Sustainable Development

Sustainable Development and Effective Space Management

We want to make sustainable development a central part of our strategy for the future development of the higher education (HE) sector. Our vision is that, within the next 10 years, the HE sector in England will be recognised as a major contributor to society's efforts to achieve sustainability. Effective space management will assist in HEFCE’s and the sector's goals. The AUDE toolkit for a Sustainable Estate is designed to help HEI's meet their objectives. To assist the sector we have provided a carbon reduction target and strategy for higher education in England and a guide to good practice:

'Legacy of 1960's Buildings' - AUDE Research Project

The Association of University Directors of Estates commissioned research in 2007/8 into one of the big issues in Higher Education estates today – how to renew a very large proportion of the property portfolio that was built in the 1960’s.

Using case studies, alongside investigation into how other sectors have addressed the issues, the research resulted in a report and ‘toolkit’ of helpful advice to assist institutions with the decision making process.  A full consideration of sustainability issues was included.

Four key points emerged from the study:

  • Academic buildings can often be refurbished more successfully than residential.
  • While the financial case for refurbishment might look poor, with costs in some cases as high as 80% of new build, there are often significant other benefits from the refurbishment route, particularly environmental ones.
  • High standards of environmental performance can be achieved on refurbishment projects, provided that objective is at the core of the design from the outset.
  • Architectural excellence can still be achieved in refurbishment projects.

More information on the 'Legacy of 1960's Buildings' project is available on the AUDE website.