The Good Homes Alliance is a UK organisation established in 2007 that grew to have over 70 members, including architects, planners, developers, universities, local authorities, urban designers, consultants, building professionals and suppliers whose stated aim is to build and promote sustainable homes and communities and to transform the whole of mainstream UK house building into a sustainable endeavour. It is a not-for-profit community interest company with a board of directors.
Members subscribe to a charter for responsible housebuilding containing seven principles.
The Good Homes Alliance considers the following actions are necessary to help bring a quality focus back to new housing:
# New UK wide near-zero carbon targets for new homes should be re-implemented with a new trajectory and timetable
# Housebuilders and renewable energy developers must work together to develop new cost effective strategies to meet the new carbon reduction targets
# The Building Regulations Part L and F should be reviewed
# The compliance system based on SAP and EPCs is not fit for purpose and a new system is required that addresses energy demand reduction targets and post-construction verification
# The skills needed to achieve quality construction must be embedded at every stage from concept to completion and for all disciplines, trades and professions
# The Quality Control process at every stage from concept to completion must be tightened up and improved
# Inhabitants health and well-being must be embedded in all aspects of the design and construction process
In addition to promotion of member projects and initiatives the Alliance is involved in education (through seminars, research, and information sharing),
lobbying
In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agency, regulatory agencie ...
Government and land owners to encourage better quality housing standards via regulation, legislation and specifications, and raising awareness of sustainable development in the media and among the general public.
It also organises specialist cross sector working groups and currently (July 2017) runs the following: alternative housing delivery models; overheating solutions in new housing; zero energy buildings.
Founding
The Good Homes Alliance was officially launched on 28 February 2007, at the ''Ecobuild 2007'' exhibition. It was founded by four housing developers - BioRegional Quintain, Cornhill Estates, Kingerlee Homes, and Swan Country Homes, together with Natural Building Technologies, the Sustainable Development Foundation, The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment, Working Group, and the Bartlett School of Graduate Studies at
University College London
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.
See also
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Association for Environment Conscious Building
The Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB) is the leading network for sustainable building professionals in the United Kingdom. Membership of the AECB includes local authorities, housing associations, builders, architects, design ...
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Code for Sustainable Homes The Code for Sustainable Homes was an environmental assessment method for rating and certifying the performance of new homes in United Kingdom. First introduced in 2006, it is a national standard for use in the design and construction of new homes ...
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Energy efficiency in British housing
Domestic housing in the United Kingdom presents a possible opportunity for achieving the 20% overall cut in UK greenhouse gas emissions targeted by the Government for 2010. However, the process of achieving that drop is proving problematic given t ...
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National House Building Council
The National House Building Council, usually known as the NHBC, states its primary purpose as raising the construction standards of new homes in the United Kingdom (UK), and providing consumer protection for homebuyers through its 10-year Buildm ...
Non-UK links
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Low-energy building
A low-energy house is characterized by an energy-efficient design and technical features which enable it to provide high living standards and comfort with low energy consumption and carbon emissions. Traditional heating and active cooling systems ...
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Sustainability
Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livi ...
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Green home
A green home is a type of house designed to be environmentally sustainable. Green homes focus on the efficient use of "energy, water, and building materials". A green home may use sustainably sourced, environmentally friendly, and/or recycled buil ...
External links
Good Homes Alliance official site
{{Construction industry in the United Kingdom
Housing in the United Kingdom
Low-energy building in the United Kingdom
Organizations established in 2007
Sustainability organizations
New Classical architecture