Reconciling low carbon agendas through adaptable buildings

The UK government has committed itself to demanding CO2 reduction targets. There is an expectation that significant carbon savings can be achieved in the construction and operation of buildings through the application of low carbon technologies. Current concentration on low carbon technologies to reduce operational energy requirements has overlooked the less significant gains possible in embodied energy. However, as gains in operational energy reduction are realised, embodied energy of the construction, maintenance, refurbishment and disposal cycle will become increasingly important in making further progress. In this position paper we suggest that the adaptable building agenda could complement the low carbon agenda by providing a vehicle for the reconciliation of the various facets of low carbon policy. This includes taking account of the need to reduce embodied energy, as buildings which are rendered obsolete significantly before their intended design life, or fail to adapt to increasing carbon reduction performance requirements, cannot be considered sustainable. There remains a need to explore to what extent these agendas, of adaptable, long life buildings and a low carbon society, are mutually beneficial and supporting, and the what extent they can be seen as competing and mutually exclusive.