Travis Perkins (TP) was exhibiting at Ecobuild for the first time since establishing a central business unit – Sustainable Building Solutions – to bring a co-ordinated and added value approach to the sustainable building agenda, using the skills and expertise of the various TP group brands.
It set out to “solve the sustainability puzzle” for its customers by breaking its stand down into building sections – first fix, second fix, landscaping and so on – and demonstrating product ranges within those.
“We’re demonstrating that we have the skills and expertise to deliver the houses that are needed for the future,” said Paul Joyner, TP’s new director of sustainability, adding that the company takes a fabric first approach to delivering energy efficiency.
“It’s better to build a house that doesn’t require much energy in the first place, so the focus on our stand is on construction products and then our ability to deliver renewables.”
He highlighted TP’s work with BRE to create “packaged detail specifications” – typical housebuilding drawings “populated” with the products that would help a builder achieve sustainability targets. This can then be translated into a shopping list.
“The architects visiting our stand have been particularly interested in these drawings because they don’t want to deal with that much granularity themselves,” he said.
Mr Joyner emphasised TP’s partnership approach. “The UK is still working out how to deliver on this huge project for energy-efficient buildings and it’s all about participation strategy and forming partnerships with merchants, manufacturers, housing associations and so on,” he said. “There’s a role for everyone in working towards industrial scale retro-fit.”
