a strategy for an existing building.
Part Three, Sustainable Retrofit, takes a look at each of the major elements of the building with chapters devoted to the building fabric, services, water, controls and the indoor environment among others. Each chapter is supported with relevant diagrams and examples of leading technologies that can help to enhance a building's sustainability. In addition, each chapter ends with a case study or real life example to illustrate the application of the technologies discussed.
The final part is entitled Sustainable Facilities Management and addresses the ongoing operation of a sustainable building. There are chapters on energy, water and waste management, together with indoor environmental chapters relating to air quality and control of Legionella. Once again the supporting photographs offer examples of poor maintenance and indicate the adverse effects that these have on building health.
This is a well-written text which provides some sound, practical advice on the management of existing buildings. It is well illustrated and includes some interesting practical examples. In my opinion the book is suited to both the practicing professional who needs to increase their knowledge in this important and challenging area and for those studying the built environment and aspects of property and facilities management. This book fills a significant gap in addressing the problems that are faced in existing buildings. It provides practical advice on how the economic life of these buildings can be extended to meet the demand for sustainable workplaces.
