Estate Living November 2016 Digital Issue | Page 56

LIGHTING

that some luxury design items may have to

There is a maximum energy consumption

be sacrificed in order to comply. It is all about

allowance for lighting in buildings. In a typical

changing the mindset of the public in general

house the allowance is an energy demand of 5

and the client in particular, and embracing the

watts/m2 (basically if all the lights are switched

new legislation as a valuable resource. And

on at the same time) and an annual energy

although there may be additional costs upfront

consumption of 5 kWh/m2 (the annual energy

in the building process, energy efficiencies will

usage based on the average hours per day the

recover those costs over time.

lights would be switched on if they were all on
at the same time).

The new regulations have also slightly increased
production

time

and

the

workload,

architectural

In simple terms, the old incandescent and

professional’s

as

detailed

halogen bulbs that we are used to are no longer

calculations have to be made of hot-water

viable due to their high energy consumption.

consumption, building orientation, window

LED and CFL bulbs are the only types that

efficiency and lighting energy consumption.

comply with the requirements.

This requires more detailed drawings at the
council submission stage of the project.

CHALLENGES TO ARCHITECTS

Many contractors and subcontractors are not

Implementing the new regulations was a

as familiar with the building regulations as they

steep learning curve for most architectural

should be. It can be challenging to tell them

professionals. The mindset had to move very

that the way they have been building is wrong,

rapidly from decades-old accepted inefficient

and to persuade them to follow the drawings

building practices to a new awareness of

and specifications explicitly. For example,

the minimum standards required by the

very few plumbers know how to install a hot-

amended legislation. Although challenging

water system with a ring main system. Even

at the time, this has also proved beneficial,

though these regulations have been around

because it has forced many professionals to

for decades, they have never been properly

be more conscious of what they are designing.

enforced by the local authorities, so many

So, rather than designing something just to

installations have been done incorrectly and

look “nice”, one is now forced to implement

inefficiently. This means that while many are

functional design principles that have been

willing to try to comply, the new regulations do

around since the dawn of architecture, when

increase the possibility of errors. I was recently

buildings were designed to be functional

in a house where the water from the hot tap

elements in harmony with their environment,

would run hot for about five seconds and then

rather than just objects of beauty or status

go col d – because the hot-water system was

symbols.

not going through the geyser and was feeding
direct from the cold water supply, syphoning

Architects often have to educate their clients,

off a little hot water along the way.

most of whom are not familiar with the
regulations. It can be difficult to explain to a

Ultimately, the responsibility of enforcing

client that the regulations require certain non-

the regulations lies with the architectural

aesthetic but costly building solutions, and

professional.