The greatest single challenge currently facing the construction industry is building low carbon buildings. To further ensure that we build as sustainably as possible, the RIBA launched a short, practical guide to supplement the RIBA Outline Plan of Work, the most widely used framework for building design and construction.
The Green Overlay to the RIBA Outline Plan of Work includes a simple set of adjustments to each of the RIBA Work Stage activities to make sure that sustainable design is at the heart of the procurement process.
The Green Overlay also adds "sustainability checkpoints" to show what else needs to done to support a more sustainable approach, along with references to relevant standards, guidance and other sources of sustainable design intelligence. The Green Overlay will assist architects in offering their specific expertise in sustainable design to clients.
The Green Overlay will not only be indispensable to architects - it will also be essential reading for other construction professionals and clients to ensure that sustainable design is integrated into each stage of the design and construction process.
"The Green Overlay is a very significant RIBA initiative," commented Angela Brady, President of RIBA. "It is part of a continuing commitment to tackling our most urgent priority: the delivery of low carbon buildings that bring maximum value to clients and society as a whole, together with the most efficient use of resources.
The Green Overlay is straightforward and accessible and will encourage the conversations that architects need to have with clients and the whole design and construction team about truly sustainable design that goes above and beyond regulatory compliance."