Eco-Hero to Mentor Consultant’s Green CommitmentLocal eco-hero Chris Hines MBE is to head up a new green team at the Truro-based construction consultancy, Ward Williams Associates.
Founder and director of Surfers Against Sewage, Chris was also the Sustainability Director at the Eden Project from 2001-2007. He will be a consultant to WWA’s ‘Green Team’ and will act as an overall mentor to the construction company on environmental and sustainability issues. Chris explains why he’s encouraging their green commitment. “The construction industry has an enormous responsibility to the environment and it is heartening to see it beginning to step up. The impact of this industry is huge so therefore the positive benefits of building sustainability can deliver massive benefits. One of the most important aspects of sustainability in relation to construction is to create functional buildings that excel in their primary purpose. This means they deliver the social element of the triple bottom line. WWA has made a serious commitment to building sustainably with respect for the environment and I think it’s vital to educate and to encourage such action. The creation of WWA’s ‘Green Team’ is a strong start and there are already some exciting projects which will prove their expertise.” WWA’s ‘Green Team’ is a specialist team of seven surveyors with the expertise and experience to deliver a comprehensive service in sustainable development. The team works on and provides specialist advice to projects that require a particularly high level of sustainability as part of their remit and/or encompass a focus on renewable technologies. The consultancy has also committed to the ISO14001 environmental management system and to employing as many locally-sourced parties as possible. Chris Hines is widely acknowledged to be an authority on environmental issues and as such will prove to be a hard task master for WWA’s green aspirations. Andrew Snapes, WWA’s Managing Director, is grateful for his support. “It’s fantastic to have Chris on board as part of the WWA team. His uncompromising stance in getting people and Plc companies to listen and take positive action to improve the environment, richly deserves the recognition he has received. The UK construction sector has a major environmental impact and is a significant user and waster of natural resources. Chris can help us take a fresh perspective and more intelligent direction that will encourage us to work with others in developing more sustainable ways of constructing and operating buildings for the future. I have absolutely no doubt that Chris will push and test our environmental and sustainable commitments and, in so doing, will help us to succeed in our aim to be recognised as one of the UK’s top sustainable construction consultants.” Recently rated by Building magazine as the 9th fastest growing construction consultancy in the UK, Ward Williams Associates is Cornwall’s biggest quantity surveying practice and it has considerable credentials for sustainable construction. WWA has many environmental projects both planned and complete. Next year the consultancy will work with the Eden Project to deliver a rainforest canopy walkway in the tropical biome - the first of its kind - and it offers unusual challenges such as working only at night and the selection of special materials that suit the intense humidity. WWA has already successfully helped deliver wind farms in challenging locations in Cornwall and Wales. Next on the energy agenda is the construction of hi-tech waste recycling facilities at the Cornwall Bio Park in Hallenbeagle at which energy will be created from a waste plant that incorporates cutting edge technology. This is the first in the UK and only the second in the world. Further afield is the construction of geothermal plants in Greece and Saudi Arabia. Soon to be completed is the lottery funded zero carbon Heartlands Project, for which WWA are the cost managers and quantity surveyors appointed by Cornwall Council to work with the design team to ensure that the sustainable objectives are cost-effectively met. With offices in Truro, Plymouth, Bristol, Evesham and London, Ward Williams Associates’ core expertise areas are Project and Cost Management, Building Surveying and Health and Safety. The firm has long-established relationships with world class signature architects and engineers such as Foster and Partners, Gensler, Skidmore Owings & Merrill, and Buro Happold. For further information on Ward Williams Associates please visit www.wwasurveyors.com # # # Eventy - Marketing & PR is a full marketing consultancy with specialist skills in PR and communications. For full info visit www.eventy.co.uk End
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