Particular Interests
Particular areas of interest for SC2 are:
- Sustainable Building Skills centres (at national, regional or sub-regional levels) and skills programmes, covering construction, building services and other built environment professions, for up-skilling the existing workforce and properly training new entrants for the needs of 21st century construction, including Short course / CPD, FE level and HE level courses;
- Sustainability Options Reports: pre-detailed design stage reports to identify key options for achieving maximum (zero carbon), medium (above regulations) and minimum (at regulation level) sustainability options for construction projects, including product options and key issues susch as energy and water demand and supply, materials, heating and lighting options, biodiversity, green transport, etc - reports completed have covered commercial, housing and community schemes;
- Facilitation of strategy development, workshops, project and policy development processes: examples and experience include Kent and Hampshire Foresight projects (current); formulation and development of the South Somerset Sustainable Construction project (1999) leading to the formation of the Somerset Trust for Sustainable Development (2000); significant involvement in development and facilitation of Leicester Environment City and Leicestershire County Council Agenda 21 processes (1993-95); work with Surrey CC and North Somerset Council on sustainable construction strategies and training; etc.
- Event design: objectives and outputs, meeting participant needs, maximising gain from participant involvement, etc. (conference, seminar and training programmes designed for South Somerset Partnership Sustainable Construction project, Somerset Trust for Sustainable Development, Surrey C C, North Somerset);
- Research: skills in refining and undertaking research projects to achieve the maximum beneficial outcome; action research; research integrated in creative processes (see publications below);
- Publications: sustainability guides and reports. Past publications include: Guides to Sustainable Design and Construction for: School and Education Buildings (WWF supported), Community Buildings and Village Halls, Planning for Sustainable Design and Construction; Somerset Sustainable Housing Study; contributing author to Building Sustainably (Sustainable Housing Forum), various Leicester Environment City publications; joint author of reports on integrating sustainability into a Local Authority Economic Development Strategy, and the influence of the sustainability agenda on the UK higher education market. Also author of Eat More Raw: a guide to health and sustainability (Permanent Publications, 2004), and The Earth Dwellers Guide to Sustainability (self-published).
- Training and Education on sustainability issues, sustainable construction and planning for sustainability: a range of workshops and seminars for South Somerset DC, North Somerset and Surrey County Council; Visiting Lecturer University of Nottingham Planning Department (1993-95); lead tutor of 10 two week permaculture design certificate courses, and tutor to apprentices working and studying towards the Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design.