“As debate ramps up in Ireland about whether local authorities in Dublin should adopt the passive house standard, and the UK government scraps its plans for zero carbon homes, Dr Shane Colclough urges passive house advocates to prepare for the lobbying battles ahead by remembering the basic science behind the standard.”

Now nearing completion, the University of East Anglia's (UEA) most recent development, The Enterprise Centre, is on course to become an exemplar low-embodied carbon buildinq, pushing the boundaries for sustainable architecture.

Steel Farm is the first certified passive building in Northumberland, and the first cavity wall passive house in the north east of England. It is located near Hexham in the North Pennine area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB)

In 2008 the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) identified funding for pilot/exemplar projects under the Zero Carbon Task Force (ZCTF).

In 2008 the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) identified funding for pilot/exemplar projects under the Zero Carbon Task Force (ZCTF).

The recent Self-Build on a Shoestring competition demonstrated how one can build a two bedroom house with exceptionally low energy consumption for less than £45,000.

The cheapest and cleanest energy choice of all is not to waste it. Progress on this has been striking yet the potential is still vast.

The task group set up by Government to deliver zero carbon homes by 2016, Zero Carbon Hub, has released formal recommendations on carbon compliance. This has some substantial implications for house building performance standards and environmental considerations.

The importance of good ventilation in classrooms has been recognised since Victorian times, but many of today's schools fail to reach even basic levels of indoor air quality. Ewen Rose reports on a growing health crisis.

BREEAM is the Building Research Establishment’s (BRE) Environmental Assessment Method first launched in the UK in 1990. It sets best practice standards for the environmental performance of buildings through design, specification, construction and operation.