There was an article in the Guardian last Saturday (thanks to Tessa for spotting it) by Alex James, the bassist from Blur, about having an architect come to his home to give green advice. It’s a scheme run by the RIBA where architects provide green advice in exchange for a donation to charity. At first glance this sounds positive. Certainly it’s a great channel to spread information on energy efficiency.
But things get a little weird when the article states that thick rubble walls keep the house warm in winter – which they don’t. Then architect George Stowell suggests that Alex installs a biomass CHP unit to generate his own electricity on site from wood chips. But there aren’t any commercially available biomass CHP units on a single house scale (or even twenty times that big). He may have meant biomass heating, but it’s a hell of a mistake to make, recommending something that doesn’t exist.
It might be better to send a services engineer. CIBSE should consider something similar to the RIBA programme.
carbon limited 
CIBSE would need to hand out black polo-necks and studious looking glasses to make the engineers appear more architect-y. You know how glam-tastic architects are, where we, apparently, are not.
With you all the way on this one.
I think the scheme is not secific to green issues; rather it is a scheme whereby you get an architect around for a consult on anything, most usually extensions and loft conversions. I’d imagine eitherthe musician( or the Guardian) made a mistake…it happens !!! the independent said I was a speciallistin “sustainable roof gardens)????!!!!!!!Not!!
@Paula,
Just had a look on the RIBA website and you’re right that it’s not specific to green issues. But this year they are emphasising environmental performance alongside giving advice on loft conversions, etc. And the architect from the Guardian article has a video clip giving green advice linked to from that page. Looks like the mistake was his.
I’m chartered with CIBSE and am often spotted with studious glasses. But then maybe I am a wannabe architect?
Carbon Trust do a similar venture for some commercial buildings, and they generally need you to be qualified with CIBSE or similar to dole out the advice. Having been on the receiving end a couple of times now, I’m not entirely sure of the value – you generally end up with a too many cooks meeting, with a services engineer, possibly another BREEAM/sustainable bod, architect and then the CT bod with everyone tipping their oar in – fun.
And don’t get me started on CIBSE’s LCC scheme…
I’d agree that architects are often out of their depth though when it comes to the physics of green issues – but then the average reader of the paper would probably think a services engineer was some kind of electrician or plumber. Sigh. Maybe we need to ‘sexy’ up the industry – a sitcom maybe???
Mel that’s it! A services engineer sitcom. This week Dan the Public Health Engineer falls into a overflowing septic tank and hilarity ensues. Seriously, it’s brilliant and will help open people up to our industry.
Having said that, the fact that BSE’s have featured in countless porn films (I’m here to fix the plumbing) hasn’t done us any good at all. Maybe the sitcom will backfire.
I assume that you are referring to Karl Hungus and Jackie Treehorn productions. Call me naive, I always assumed that fixing the plumbing was a gynaecological euphemism.
But hey, as the Dude says, new information has come to light. Ah, 33 yrs old and still learning.
To take it one step further, why not a BSE super-hero, you know, after a genetic mutation involving a bus-bar and a class 5 WRAS hazard?