Environmental Impact

As the ecological impact of construction and usage of buildings have become of greater concern, A.C. Whyte is currently designing and constructing schemes that incorporate environmentally-sound construction principles. 

Environmental impact has become a major factor in the upgrading of properties, and our focus now is to become a one-stop shop for all energy-efficiency needs. By forging new partnerships with energy providers and intermediaries, we aim to ensure that homes across Scotland meet green credentials with the very latest in insulation, draught proofing, solar panels etc.

It is often more sustainable to refurbish a property than to demolish and rebuild. Our expertise not only improves the day-to-day living conditions of residents, but also enables clients to benefit from funding initiatives such as Green Deal & ECO.

Environmentally-sound construction principles

It is an integral part of our design coordinators’ role to investigate sustainable construction opportunities on each project. Preference will be given to materials and products that fit with environmental and sustainability policies, whilst also adhering to the project specification.

We ensure that all manufacturers’ and suppliers’ sustainability claims are verified. Certification of environmental standards such as ISO 14001:2004 and the eco-management and audit scheme (emas) indicate a supplier’s commitment to reducing the adverse environmental impacts of their processes and operations through a series of specific actions and obligation to continuous improvement. 

A. C. Whyte are currently designing, constructing and implementing schemes incorporating the following:

• Sustainable/managed forest timber supply
• The construction of highly-insulated buildings using cfc free insulation
• Prefabricated timber panel systems (using timber sourced from sustainable/managed forests)
• High performance windows

Many of the above options carry a capital cost premium, and in this regard the client dictates as to whether the options provided are actually incorporated into the constructed scheme. However we consistently incorporate the following as standard:

• Sustainable sourced timber
• Better than building regulation thermal performance
• Low energy lighting
• Dual flush WCs
• High performance windows
• Building orientation thermal gain/loss measures
• Soakaway (suds)/permeable paving surface water drainage