Identifying an appropriate approach to judge low carbon buildings

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report research conducted in the UK’s East Midlands region which explores optimising practice for low carbon building through an architectural award system. Design/methodology/approach – To explore the complexity of the contexts, philosophies and demonstrations involved in best practice for low carbon buildings, a mixed research approach was adopted through an online survey and interviews with 13 experts. Findings – The research provides practical means to evaluate low carbon buildings and suggests an approach where aesthetic design and technical compliance are given similar weightings. It also presents the opinions of construction professional practitioners and academics on best practice for low carbon buildings. Research limitations/implications – The research focuses on investigating the judging criteria and opinions of construction professionals who have, in the past, strongly identified with sustainable building design practice. Practical implications – As this research and other studies show, there is a need for a simple methodology and the use of existing tools to evaluate best practice for low carbon buildings. Originality/value – The value of the paper lies in its purpose to establish a precedent for judging low carbon buildings through an architectural award system. Although there is a plethora of literature, tools and environmental assessment systems that point towards best practice, this research aims to highlight the underlying principles and combine these with practical methods that can enable the construction industry to achieve low carbon buildings. Keywords United Kingdom, Building specifications, Sustainable design, Low carbon buildings, Sustainability, Construction professionals