Anne's blog: From the architect's notebook

You can make your renovation or extension greener without breaking the bank   Environmental efficiency matters more and more to my clients - it's an increasingly important factor of design. As energy costs rise, the cost of running leaky, cold and uninsulated buildings becomes untenable financially. We are culturally becoming more aware of the need to protect our planet for future generations. We need to consider also the energy used in creating the materials used in our buildings as well as the energy used to heat them. The media spotlight is on architects and constructors working on new buildings. The government is currently consulting on a significant increase to the standards required for the environmental impact of new buildings. The levels required of new housebuilders are critical to meeting the proposed targets.     However, existing buildings make up a much bigger proportion of the impact on energy use. As an architect who works more often on improving and renovating exist