The specification and way in which materials are sourced for a construction project can make a significant contribution to the environmental impact of both the construction process and end product:

• The use of materials with low embodied energy means that a building will have a lower carbon footprint relating to material production.
• Sourcing materials as locally as practicable to the location of a site will reduce the carbon emissions involved with transport of materials.  
• A contribution can also be made in terms of BREEAM or Code for Sustainable Homes credits if sustainable sourcing can be demonstrated through a track record of procuring materials from suppliers with ISO14001 EMS accreditation or in the case of timber FSC / PEFC chain of custody certification, additional credits can be contributed to BREEAM of CFSH assessments.

Additionally, numerous credits can be contributed to BREEAM and CFSH projects through using the BRE’s Green Guide to Specification as a tool to select more sustainable materials.  The Green Guide gives a sustainability rating for the main elements of buildings based on 13 different categories as listed below:

A rating between A+ and E is attributed for each category, whilst an overall summary rating is calculated from the sum of these ratings.  The greater the proportion of A+ or A rated materials specified the greater the number of credits obtained.

To help your project achieve success in using sustainable materials effectively Speller Metcalfe have an extensive supply chain of sustainable material suppliers as well as in depth expert knowledge about how to install them.   We have worked with a large range of sustainable materials on our previous projects including:

• Hemcrete
• Clay Block Walling Systems
• Porotherm Block Walling Systems
• Clay Floors
• Lime Plasters & Mortars
• Recycled Glass Products
• Timer Frame & Recycled Timber Products

If you need some advice on the suitability of sustainable materials for your project in terms of cost or buildability please do not hesitate to contact us.