F.D. Builders & Joiners Ltd Sustainability Policy New
Zealand
We here at F.D. Builders are innovative and thought provoking
leaders for sustainability in the New Zealand residential construction
market. As a result we have had to divide our Sustainability Policy
into two distinct areas: Eco friendly, Environmentally friendly, Green
Sustainable building materials, Sustainable design
- F.D. Building & Construction Business Operations
We use the environmental, social and economic pillars of sustainability
to guide our business operations and decisions to ensure we are the
market leaders for the residential building market – leading the
way to building a sustainable future for the success of our future
generations.
Our sustainability policy is based upon the following principles:
- To comply with, and exceed where practicable, all applicable
legislation, regulations and codes of practice.
- To integrate sustainability considerations into all our business
decisions.
- To ensure that all staff are fully aware of our Sustainability
Policy and are committed to implementing and improving it
- To minimise the impact on sustainability of all office and
transportation activities.
- To make clients and suppliers aware of our Sustainability Policy,
and encourage them to adopt sound sustainable management practices.
- To review, annually report, and to continually strive to improve
our sustainability performance.
In order to put these principles into practice we are taking
the following practical steps:
Environmental:
- We are currently enquiring into establishing a robust and reliable
carbon footprint assessment in order to implement a long term and
meaningful carbon management and reduction plan, with the potential
of purchasing carbon offsets to offset our unavoidable emissions.
- Although minimal, we aim to minimise, reuse or recycling as much
office waste and consumables as we can, including paper, computer
supplies and redundant equipment.
- All employee waste is split into three piles: food waste, paper
and plastics, and then appropriately recycled. There is a worm
farm at the head office for all employee food scraps.
- We reduce the energy consumption of office equipment by purchasing
energy efficient equipment and lighting.
- We are currently reviewing our supply chain (sub-traders and
suppliers) with the intention of procuring “like-minded” sustainable
suppliers in all manageable areas of our business.
- Include a copy of our Sustainability Policy in all our
proposals to clients
Social:
- When building homes abroad, F.D. Builders look to become part
of the community whilst working on the project. This is done
by visiting schools in the area, promoting building as a professional
career, and educating children on how to live in harmonisation
with their home and their surrounding environment.
- F.D. Builders recognises the importance of culture and heritance,
therefore when we are involved in the design aspect of homes
we ensure that these values are incorporated. This is especially
emphasised in the development of our Typhoon Kitsets.
Economic:
- F.D. Builders recognises the importance of, and is committed
to, long-term inward investment and the promotion of a career
in the construction industry at a professional level. We support
the use of local labour and additional training.
- When building homes abroad we support and encourage the use
of local labour and training of people in their construction
industry. We recognise the need to help improve the community,
address skill shortages within the industry, and give assistance
in finding employment.
- F.D. Building & Construction and Redevelopment Operations
F.D. Builders sustainable construction policy is
founded on the guiding principles of the UK publication “The
Code for Sustainable Homes - Setting the Standard for New Homes" and
the LEED for Homes (US) Rating System. Once there
is a New Zealand specific tool developed by the New Zealand Green
Building Council, this will take precedence.
In accordance with these guiding principles F.D. Builders develops
a project specific and tailored focus on the following ten key areas:
- Energy and CO2 Emissions
- We encourage the use of renewable energy sources. For example,
solar panels.
- We encourage all projects to be designed for maximum solar
access and heat storage. This is done by encouraging the following
initiatives but not limited to:
- Large North facing windows.
- Inclusion of passive solar heating design through thermal
mass heat sinks.
- Passive solar water heating design.
- Installation of double glazing windows, especially in
colder areas.
- Exceeding insulation requirements.
- We encourage the use of energy efficient internal lighting
systems.
- We try to ensure all products are ordered through one supplier
from source to site and in bulk shipments for each project
in order to reduce our indirect supplier emissions.
- We encourage all clients to purchase the highest energy efficient
appliance they can afford.
- Water
- We encourage the installation of grey water/ rainwater collection
solutions to service toilets, the laundry, and garden watering.
- During construction we aim to build a temporary water collection
system to service the need of all construction water usage.
In the case of no water then we revert back to traditional
methods.
- We encourage our clients to install water saving devices
in their home for water optimisation. These include but are
not limited to:
- 3/6 Litre dual flush toilets
- Waterless urinals
- Low flow shower heads and aerated/low flow taps
- Purchase of high water efficiency rated appliances
- Exclusion of in-sink waste disposal units to encourage
composting initiatives
- Materials
- Where possible, we encourage the reuse of materials in renovations.
We especially emphasize this with timber we source from other
projects and reuse them in areas such as stair tread, internal
handrails or facings around doors and window.
- In the case of new timber material we promote the use of
New Zealand grown plantation timber (Pine, Macrocarpa and Eucalyptus).
- We store and reuse formwork materials.
- When available, we source timber from fallen Matai trees
and use in flooring.
- We encourage the consideration of standardised material sizes
in the design process to ensure the waste of materials can
be minimised.
- We encourage the minimisation of materials needed through
a careful and thoughtful design process, such as reducing the
number of wall studs needed.
- Hard fill used in foundation fill or under concrete floors
on any projects is sourced from crushed concrete rock or hard
fill either off existing site or from suppliers that have similar
product off demolition sites.
- We encourage the use of formaldehyde-free wall boards, glues,
carpets and other products to all our clients.
- We encourage the use of PVC-free spouting, piping, electrical
cables and other products to all our clients.
- We encourage the use of water-based, solvent-free paints,
stains and glues to all our clients. Brands used are Resene
Paints.
- Surface Water Run-Off
- We aim to effectively manage the surface-water run-off from
all development projects.
- We encourage the use of permeable paving in landscaping to
allow water drainage and minimise storm water run-off.
- Waste
- We ensure each project has built in ease-of-use storage
of non-recyclable waste and recyclable household waste systems.
- We encourage the use of a composting and worm farm system.
- Construction waste - we operate three separate skip bins
on unless there are obstructed by physical constraints. These
consist of:
- Hard fill bin for all concrete rock hard fill. This rock
is crushed and reused as fill.
- Large timber and metal bin. All items are sorted in relation
to quality and either reused or recycled appropriately.
- Non-Recyclable items bin. This comprises of Gib board, fibre
cement board, particle board and other non-recyclable items
such as all paper items like cement paperback cardboard
boxes etc together with plastic sheeting that is used for packaging
- should this be put in the same bin? How do you ensure this
actually gets recycled and not mixed up with non-recyclables?
This is a visual thing that could compromise integrity if let
slip.
- Pollution
- We ensure run-off from our building materials is disposed of appropriately.
For example, washing all paint brushes out appropriately and washing
off concrete.
- Health and Wellbeing
- We ensure we build lifetime homes.
- We encourage designs that improve and maximise natural air
flow.
- Promotion of cleanable surfaces.
- We stay away from materials that can activate allergies within
building occupants. This includes but is not limited to:
- Oil based paints
- Turpentine
- Polyurethane
- We encourage the use of all natural materials that let air penetrate.
- Management
- We encourage our clients include a Green Star NZ Accredited
Professional (GSNZAP) from the outset of their project to ensure
maximum value is obtained regarding sustainability.
- Timely and comprehensive ordering with suppliers to ensure
minimal truck loads.
- Ecology
- We aim to enhance and improve the ecological value of a house
and its natural surrounding landscape.
- Any trees of note on the property are suitably protected
from potential damage.
- If we are required to cut down trees, we ensure they are
replaced either on the property or another location.
- We encourage the use of water saving native plants such as
Kanuka or Manuka, with the use of mulch to contain moisture.
- Innovation
- We always provide a bit of good old kiwi ingenuity and No.8 wire
thinking to every project we take on.
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