Sustainability Policy
Philosophy
INSIGHT Technical Services has a goal of becoming a centre of excellence
to assist our clients in sustainable design thus promoting the construction
industry into an environmentally conscious future. As a company we continually
seek out the latest advancements in ‘green’ technologies to put us ahead of
current construction trends. INSIGHT are committed to raising the level of
understanding not only of our clients but also our staff who receive regular
information on important/relevant updates in our industry.
INSIGHT Technical Services believe all building professionals have a vital
role to advocate sustainable design in leading, co-ordinating and assisting
the many different inputs required. Sustainability is seen as an opportunity
for achieving excellence in architectural design.
Commitment
INSIGHT will endeavour to carry out everything reasonably practical to
meet or exceed the necessary and desirable sustainable goals of our clients
and continually improve environmental performance by:
- Ensuring the training of staff in environmental issues.
- Ensuring the minimal amount of construction waste is created.
- Maximising the use of materials thus minimising materials wastage.
- Ensuring Minimal energy wastage through good design.
- Promoting the use and our clients use of recyclable & renewable materials along with wider sustainability issues.
Design
INSIGHT Technical Services recognises the importance of environmental protection
and aims to operate responsibly in providing services relating to architecture,
urban design, interior design, construction, landscape design, project management
and construction health & safety.
INSIGHT uses the 'Green Guide to The Architects Job Book' which is designed to sit
alongside the 'Architect's Job Book' so that we ensure that our service promotes
sustainable development considerations as part of our remit. The green guide is
intended to provide information on crucial factors at each Work Stage of the RIBA
Plan of Work, which will help assist the delivery of more sustainable
buildings for our clients.
Sustainable building design was seen as a peripheral activity, largely outside
the conventional role of architectural design. To many it has been unworthy of
much attention and often naively perceived as a style or trend to be followed.
However, it is increasingly evident that it is not a trend, but an approach that
requires systematic care. It requires designing to take full account of quality-of-life
issues, resources and the natural environment, which we must all ultimately embrace.
INSIGHT offers a sustainable service that responds to the need for all building design
to be more responsive to the environment and more accountable to society.
As a company of qualified building professionals we can take steps to make a difference in
areas under our influence. This involves the application of an additional set of
design parameters which can be integrated along the traditional procurement path.
There are aspects that are relevant throughout the design and procurement process and,
because sustainable design is a process not an act, this includes a requirement to
think beyond handover to the building(s) in use and beyond. The intended outcome is
that our projects along with our clients projects are less damaging to the natural
environment and are more responsive to their owners and users needs.
Services
INSIGHT can improve the design process by undertaking numerous sustainable services, some of which are as listed: Re-use of historic buildings, Mixed-use and urban design studies, Environmental Impact Assessments & strategies, Recycled waste strategy, Benchmarking to recognised standards i.e. BREEAM, EcoHomes etc. Whole-life costing, Geo-thermal heating and cooling, Reversible heat pumps, Combined heat & power, Intelligent controls, Mixed mode passive design, High-efficiency woodchip boiler heating, Chilled beam cooling, Active triple layer glazed solar façade design, Photovoltaic design, Passive solar building design, Active and passive solar shading, Natural passive & displacement ventilation, Localised air infiltration, Heat-recovery ventilation, Optimised natural day lighting design, Partial prefabrication, Rainwater collection, Grey water recycling, SUDS (sustainable urban drainage schemes), Reed-bed drainage, Recycled building materials specification, Sustainable & low environmental impact building materials specification, Earth walling, Cellulose insulation, Green roofs, Breathable construction, Super-insulation & glazing.
