Westminster Sustainable Buildings, Photo, London Eco Architecture, Green Designs
Westminster Sustainable Buildings
Green Architecture Developments in central London, England, UK
22 Jul 2009
Westminster Sustainable Buildings News
Westminster City Council Release 22 Jul 2009
Making Westminster Greener
Experts in design and conservation, as well as residents and developers will be discussing how to make older buildings more sustainable in a workshop aimed at helping to make Westminster’s buildings more environmentally friendly.
Among the topics for debate will be living walls, green roofs, and the complex matter of retrofitting buildings – which includes making historic buildings greener while preserving their architectural integrity.
Westminster City Council is the custodian of 11,000 listed buildings and with 55 conservation areas covering over 75 per cent of the city’s area, the council plays a leading role in assessing the best ways to adapt historic and protected buildings
Cllr Steve Summers, head of Westminster City Council’s Go Green board, said: “Our City’s rich heritage can serve the future as well as the past, and we have a number of good examples in the borough which show that listed buildings can be refurbished to high environmental standards.”
“We are seeing a growing interest in installations such as green roofs and living walls in Westminster as people look towards ever-more innovative ways of helping the environment and we actively encourage this where possible.
“We want to get the message out that there are real advantages into making your building greener as in the long-term this can actually help you save money.”
The Athenaeum hotel by world famous botanist and designer Patrick Blanc:
The life span of a green roof is normally double that of an ordinary one and they help keep homes cooler in the summer which cuts out the need for air conditioning.
They also reduce the amount of rain water which runs off by up to 70 per cent as well as adding an extra piece of greenery in Westminster where space is at a premium.
The sustainability workshop, to be held in Westminster’s City Hall on Thursday 23 July, is one of 11 planning workshops whose aim is to create a final document called the ‘City Management Plan’ which will be used to manage development across Westminster and help the council deliver its promise of making Westminster “a living city” – where families can continue to thrive in the heart of London.
The council believes that sustainable design is key to creating safer, more ecological, economical and healthier places for people to live and work.
Some of Westminster’s buildings that incorporate features of sustainable design include The Athenaeum hotel on the corner of Piccadilly and Down Street which now features a living wall by world famous botanist and designer Patrick Blanc as well as the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden which is an example of how a historic building can incorporate solar panels.
The plan is to gather the views of residents and businesses from across Westminster about how more buildings can conserve water, reduce waste and increase recycling.
Anyone who wants to take the opportunity to join in the debate should email: [email protected] or ring 020 7641 2503.
For more details on any of the planning workshops please see http://www.westminster.gov.uk/services/environment/planning/ldf/cmp-workshops/
Location: Westminster, London, England, UK
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photograph © Nick Weall
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Sustainable Buildings Westminster – PDF
Sustainable Design and Energy Workshop Venue
Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6QP. 7th Floor
Time – 6-9pm
London City Management Plan
Planning applications in Westminster are currently decided using policies in the council’s Unitary Development Plan (UDP), together with the Mayor’s London Plan. The council is reviewing detailed UDP policies, to create a document called the ‘City Management Plan’ (CMP).
This will be part of the council’s statutory Local Development Framework, which is replacing the UDP, and will contain the specific development management policies for determining planning applications and managing development across Westminster.
The workshops are intended to be an informal forum for people to discuss issues which will shape the policies used for development management purposes and a councillor will introduce each workshop.
Westminster City Council is currently drawing up a new plan to guide future development in Westminster. The Local Development Framework (LDF) will be made up of a folder of documents which will guide the development of Westminster over the next 20 years.
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