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Accessibility
Accessibility is key within any construction, within this project inhabitants and their usage of the site is paramount of there is a large residential section especially in building A. There is a pre-existing ramp to the left of the existing building which will allow for people to easily access the building, including those hard of walking and those with push chairs for example (Church & Marston, 2003). All buildings must provide safe and easy access for the public, in coherence with the German equivalent of approved document M, which requires a minimum width of 900mm (building regulations,2010).
To allow for easy movement across all floors of the existing and new build, a lift will be installed to allow for equal accessibility. In the UK this is required by the equality act 2010, therefore for this project the German equivulant must be followed to allow for everyone to enjoy the development. Public participant is key in creating a sustainable project, especially economically.
Green Roof
Green roof
In Berlin there is a huge amount of ground water and high water tables in many areas. To address this the development will not only implement a large green landscape surrounding the buildings but also use green roofs (Pradhan, 2019). Not only does this improve the astethics of the property but also allows for the reduction in ground water as the agriculture at ground level will absorb some ground water and more can be collected to feed and maintain the green roofs.
This will also help balance the carbon emissions which will be produced from the buildings within the site.
Solar panels and rainwater collection
As global warming becomes increasingly worse, developers are trying to include sustainable ways to create energy for their properties. Solar panels have always been a way to achieve this, despite the large installation costs. Not only can solar panels save the environment but also save money in the long run. By 2023 it is required for 30% all roofs to be covered by solar panels in Germany (Balgaranoy,2022). This is a positive legislation to be introduced as it addresses the energy crisis and tries to provide a solution. Hoping to achieve the reduction of carbon production and meet the goals of the Paris agreement (united nations,2014).
Solar Panels
To further the sustainability of the project, a rainwater collection system (Fewkes, 2012) will be used in order to supply the properties with recycled water, collected on the roof then filtered through the buildings. This water will also be used to feed the agriculture (Akter, 2022), which is on the property, this is a sustainable way to help reduce the waste of water and in turn save money for both the developer and future residents.
Heat recovery system
Another sustainable factor which is included in this development is the heat recovery system this again is to reduce the need for high energy consumption and creates a sustainable way to produce energy and use energy (Cuce & Riffat, 2015). Ventilation is key for providing a comfortable environment, by using a heat recovery system this can be achieved. Ventilation requires should be adopted to follow the German equivalent to the approved document F (building regulations,2010).
Car park and electric charging points
The future of cars and their usage is rapidly changing, focus on new sustainable travel technology is key which is why within the development there will be a bike shed for people to use but a car park for accessibility. Electric cars are becoming more popular therefore electric charging points will be introduced, in Germany there is an increasing amount of charging points being added 35% more were added in 2022 (Reuters 2023). In the UK approved document S (building regulations, 2022) was introduced to rule this, the German equivalent should be considered when installing these points for this project.
Natasha Knowles
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