They offer many of the same things as traditional houses but flats offer radically different approaches to heating and cooling. With the latest statistics showing that more than 25% of all new homes in the UK are flats is it perhaps time to assess what this means for pipe insulation?

You may have spent hours comparing the specifications of different boilers or air-conditioning units and weeks figuring out how to maximise your BREEAM score but is it possible that the true secrets to environmental sustainability lie outside a box ticking exercise?

From an urban design perspective high density accommodation is particularly attractive because agglomeration means that the overall energy use is far less than it otherwise would be. This is certainly the case when it comes to heating systems.

In traditional dwelling houses each home has its own dedicated boiler that satisfies all of the heating and hot water demand. This method is also seen in many flats due to the flexibility of the approach.

Larger heating systems are, however, inherently more efficient than smaller ones, especially when the heating demand becomes large enough to make combined heat and power (CHP) systems viable. It often, therefore, makes sense therefore to pursue a single heating system for multiple dwellings.

Planning to go international with your building design? We look at what will changes to the latest BREEAM guides might mean for your sustainability ratings overseas.