Timber is a natural material and absorbs CO2 while it grows, steel is eminently recyclable, concrete is ideal for thermal mass construction, whereas bricks are durable and can be reclaimed.

Even if we discover which has the lowest embodied carbon, for example, we may not agree on what sustainability actually means. Are we talking about cradle-to-grave lifespans, economic viability, wildlife considerations, energy performance, aesthetic impact, recyclability – or even taking a holistic view of the building’s use and social sustainability within a local community?

In the absence of a unified framework of assessment and an agreement on relevant metrics, the debate will continue.

At the end of the day, each project needs its own, tailored assessment. A good designer will select from all options and choose what is fit for purpose, rather than become too attached – by habit or preference – to one material or another.

But in order to make that choice, we need a level-headed view of the facts available for each material, accompanied by real-life case studies. We also need to consult with people who are in the know about the different accreditations and codes, and can give an unbiased overview. Below are some sources that make a good start.

Codes and certifications: consultancy

• Mel Starrs, Associate Director at PRP Architects, specialises in sustainability and green buildings. Her Elemental blog is full of useful information.
• The CodeStore.co.uk has a directory of CSH consultants and assessors. Materials is number 3 on the Code’s list of 9 sustainable design criteria.
• Jennifer Hardi works for the BRE’s Low Carbon Future team and is also part of the technical support team for the Energy Saving Trust’s Best Practice Helpline.
• Bruno Miglio is a Leader of Global Materials Science at Arup. The team offers advice on the use of materials in engineering and architecture – from design to reuse or demolition.
• The BRE’s Green Guide to Specification assesses building materials and components in terms of their environmental impact across their entire life cycle.

Concrete

This is Concrete showcases sustainable construction projects and encourages project-based feedback, presenting case study evidence to support the sustainability credentials of concrete.

Sustainable Concrete has information on concrete production, performance and end-use, and provides indicators on materials efficiency.

MPA (Mineral Products Association) runs the Concrete Centre, which contains news, publications, webcasts, online services, advice and design tools.

Steel

The BCSA is the national organisation for the steel construction industry. Its website, SteelConstruction.org, has a section dedicated to sustainability. The BCSA’s Target Zero project “will generate costed solutions for structural steel framed construction that achieves highest BREEAM ratings and changes to Part L of the Building Regulations, meeting emissions reduction targets towards zero carbon by 2019.”

Timber

TRADA has a library of downloads that detail the sustainability of timber. The Association’s Technology Assessed scheme also helps establish whether a company’s literature gives a fair representation of the benefits and characteristics of a product or service – a useful tool against greenwash.

The Forestry Commission also provides comprehensive facts and figures on the timber trade.

Stone

All members of the Stone Federation of Great Britain have to comply with this Sustainability Statement. The Federation provides a Technical Advice Service for the commercial and domestic use of natural stone.

Stephen Critchley – a Master Stonemason in Central London – is a font of knowledge on ancient and modern uses of natural stone, giving talks, workshops and demonstrations.

The simplest view of the sustainability of natural stone – there is tonnes of it about and it lasts for a very long time – is outlined here by CED.

Bricks and blocks

Bricks, in the words of the Brick Development Association, are “a versatile and durable building material, with excellent life cycle performance, energy efficiency, high thermal mass and responsible manufacturing.” Its publications on the sustainability issues of bricks and brickwork are listed here.

Sustainable Build details the manufacture and use of bricks as a sustainable building material in this article, and also comments on stone vs brick.

What other sources have you found useful for determining the sustainability of specific building materials? Please leave a comment and let me know!

This post was inspired by an interesting conversation on Twitter with structural engineers David Sharpe and James Thomson.

Compare and select building materials on ESI.info

• Preblended concrete
• Structural and joinery timber
• Timber beams and joists
• Bricks
• Building blocks
• Building and walling stone
• Stone quarries
• Steel beams and columns

Here, I take a look at the following questions:

• What does a PassivHaus look like?
• What does a PassivHaus cost?
• What about air quality?
• Which products are used in a PassivHaus?
• What is it like like to live in a PassivHaus?
• What is the next big thing after PassivHaus?

What does a PassivHaus look like?

PassivHaus is really a design and build process, as opposed to a particular style of architecture. Whilst we may have preconceived ideas of a PassivHaus-certified building’s aesthetics, it could (at least in theory) look pretty much like anything – especially given that existing buildings can be retrofitted to PassivHaus standard.

100 Princedale Rd, Paul Davis + Partners

This was done at 100 Princedale Road – a Victorian house in a London conservation area – by Paul Davis + Partners and contractor Philip Proffit of Ryder Strategies Europe Ltd. This house was the first of its kind in the UK to achieve PassivHaus accreditation, meeting its target to reduce carbon emissions by 80%. (Granted, with the subject of the retrofit starting out as a drafty, four-story old house, there was plenty of scope for improvement.) In other words, a passive house can be anything from a large, new office building to a centuries-old, traditional house. Below are some examples:

Single-family residence in Brooklyn, NYC | Gregory Duncan

Eurogate Sozialbau, Vienna – Europe's largest PassivHaus settlement? | Tiger46 on Flickr

Passive house office building in Austria | Tõnu Mauring

What does a PassivHaus cost?

The Footprint article on the Princedale Road Retrofit for the Future project includes an interesting breakdown of the cost / payback time / bills before and after completion, making a comparison between refurbishing to PassivHaus or Decent Homes criteria. The Green Building Store, in conjunction with Building magazine, has also provided a breakdown of costs for the Denby Dale PassivHaus in West Yorkshire.

What about air quality?

The more passive (or other enclosed, airtight and sealed) houses we construct, the more important it is that we keep monitoring and assessing the quality of the air circulated in these buildings. Are we avoiding moisture build-up? Is the air too dry? Is there enough of it? Will we see a concentration of emissions inside these buildings, over time, from the building materials used? What are the potential positive/negative effects on occupants’ health and well-being? Housebuilder’s Bible author Mark Brinkley experiments with air quality and CO2 levels in this House 2.0 blog post, relating his findings to PassivHaus standards.

To ensure a good level of fresh air supply, most passive houses are ventilated and heated by mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR). Heat from the warm air that is being extracted is passed to the incoming fresh air through a heat exchanger – with the result that heat loss is minimised and heating costs are reduced. Ducting is an integral part of this: “Marion Baeli, the architect on the [Princedale Road] project, stressed that in a retrofit with MVHR, the coordination of ductwork requires considerable design attention, and should be integrated right from the start.” (Footprint)

Airflex Pro suspended ceiling ductwork installation (Airflow Developments on ESI.info)

Which products are used in a PassivHaus?

The PassivHaus Institut provides a list of certified building components, products and systems suitable for use in PassivHaus construction. Presumably, as this concept gains popularity and awareness, the list will grow. We have already looked at ventilation. Other important components are energy-efficient windows, airtight seals and thermal insulation.

But of course, a component is only as good as its installation. As well as architects who know how to design a successful PassivHaus, and manufacturers who can make products suitable for this type of construction, we need contractors with the right skills and experience. (PassiveHouse Builders, Passivhaus/LCC, Passive Development and Viking House are some of the firms I have come across.)

Project Green Home, Palo Alto | Mark Hogan

What is it like to live in a PassivHaus?

Bill Butcher, the construction manager of the Denby Dale house, kept a 17-instalment diary during the building process. But what happens post-occupancy? How does the building perform, and how does it shape the lives and behaviours of its occupants? In a separate post, I have taken a closer look at the realities of living in a PassiveHouse.

What is the next big thing after PassivHaus?

In the absence of a unified, international environmental standard for buildings, there is a certain amount of ‘competition’ between the different accreditations. There is no shortage of acronyms to choose from, and there are almost as many opinions on which accreditation makes the most sense as there are design-and-build professionals. (For a sensible take on PassivHaus vs the Code for Sustainable Homes, see “The Bout of the Decade” by Sustainable Homes.)

Andrew Holt heads the practice Architectopia in Norway, and also runs a course on sustainable architecture. He has worked extensively on PassivHaus developments. In an Arkitektnytt.no article, he talks about what the next big thing after PassivHaus might be. Mentioning BREEAM, zero-emission housing and “plus houses”, Andrew emphasises the importance of tailoring the standard to the individual project, using different tools to come up with a package that is fit for purpose. He comes to a refreshing conclusion (my translation):

What follows ‘after’ the PassivHaus standard should be a variety of different possibilities, so that our ambitions are based increasingly on the individual project and its local climate and conditions. This would facilitate greater innovation, creativity and cross-disciplinary co-operation. This approach demands a high level of competence within the project team.

An understanding of what the PassivHaus standard is, is a prerequisite for high-quality construction within the energy-efficiency sector. An understanding of what the PassivHaus standard isn’t, is a prerequisite for moving forwards.

PassivHaus office in Langenhart | Train.bird on Flickr

Below are some more useful links and resources for Passive House design, ranging from the planning and design side, to the fully realised, bricks-and-mortar (or should that be insulation-and-seals?) side of things.

The concept
• Mark Siddall of Devereux Architects explains how simple the PassivHaus concept is and why it ‘is arguably THE low energy, low carbon design standard’.

Specification
• BRE provides a simple comparison between the outline specification of the PassivHaus standard and UK new-build common practice. Notice the wide gap.
• Passive House Planning Package – a clearly structured design tool that can be used directly by architects and designers.
• The Passive house Construction Check List from the German PassivHaus institute makes it easier to reach certified passive house standards by listing the most important steps in the process, and particularly draw the attention to the quality control process that must accompany the passive house construction process.

Certification
The standards are voluntary but rigorous.
• BRE oversees the PCScheme (PassivHaus Certification for Certified Designers and Consultants).
• Three key tests are carried out- the first being an initial energy calculation carried out in the Passive House Planning Package by a passive house designer, resulting in a passive house assessment report.
• A blower door test in the US, sometimes referred to as pressure testing / air permeability testing in the UK. (more info from a UK provider of PH testing services)
• The final quality checks by a qualified PH Certifier, after which the project is certified as an approved passive house.

image courtesy of BASF. Neopor® insulation used in Hudson Passive House by Dennis Wedlick Architect LLC

Organisations
• The Passive House Institute in Darmstadt, Germany, founded by PassivHaus co-originator Professor Wolfgang Feist.
• BRE UK Passive House hub
• International Passive House Association.
• Passivhaus UK, part of the BRE.

Other resources
•The Passive House magazine
•PassiPedia is a website dedicated to PH definitions, technical details, knowledge, news, performance stats, residents’ experiences etc.
•Certified Passive house designer course

UK Projects
• Y Foel, passive house in Wales
• The Crossway Passivhaus, by Richard Hawkes and featured on Grand Designs. See also this article by the certifier.
• Tygh-Na-Cladach, the UKs first affordable passive housing, designed by Professor Gokay Deveci. Again, certified by SPHC.
• The Lime House at The Works, Ebbw Vale. A certified Passivhaus and part of the Welsh Future Homes Project. Further details on the BRE website

Structurally speaking, spiral staircases are curved around a central support column and have only one balustrade, whereas helical staircases have a curved structure with two balustrades.

There are many examples of fantastic spiral and helical staircases around the world, some even date as far back as the 1600′s.

The Tulip Stairs are at The Queen’s house in Greenwich, a former royal residence that was designed by Inigo Jones and built between 1614 and 1617. The stairs are believed to be the first example of a geometric, centrally unsupported spiral staircase to be constructed in England. They were named because of the stylised wrought-iron balustrade, however the flowers in the balustrade are actually thought to be fleurs-de-lis not tulips.

The Tulip Stairs and lantern at the Queen's House in Greenwich. Pic by Wiki Commons user Mcginnly.

The Tulip Stairs are also the location of the Rev. R Hardy’s ‘ghost’ photograph, which was taken on the 19th of June 1966. When it was developed, the photo appeared to show two or three shrouded figures on the staircase, despite the Rev. Hardy and his wife claiming that the stairs were empty at the time.

The Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico was commissioned in 1872 and designed by the French architect Antoine Mouly, who died before the construction was completed in 1878. It was only after the chapel was finished that the builders realised that there was no way to access the choir loft on the floor above. Despite various carpenters being called to address the problem, each concluded that a staircase would interfere with the interior space of the chapel, so access to the loft would have to be by ladder, which is where the mystery of the Loretto stairs begins.

The Loretto Chapel 'Miraculous' stairs. Pic from Wiki Commons, user BenFrantzDale.

Legend has it that the Sisters of St. Loretto prayed for St. Joseph’s intercession and after nine days a carpenter arrived and spent three months working on the staircase in complete privacy. The identity of the carpenter was never discovered, and if it was, it has been long since forgotten.

The mystery is continued when you consider the staircase construction. Dubbed the ‘Miraculous staircase,’ it ascends 20 feet, making two 360 degree turns without any attachment to the walls of the building, or any apparent centre support. The outer railing shown in the above picture was attached in 1887, 10 years after the original construction, and fastened to the adjacent pillar.

The Vatican Museums spiral staircase was designed by Giuseppe Momo in 1932. The structure is actually two separate helical staircases that start and end on opposite sites of the circle. One stair leads up and the other leads down.

The Vatican Museums helical staircases. Pic by Castielli from Wiki Commons.

Cedar Creak Observatory on Mt. Rainier has a rather unique entrance. To start with, I should probably point out that it’s built in a tree and secondly, it’s accessed by a short jaunt up the 82 foot spiral staircase that is built around a huge Douglas Fir. If that wasn’t enough, after you’ve made it up the stairs, you have to cross the 44 foot Rainbow Bridge walkway that is suspended 82 foot above the forest floor before finally reaching the observatory.

The 'Stairway to Heaven' and the Rainbow Bridge walkway at Cedar Creek Observatory. Pic from Brainz.org.

Before the stairs were built, the observatory was accessed by way of a ladder, which is now obsolete. Known as the ‘Stairway to Heaven,’ the staircase was constructed by Cedar Compher in 2003 and is the only structure of its kind in the world. Each stair is supported by a steel tread fixed into the tree itself. With every revolution of the tree, the staircase gains 8 foot in height.

Having looked at those few examples it’s no mystery that so many people choose spiral or helical feature stairs for their project. Whether you’re gazing at the construction with awe wondering how the treads appear to float, or in a dizzy terror that you might have to climb it, there’s no denying that each one is a wonderful piece of design.

Solar Energy System - Jeremy Levine Design on Flickr

In April 2010 the government introduced a feed-in tariff (FiT) to encourage low carbon electricity generation, particularly by organisations not traditionally associated with electricity generation. In effect the government was paying a generous fixed price for electricity being fed into the grid from small-scale renewables projects.

- Anaerobic digestion
- Hydro
- Micro-CHP
- Solar PV
- Wind

In February 2011 the government announced it wanted to reduce the incentives for large solar farms, although by targetting installations over 50kW in size this included larger rooftop installations on public and private buildings, as well larger field sites.

A reduction in the feed-in tariff from around 41 pence/kWh down to 19 pence/kWh (or less) for schemes completed after the 1st August 2011 has now been implemented.

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One of the implications of this change was to concentrate the minds of contractors and make sure planned schemes were operational by deadline day.

These included four large projects in the south-west:
- Trefullock: 22,000 solar panels generating 5MW
- Benbole: 7100 panels
- Hawton Farm: 18,000 panels generating 5MW
- Langage: 21,200 panels generating 5MW

It’s the scale of these projects that may have influenced the government into an apparent volte-face in policy.

Chris Huhne (Secretary of State or Energy and Climate Change) argued that the FiT scheme was never intended to cover large-scale installation on green field sites (although others claim the exact opposite).

Some back-of-an-envelope maths based on the Trefullock scheme (19 hectares providing renewable energy for 4500 people). Given that the UK population is 61.8m then, if 19ha of solar PV serves 4500 people, it would take 253,000ha to serve the entire population. This is approx 1/10 of the UK’s entire land area – the south-west might disappear under photovoltaic panels.

And the Treasury in the Comprehensive Spending Review wanted to cap the amount of money energy companies had to pay to the FiT scheme at £960m over four years. Larger schemes threatened this budget.

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Some commentators view this shift as a sensible recalibrating of solar FiT.

Our Solar Future is very concerned and argues that clean, green solar power can provide up to a third of the UK’s electricity needs if supported properly.

And George Monbiot, a noted environmentalist, says solar power is a chimera for the UK.

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Sandtoft PV modules

Rheinzink PV roofing

Sandtoft solar roof tiles

Rheinzink QUICK STEP® PV roofing

Solar power on ESI.info.

I spent many an afternoon at Glasgow’s old and dilapidated transport museum with its brick industrial-style exterior and 1970s-inspired interior. The new building located on Pointhouse Quay at Glasgow Harbour retains that industrial warehouse feel, but with a much more contemporary aesthetic.

The tunnel-like structure opens at each end, making it “porous to its context on either side”, and connecting the city of Glasgow with the River Clyde. Historically, the site has been a ferry crossing since the middle ages, making it a fitting tribute to the transport relics housed inside.

Cleverly engineered by Buro Happold, the steel frame is concealed within the building shell, which maintains a constant distance of 37cm from the steelwork. To overcome difficult site conditions and to support the weight of the large exhibits, the interior floor is made up of 30cm-thick reinforced concrete and approximately 5000m2 of COREgravel surfacing was supplied for the car park. The glass facades at each end keep air leakage at a minimum and reduce the demand for heating and cooling. But the most impressive aspect of this structure is its beautifully pleated roof.

The Museum of Liverpool is also engineered by Buro Happold, and like Glasgow’s Riverside Museum, has a modern, column-free interior. Located at the UNESCO World Heritage Site between the Albert Dock and the Pier Head, the building has “inclined or elevated platforms, gradually forming a sculptural structure”, and features an organic, circular staircase as its centerpiece. It has a steel construction and is clad with 5700m2 of natural Jura stone cladding. The angular and dynamic aesthetic of the building is juxtaposed against the neighboring Port of Liverpool Building, built in 1898.

The Museum of Liverpool is powered by renewable and energy-efficient technologies in an effort to reduce carbon emissions by 884 tonnes per year. An advanced combined heat and power (CHP) system will also guarantee yearly energy savings of over £500,000.

But despite energy conscious savings, many will grumble that a combined £140 million spend on new age museums is unjustifiable in this age of austerity. The Telegraph’s Rupert Christiansen argues: “If enhancement of the public realm is the aim, the money could have been better spent on cleaning up litter and eliminating eyesores”. But chairman of National Museums Liverpool, Professor Phil Redmond, believes that cultural heritage is important: “In 20 to 30 years we’ll look back and think this is a fantastic investment.  We know from our time as Capital of Culture that every £1 brings back £10-£12 into the local economy.”

Rockheim, Brattøra (Photo: Rockheim/Geir Mogen)

The building has a stunning impact on the Trondheim harbour skyline. Architecturally, the old warehouse facade has been kept intact, although major structural changes have been made to the interior. The big crowd-pleaser, however, is the spectacular display-box that sits on top of the existing building.

The stark contrast between the prosaic, utilitarian concrete facade and the LED-lit, colour-changing ‘roof-box’ is a bold and brash statement – and it works. The plans were initially met with some controversy and suspicion in the local community, as one would expect. Now that the project is completed, it lends a strong visual  identity to what used to be a dull, sprawling and formless part of town. From what I hear, the locals love it.

The ever-changing LED roof display box (Photo: Rockheim/Kriss Stemland)

Based on album covers from the 1950s onwards, the roof-box display uses data technology and LED lighting to change expression, colour and intensity. The effect is one of fluidity teamed with the solid, straight-lined mass of the remaining structure. The display box is raised from the main building, making space for a planned roof garden. Attached to the side of the existing warehouse building is another box structure, three-storey high and soberly clad, which houses the main stage and auditorium.

View of the harbour and fjord (Photo: Rockheim/Geir Mogen)

The contrast between old and new is carried through to the interior, where visitors move from the closed space of the roof box, via the open vistas of the café area, to the labyrinthine rooms and passages of the warehouse structure. Outside, clever hard and soft landscaping creates a generous, urban space for skateboarding, playing or just sitting around taking in the harbour views.

Echoes of the building's industrial heritage (Photo: Rockheim/Geir Mogen)

For more information on the project, exhibitions and events, you can contact @Rockheim on Twitter.

The LED displays change the building's expression (Photo: Rockheim/Geir Mogen)

The glass-clad café sits between the top box and the original building (Photo: Rockheim/Geir Mogen)

Halfway I hope... by ingermaaike2, on Flickr

The UK is currently committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by at least what percentage by 2050, relative to 1990 levels?

[Answer at the bottom]

The Department of Energy and Climate Change has a section on its website relating to a low-carbon UK and the above commitment.

There’s a fascinating calculator tool that allows you to balance the UK’s energy demand with the energy supply and monitor the resultant greenhouse emissions.

It’s a bit like playing SimCity and other ‘strategic life-simulation computer games’.

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Consider what the average temperature of homes should be.

DECC reports that the mean internal temperature of UK homes during the winter months was 17.5°C in 2007 compared to 16°C in 1990 and 12°C in 1970. Historically, the temperature people choose to heat their homes at has increased over the years.

You’re offered various choices ranging from letting this growth trend continue to 20°C by 2030 through to reducing average internal temperatures to 1990 levels.

The commentary is amusingly sobering. ‘Householders can experience today’s levels of thermal comfort whilst also reducing energy demand by wearing warmer clothing or by heating the house in a smarter way.’

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Or how significantly should home insulation be improved.

This time your choices range from reducing leakiness by between 25 and 50%, with varying percentages of the existing housing stock being upgraded (floor insulation / cavity wall insulation / triple glazing) and all new houses being built to Energy Saving Trust or even PassivHaus standards.

The most stringent level would half the power required to maintain a given temperature, although this would be partially offset by a growing housing stock and any failure to reverse the trend towards warmer homes.

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And it goes on to cover how we heat our homes and businesses, the efficiency of our lighting and appliances, how we travel and how goods are moved around.

And then it’s on the supply side. How many nuclear power stations should there be? Or carbon capture and storage power stations? How many wind turbines? How much of the agricultural land should be devoted to growing biofuels? Should the numbers of methane-producing livestock be reduced? Have you considered harvesting marine algae?

And what level of energy security do we need? What do we need in reserve if there’s a cold snap or an incoming pipeline is closed down?

It’s actually quite difficult to do.

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There are also example pathways from experts and interested parties.

Everyone broadly agrees that demand needs to be reduced by around a third, which usually encompasses electrifying domestic transport, shifting up to 50% of freight off roads to electric railways, making planes more fuel efficient and building to PassivHaus standards.

It’s on the supply side that there are disagreements. Friends of the Earth achieves the 2050 target with no new nuclear or carbon capture and storage, and a heavy emphasis on onshore wind turbines, solar energy and geothermal electricity. Whilst the Energy Technologies Institute take a broader mix of supply sources, including 13 new nuclear power stations along with wind, wave and hydroelectric sources.

Have a look – it’s thought provoking.

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[80%. Which is a lot.]

This is the time to make sure your website contains unique, relevant content – making it a destination site in itself. John Macrae, Head of Sales for our parent site ESI.info, explains how.

Eats shoots & leaves: the Panda algorithm (Stéfan on Flickr)

There are a lot of ‘directory’ sites. Many of them simply aggregate information that is already widely available, present it in a directory format (with varying degrees of practical information for the user), slap on a form of user interface and hope to attract traffic via search engine optimisation.

In most instances, they generate revenue by acting as a source of web traffic to companies that pay to have web links prominent on the site.

Google has quite rightly seen that many of these sites serve little useful purpose to web browsers. The proliferation of these sites can clog up search results pages and mean that original suppliers’ sites that deliver good relevant content are being pushed off the first few results pages.

It seems wholly beneficial to web browsers that Google has introduced a new algorithm to help people ‘find more high-quality sites in search’. This algorithm has been labelled Google Panda and is aimed at dealing with sites that aggregate information.

The algorithm has certainly reduced the ranking of some poor directories, but it also has hit sites that provide a more sophisticated service to users. Google will continue to refine their algorithm because it understands that some good sites will have been affected, and that a blanket approach simply can’t deliver their desired outcome. Still, the genuinely useful directory sites must act themselves to avoid being de-ranked by Google.

Directory sites need to update their image (Brenda Starr on Flickr)

There is no doubt that ‘directory’ sites must re-evaluate their quality. The poorest of sites will have a mountain to climb in order to pass muster according to Google’s ‘quality’ algorithm: they will have to invest heavily in order to develop unique content, change their business model, and come up with a new raison d’etre to present to their advertisers.  In the meantime they’ll have to spend on Google Adwords to have any tangible search engine presence!

Fighting the panda (Kudumomo on Flickr)

In the context of directory sites, quality will involve:

1. Unique content
Unique content on a directory site is tricky to achieve, since the site collates information on products that are already written about on a manufacturer’s site. However, the directory site does not have to simply regurgitate existing web content. Unique directory content can be achieved by presenting products from a 3rd party perspective, in order to deliver the pertinent information free of ‘corporate speak’. Web users want clear and easily digestible information, ideally presented from an independent viewpoint.

The directory can also ensure that its content is presented in a consistent style that will make information about similar products from different companies easily comparable.

Truly unique content will only come from editorial input.  This requires the ‘directory’ to have an editorial resource that genuinely understands the industry and its products and services, and can then generate meaningful content – for example, overviews of products that help users gain a clear understanding of the options, technologies and applications.

Manufacturers can also play a role in providing additional unique content if the site can become a forum for publishing technical articles and white papers; good quality, educational content.

(Google’s own guidelines recommend that web designers ‘create a useful, information-rich site and write pages that clearly and accurately describe your content’.)

2. User functionality
Google delivers relevant search results. The user then has to explore those results on their own – going through results from different companies, different websites, all with different ways of presenting information – there’s no further guidance or help from the search engine.

A high-quality directory site can help the user interrogate the marketplace:

• Search refinements: sub-setting results according to a combination of relevant parameters (size, weight, materials, cost, accreditation etc).
• Product comparison: similar products summarised side-by-side on a web page can be invaluable to users looking to arrive quickly at the information that’s right for them.
• Management of information: users should be able to store and manage relevant information, organising this information efficiently for future reference.
• Tools to help users take ‘next actions’: providing the user with efficient communication channels to suppliers, whether contacting them individually or many at a time.

3. Taxonomy
A mass of quality content is only useful if it is organised in a logical and clear taxonomy. This organisation requires a huge amount of discipline and a deep understanding of the nature of the content. It is essential to deliver a more sophisticated search-and-refine functionality that benefits users. Investment in skilled personnel and suitable software is the only way to get a taxonomy right.

Has Google thrown the baby out with the bathwater?

Some very good directories (that are already highly regarded by their users) have been affected by Google’s new algorithm – albeit less so than poorer directories. Google will refine their algorithm over time, but even the best directories will be forced to reassess their quality.

This might lead to a new generation of ‘directory’ sites. Those with vision – and sufficient intelligence and resource to deliver the quality required – will prosper. With better directories appearing prominently in relevant search results, the web user will ultimately benefit.

Better directories will also negate the search results issue in the longer term, because if a directory site is good enough it will become a primary web destination, i.e. the object of the search rather than a spin-off of the search.

This might especially be the case where a directory serves a specific market, for example the construction industry. Here, a directory can focus its attention on satisfying the needs of a particular type of user, and market itself to a clearly defined user group.

Search, compare and select: ESI.info

What about ESI.info?

Here at ESI we’ve known all along that web users want quality. The old mantra ‘Content is King’ continues to resonate true. Our challenge is to continue to develop original content, user tools and functionality so as to cement our place as a focus for suppliers and buyers within our marketplace.

Our site is a valuable resource for the industries we operate in; it is much more than a ‘directory’. We will work with Google’s algorithms because we want our site to be seen on the right search pages, but we are fully engaged with our own target users, developing our relationship with the right people so as to become a primary internet destination for them.

It is this close relationship and understanding of the market, along with a growing market awareness of our site’s quality content and functionality, that will generate traffic for our site and achieve our objective of connecting users with the right information as efficiently as possible.

Olympic Stadium, London - tompagenet on Flickr

Two football clubs were the bidders. West Ham were prepared to keep the athletics track, whereas Tottenham planned to completely rebuild the site as a football stadium and redevelop the Crystal Palace athletics facility. West Ham won.

We spend c£550m on a new stadium and then debate whether we should knock it down afterwards and rebuild it. I mean …

Every Olympics and every World Cup brings more stadia that look much the same. They’re a bit like cars: 15 years ago they had boxy corners, whilst now it’s soft edges, swoops and curves. Identikit capital expenditure.

It might be sacriligeous to say but I can’t even get that excited by the Beijing National Stadium, aka the Bird’s Nest. But I do remember what happened there.

.curt. on Flickr

friskytuna on Flickr

A real stadium has soul. Its greatness comes not from its physical form, but from the store of memories we can draw upon. And inevitably the memories are to do with people. A stadium becomes great when it is remembered not as a place of concrete, steel or timber but as a place where remarkable things happened.

1. Old school class

Olympia, Greece

wiredtourist.com on Flickr

Olympia was the site of the classical Olympic Games.

The first stadium was constructed around 560 BC, it consisted of just a simple track. The stadium was remodelled around 500 BC with sloping sides for spectators and shifted slightly to the east.

It had a capacity of 20,000 people. And it was reused at the 2004 Olympics for the shot putt competitions.

There’s a great photo here of a very large Ukrainian gentleman celebrating winning the gold medal.

He’s standing in the middle of what looks like a large sand pit and he looks pretty happy. And in the background, sitting beneath a flimsy barrier on the grassy banks, shaded by trees are the spectators.

The stadium is the backdrop that elevates the shot putt competition from being the shuffling source of explosive grunting that goes on whilst yet another 5000m heat takes place on the track to being the centre of attention.

Other facilities built especially for the Athens Olympics have not fared so well.

2. Old Wembley v New Wembley

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Built in 1923 for £750,000, the original Wembley Stadium was the centrepiece of the 1948 Olympics, and over the years hosted everything from greyhound racing to Live Aid with quite a lot of football in between.

It had the distinctive Twin Towers and a mere 361 toilets.

Wembley was demolished in 2003 and four years was reborn at a cost of £750m. The new Wembley has the Wembley Arch (the longest single span roof structure in the world) and 2618 toilets (more than any other venue in the world).

One of these two stadia is the greater; the other has better toilets.

Now, you could argue this is hardly New Wembley’s fault. It’s only been in operation for a few years. It took Old Wembley 80 years to accrue gems like the White Horse Final (1923), the Matthews Final (1953) and the 1966 World Cup final, and there was a fair amount of dross scattered before and after.

But pause and look at the eye-watering price. £750m. It’s that cost that has made the Football Association, keen to pay off its debt, stage FA cup semi-finals not at neutral venues but at the home of the final.

Great sporting occasions are not produced in semi-finals. That’s no reflection on the quality of the action, but of their importance as events. The underlying subtext of any semi-final is that’s not the final.

And the final itself is itself diluted as two of the teams, and more importantly the supporters, troop back again to play another match. It’s not about sporting pilgrimage but just a return visit to another stadium whose over-sized roof means that the turf cuts up too easily and demeans the spectacle.

3. Final thoughts

The Melbourne Cricket Ground is a lesson to Wembley in how to do it properly.

It has no outstanding architectural features – no retracting roof, towering arch, landscaped grounds or stunning night-time illuminations – and I can’t find any information on the number of toilets it has.

But it was built in 1853 and is still there. Of course, it’s been expanded, renovated and refurbished countless times. But its never lost its essence and is now listed on the Victorian Heritage Register and the Australian National Heritage List.

Over the years safety considerations have lowered the capacity, but they’ve still kept it up above the magic threshold. I can’t imagine they arrived at a figure of 100,018 by chance. It’s simply an acknowledgement that heritage comes before spacious corporate boxes.

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They crammed in over 200,000 people into the Maracana (Rio de Janeiro) to watch the 1950 World Cup Final when the stadium wasn’t finished and had no toilets.

By all means refurbish and redevelop. But do it in a spirit that maintains the stadium’s integrity, rather than bulldozing it and starting again.

The Maracana will be a central and symbolic part of the World Cup (2014) and Olympics (2016).

But it’ll still be the same beautiful bowl rich in sporting significance.