Welcome to the home page of the
Specify Benign! project run by
the Ecological Design Group at The Faculty of Design,
The Robert Gordon University,
Aberdeen, Scotland

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Introduction & What is a Bioregion?

"Health and environmental issues should now be important criteria for assessing every construction project. Designers are faced with increasing client expectations, yet lack clear design guidance." *

.........................................but that is where we come in! The Ecological Design Group, at The Robert Gordon University, is running a phased project which, when completed, will contribute to good building practice through improving and easing product selection for forward thinking specifiers.

This is being done through collaboration with Scottish wide businesses in construction related industries (extracting resources, harvesting/processing materials, or developing/manufacturing through to reclaiming products). The project is conducted on a bioregional basis. The overall objective is to increase the specification of materials and products which are environmentally benign and indigenous.

A Bioregion is a distinct geographical region that has a continuity of watersheds, land forms, climate, flora, fauna and other natural characteristics. Bioregions also include the cultural values that humans have developed to live in harmony with these natural systems, especially in the way they build.

The concept of "Bioregionalism" insists that material specification is not divorced from other environmental aspects of construction and design. In particular, the specifier is encouraged to source locally in order to promote appropriate use of indigenous products and materials as well as reduce transportation of materials, which in turn reduces greenhouse gases and road-use with its associated ebvironmental problems

Products and the database

Specify Benign! uses an interrelational database developed from the BauBioDataBank. The BauBioDataBank is a Swiss led database which links into the European Construction industry. This provides detailed information from manufacturers on their products and addresses the wider aspects of environmental specification. Informative yet comparative, the BauBioDataBank is a regional, networked approach to specification. It does not try to label products but provides an interpretation based on regional auditing and the following criteria:

Product details and physical characteristics

Building biology

Geographical availability

Embodied energy

Water use

Toxicology

Acoustic properties

Life cycle analysis

Specify Benign! also investigates natural resources in Scotland and their potential uses. This is done in conjunctionwith other organisations, or by supporting and networking companies. Already a number of products have been identified which are currently imported but could be produced in Scotland.

Benefits to the specifier

The BauBioDataBank provides the specifier with information at their fingertips which allows them to make a quick environmental assessment on materials and products available. Alternatively it helps specifiers access more detailed information on products, not commonly found in trade literature or through current sources. This allows thorough comparisons to be made on the Wider benefits to the Industry

Benefits to the Industry

Increased local sourcing of environmentally benign building materials, brought about by use of this database, will reap benefits locally in wider economic, social and environmental terms.

Economic	Social	Environmental
Direct opportunities for local business will grow with increasing use of the database. In addition the local economy will benefit in the following ways through:	There are implications for social and cultural enhancement through:	The information in the database now enables specifiers to make decisions based not only on the aesthetics or performance specification of a product, but also to address the following environmental problems:
Maximising local sourcing Encouraging diversification of business Reducing external dependence Maximising locally added value	Employment opportunities Local materials to retain regional diversity Developing local skills Social benefits from improved environments Strengthening local culture Strengthening community links	Sustainability Transportation impacts Contribution to global warming Embodied energy Acidification impact Suitability for use in recycling Regional availability

Key recommendations

"Sustainable resourcing of construction materials and other natural resources"

"Better assessments of environmental and social consequences of development"

Technology Foresight 1995

"One difficulty facing designers in rural Scotland has been the decline in availability of traditional materials and to complement the drive to good design the Enterprise network will consider how best to encourage the production, use and marketing of traditional materials for new building"

Scottish Office 1995

"Material selection that fully reviews health and environmental effects should trace each material from cradle to grave - from material extraction through processing, manufacture, use, maintenance and disposal."

Stephen Curwell, the architects' journal 1996

For further information about the Specify Benign project contact

Tel: 01224 263758 or Fax: 01224 263737

or email Julie Macrae (j.macrae@rgu.ac.uk)

Where to next?

Return to the Ecological Design Group home page

Go to the Scottish Ecological Design Association (SEDA) home page

Go to The Robert Gordon University home page