Key Sustainability Issues
The keys sustainability issue of delivering a Green research laboratory are: 1. Water consumption 2. Carbon Management 3. Purchase sustainable goods and services 4. Indoor environmental quality 5. Waste management
The sustainability issues shall be identified with clear project objectives and execution plan at the design stage. In addition, it is vital to monitor the construction process against indicators for the delivery of a Green laboratory. Finally, the staff of the laboratory as well as the Loughborough University shall pay continuous effort to maintain a resource-efficient operation during the lifecycle of the new lab.

Design stage
The design of the new laboratory shall take significant environmental aspects into account throughout the feasibility report, project definition and drawing development stages. First of all, the Environmental Management System of Loughborough University shall act as the main guideline of the client need. On the other hand, the design work shall satisfy specific sustainability specification such as BREEAM New Construction Technical Manual SD5073-2.0:2011.

Goal #1 Water consumption
The water strategy is designed to increase efficiency of water use, with consideration to the huge water consumption of the new laboratory.
Key objectives: 1. Reduce the consumption of portable water for sanitary use from all sources. 2. Reduce unregulated water consumption by introducing water efficient experiment equipment. 3. Ensure and reduce the impact of water leak on the main water supply, with emphasis to the branch pipe in connection with the experience equipment.

Goal #2 Carbon management
The carbon management strategy aims to minimise the electricity and gas needs, eventually reduce the total CO2 emissions at the Loughborough University for 43% by 2020 as compared to 2005/06.
Key objectives: 1. Encourage experiment space and office designed to minimise operational energy demand and consumption. 2. Embed Carbon management during design stage, calculate the accurate baseline for carbon emission and set reduction target. It provides a guideline for the procurement of equipment during construction and ensures sustainable operation. 3. Minimise parking space to encourage the use of public transport to reduce transport related pollution. 4. Provide cyclists facilities to encourage academic and administrative staff to cycle.

Goal #3 Purchase sustainable goods and services
It aims to develop, optimize the research needs of the staff and identify the client needs among all primary stakeholders.
Key objectives: 1. Choose the location of the new laboratory on brown lands, to eliminate the destroy of the existing ecological environment. 2. Reduce the demand for resources through an integrated design process; engage team experts in an interactive atmosphere for beneficial outcome. It aims to eliminate site rework and use recourse-efficient products considering the lifecycle cost of the new laboratory. 3. Minimise any negative impacts of goods across life-cycle and through the supply chain. The site delivery route of major experiment equipment shall be fully considered to avoid design change due to its large size, and procurement decision of the same shall minimise its negative environmental impact. 4. Encourage the use of construction materials with a low environmental impact over the full life cycle of the laboratory.

Goal #4 Indoor environmental quality
Develop and optimize design consideration on the indoor environmental quality for the health and wellbeing of the academic and administrative staff at the new laboratory.
Key objectives: 1. As the experiment produce massive CO2 emission, it is of first priority to encourage a healthy indoor air quality. Moreover, actions are necessary to ensure the volume of experimental emissions to air complies with relevant legislation. 2. With consideration to the long experiment time of the research staff, ensure sufficient day light to provide a natural atmosphere, provide sufficient workspaces with flexibility to improve their work experience. 3. Ensure that appropriate thermal comfort levels are achieved through design. 4. Ensure the buildings’ acoustic performance including sound insulation meet the appropriate standards.

Goal #5 Waste Management
Facilitate sustainable waste management system at design stage to encourage reduce, reuse and recycle of waste during construction and operation of the laboratory.
Key objectives: 1. To ensure waste will be segregated and collected at designated place in accordance with the legal compliance. 2. To ensure discharged water and CO2 during the experiment will be managed or recycled with proper facility.

Construction stage
The key objectives for maintaining sustainability at construction stage are designed according to the requirements of the Environmental Management System and the Carbon Management Plan of Loughborough University. The main purpose of it is to minimise the carbon emission during the execution of construction.
Key objectives: 1. To reduce the negative impact and encourage positive influence of the new laboratory to the surrounding natural environment and built environment. 2. Encourage construction site to be managed in an environmentally and socially considerate, responsible and accountable manner. 3. Encourage construction site to be managed environmentally in terms of resource use, energy consumption and noise/air/water pollution. 4. Promote resource efficiency through effective management and reduction of construction waste. 5. Encourage the use of recycled and secondary aggregates to reduce demand of virgin material and optimise material efficiency in construction.

Operational stage
The key feature of a sustainable operation of the laboratory is to use it carefully and attentively in order to achieve desired goals and extend its life time.
Objectives:
1. Monitor and control costs of water use and sewerage production to encourage reduction in water consumption. 2. Guarantee smooth operation of the laboratory for maximised usage. 3. Encourage the provision of storage facilities for a lab’s operational recyclable waste such as water.
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Ideas for implementation
Loughborough University Council aims to adopt BREEAM as the standard for new buildings with an aspiration for “excellent” (Carbon Management Programme, P46). Therefore the implementation plan is made in accordance with ‘BREEAM New Construction Technical Manual (Non-Domestic Buildings) SD5073-2.0: 2011’ and ‘Loughborough University EcoCampus Significant Environmental Aspects’ to meet the client’s future use. Six key categories are presented as follows for building sustainability:

1. Management

Target: maintain effective communication with all stakeholders throughout the design, construction and operation stages to deliver a functional and resource-efficient new laboratory.

* Conduct Life Cycle Costing assessment to the lab with consultation of all key stakeholders. The maintenance and innovation expense to the experiment equipment shall be considered while facilitating the user requirements. * Ensure the compliance to Considerate Constructors Scheme so as to eliminate the negative impact to the general public, the workforce and the environment. * The academic, technical and admin staff at the labs, who are key end user, shall receive appreciate handover documents and practical training so as to ensure smooth operation and occupation of the lab. * Check and restore the spare parts of facilities, ensure efficient maintenance work to secure healthy operation of the new laboratory.

2. Health & wellbeing

Target: Consider economic, social and environmental issues for user satisfaction to reduce whole life costing of the laboratory.

* Guarantee usage function and visual comfort to eliminate refurbishment/rework of the lab and extend its service life. * Plan thermo systems and natural daylight at public areas such as Café/meeting rooms to maximize visual comfort and to reduce energy use. * Maintain ecology and biodiversity through the project lifecycle. The laboratory is located nearby the Greenland, protect the site wildlife and plants during construction and eliminate irresponsible disposal of harmful chemical during operation.

3. Carbon Management & Energy

Target: Reduce CO2 emissions and energy consumption by 43% by 2020 (Carbon Management Programme, P14) with a joint effort of university, staff and students.

* Cancel the promised car parking area to utilise the space. Relocate the staff from Scotland at nearby accommodations and provide free bicycles with incentive to minimise the pollution. * Design and procure filtered fume cupboards for experiment equipment in accordance with BS7989:2001 to improve indoor air quality and humidity control. * Facilitate 24-hour access and fail-safe redundant backup systems or emergency power to enable irreplaceable experiments. * Apply roof mounted solar thermal hot water system and LED lighting for energy saving and CO2 reduction.

4. Water Consumption

Target: Reduce water consumption by introducing water reduction experiment equipment; minimize the costs of water usage with effective monitor scheme.

* Procure water-efficient experiment equipment to minimise the consumption of water. Add equipment for recycle and reuse the disposed experiment water. * Use rainwater harvesting system to flush toilets and urinals, so potable water consumption is reduced. * As the experiment involves massive water consumption, the engineering consultant shall design specific piped utilities and waterproof floor to meet the requirement.

5. Materials

Target: Choose material and equipment with consideration of its environmental performance and reduce the demand for resources.

* The experiment room requires large space for equipment, substitute steel frame structure for concrete to minimise demolition/re-use cost at end of project life. * Use double-glazing windows and acoustic plasterboard ceiling to improve the comfort of an indoor environment with huge savings in energy and money. * Procure UK manufactured experiment or building materials to minimise the replacement and maintenance cost.

6. Waste & Pollution

Target: Reduce waste and pollution to minimise the negative impact of the new lab to the local community and environment.

* Maintain collaborative design process and consult key stakeholders to minimise the rework and waste during construction. * Reuse and recycle the site waste while dispatch the same with prompt action to eliminate any negative impact to the campus and the environment. * Conduct the environmental impact assessment including NOx and Co2 emission at Project Definition stage. Consult professional expertise for solutions and adopt strategic planning prior to design phase. * Equip the laboratory space with aircrete blockwork wall for insulation purpose, to avoid noise pollution and meet its 24 hours working requirement.