La Luminata caught up with sustainable design enthusiast and practitioner Jim Miller of Jim Miller Design Ltd….
La Luminata: Explain a bit about yourself and the work you do….
Jim: Jim Miller Design Ltd offers sustainable architectural design and build services.
La Luminata: What made you decide to specialize in sustainable design?
Jim: I am hard wired with a sustainable attitude and strongly believe that we must all make dramatic changes to all our lives to ensure the health of the planet.
La Luminata: La Luminata recently attended the Brighton & Hove Open Door event and visited one of your latest projects, 3 East Drive. Explain a bit about the project and the sustainable strategies you adopted here….
Jim: Because new builds only make up a tiny fraction of the total housing stock the real issue is how to upgrade the housing we already have, and period buildings are the most difficult. East Drive was a fantastic opportunity to implement many sustainable technologies and ideas into a period house. Insulation was upgraded in every part of the house along with air tightness. Secondary improvements included replacing the single glazing with slim double glazing and adding solar panels and a green sedum roof.
La Luminata: Are there any emerging new technologies that you are particularly excited about?
Jim: Nano technology is very exciting and could resolve some insulation issues. We also need to look at designing buildings which work passively and in a more natural way.
La Luminata: What has been the highlight of your career so far as a sustainable architectural designer?
Jim: Changing clients attitudes to sustainability.
La Luminata: Have you seen a shift in clients’ attitudes towards sustainable design due to the financial crisis, because people just want the cheapest solution?
Jim: Sustainable solutions are often more expensive and tightening budgets obviously affect this. However the solution is longer term and as sustainability becomes more mainstream the costs will come down and new ways of building will become widely accepted.
La Luminata: How do you think sustainable architecture, and the way the public embraces sustainability, will develop in the future?
Jim: I think it will become the norm in the not too distant future.
La Luminata: Have you got any exciting sustainable design projects coming up?
Jim: I’m hoping to combine the latest technologies and design ideas in a garden office as a small scale trial with the plan to build my own sustainable new build in the future.
La Luminata: Any tips or advice you’d like to pass onto the readers..?
Jim: Incorporate sustainable improvements whenever you upgrade your building and spend the money on the simple things like insulation and air tightness first.
By Carly Gordon
[...] interview with jim miller [...]