As one of the many coursework’s I have undertaken for the ‘Sustainability in Civil Engineering’ module of my masters, the CEEQUAL analysis was certainly one of the most enlightening. CEEQUAL, or Civil Engineering Environmental Quality Assessment and Award Scheme (think they may have to work on that acronym) provides participating developers or clients with an assessment and subsequent award with regard to their sustainability credentials for a specific project. With the aim of driving up environmental and social awareness of developments, CEEQUAL works in a similar way to a BREEAM assessment, though perhaps on a broader basis. The assessment itself is split into twelve separate sections, each containing a number of questions which the assessor must award points or scope out where relevant. The tally of these points for each section are then displayed graphically, and pitted against the potential points available to highlight shortcomings. The final award is then based upon the total points given from all sections. The final award is rated in the following order: No Award, Pass, Good, Very Good and Excellent. The assessment is usually carried out post completion; however an interim award is also available. Although not a statutory requirement, its award and required ambition to reach this award is sold as good PR and as an improvement to efficiency and best practice. So as part of our course we were given a variety of projects to choose from, and using the CEEQUAL assessment tool Version 3 (there is now a new improved version 4 available)perform an assessment of the projects sustainability credentials from the information available. Coming from an architectural background, I chose New Songdo City, Central Park in South Korea using the report descripting the project provided by its engineers Arup, which can be found here. Here are some snippets from my analysis of the results of the CEEQUAL assessment:
New Songdo City is citied by its developers as an exemplar in sustainability and green urban planning on a massive scale. One key aspect of this is the utilisation of almost 40% of its master-plan for the development of green spaces, the largest of which being Central Park. On the basis of the material available, New Songdo City has received a Good pass award with an overall initial score of 53.8% post construction. The majority of points awarded were achieved through effective project management, consideration of water issues and the development of a sustainable transport strategy, all of which resulting in a high award for community relations. There was however scope for the whole project rating to achieve an excellent award, should the developers have placed more emphasis on effective land use, reduction of energy consumption levels and ensuring that sustainable materials were selected and sourced locally.Sustainability was obviously one of the key objectives of this development, something that has been undertaken by considered project management. The inclusion of sustainability consultants within the design team reflects this ambition. Points have also been gained through the consultation of local design teams and academic institutions, ensuring that most environmental impacts have been identified early on, and that the development meets local design and construction standards. This has also supported an attempt to balance the parks design with the natural surroundings of New Songdo City and respect historic Korean construction traditions. Rigorous consideration has also been given to the design, maintenance and water quality of the canal. Although this is in part due to the desire to maintain a reliable canal service route, praise should be given to the developers attempts to incorporate SUDS and the inclusion of an Operation & Maintenance plan. Consideration has also been given to the impacts on soil and groundwater and correct analysis and sustainable use of existing water bodies. The successful planning and development of new transport networks via new footpaths, cycle ways and a ferry service on the canal heavily contribute towards the park award, all attempting to encourage a reduction in car usage and minimise traffic impact. One of the perceived bonuses of building on reclaimed land is that there are few, if any, local communities to engage with, which although reducing the possibility for conflict also could encourage complacency within the developments design.
However it could be argued that while sustainability has been integral to the overall master plan of New Songdo, the same attention has not necessarily been paid to the actual construction of the park. This is reflected in the choice of materials and the consumption and generation of energy with the parks associated buildings (i.e. car park, boat stations) where little mention of sustainable local sources or renewable energy generation is made. Although difficult to achieve with the development of a park, it would appear that no whole life costing has been carried out with regard to the canal, park and associated buildings. It should also be noted that the production of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) could have resulted in the resolving of several unknown factors, with possible impacts on the final award. Korea suffers from Geographical restraints, with limited land resources due to large central mountainous regions resulting in either huge cut and fill developments or land reclaiming programs. However there is little evidence substantiation the necessity of the land reclamation here, or proof that alternative solutions have been fully considered which may have had a zero or minimum impact on the existing wetlands habitat so crucial for local wildlife. Consideration has also not been fully paid to the impacts of climate change, with the potential destruction from rising sea levels and the increased capacity of extreme weather to hit the region.
Below is Radar plot of my score award to New Songdo City. As part of the coursework I also carried out a critique on the CEEQUAL assessment itself, which I may post parts up at a later date…
