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Dr Carol Williams

An ecologist with a special interest in bats, Dr Carol Williams, Head of Special Scientific Projects at the Bat Conservation Trust, has been on secondment from Natural England for the last three years. Carol runs the Bats and the Built Environment Project for BCT and she has also chaired the UK Green Building Council’s Biodiversity Task Group, which culminated in a report in 2009 on the importance of biodiversity for sustainable construction

Carol Williams Interview in the FT: 21 Jan 2011

Click here to read interview.

Andrew Macintosh, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios for BD Review, July 2010

For people needing reference material, this is a thorough, clear and information-packed book… A good book for the reference library.

Reviewed on treehugger.com by Kimberley Mok, Architect.

Though it may seem like a no-brainer to some, incorporating and encouraging biodiversity-friendliness in newer sustainable buildings is a must. With major declines observed in bee, bat, bird and other critical species, it makes sense that newer built environments now being designed with zero- or low-carbon status in mind should also integrate ways to boost wildlife diversity as well. That's the premise of Biodiversity for Low and Zero Carbon Buildings: A Technical Guide for New Build  by Dr. Carol Williams, and as the one of the first manuals of its kind, it does a fine job of bringing to light the issues and possible design solutions for increasing biodiversity from the get-go in building design.

Dr. Williams, who is associated with the UK-based Bat Conservation Trust (BCT), points out that imperfections in the craftsmanship of traditional buildings allowed certain species to find ecological niches and roosting opportunities right alongside humans.

Not so with newer, 'air-tight' construction, hence the need to accommodate and integrate built-in habitats for now-threatened species ranging from certain bats, owls and peregrine falcons. Thus, the book is apparently the first of its kind to consciously target biodiversity enhancement in new developments, rather than retrofitting existing structures.

Dr. Williams rightfully cautions that:"Unless biodiversity is considered early on in the design process, these ever more stringent demands for increased energy efficiency of buidlings will lead to losses in the biodiversity that have shared our built environment for centuries. This book addresses this issue because if we do not, there will be very few, if any, future roosting opportunities for bats or nesting opportunities for birds in our buildings. Without these measures, key species will be adversely affected by new developments; not only meaning a failure to achieve truly sustainable building, but also an erosion of the quality of life we all hope to experience in our working and home environments."

With a focus on the sustainable building process and wildlife in the United Kingdom, the book is practical in its scope, providing plenty of tables and technical information on how to size and orient suitable building elements that each particular species could call home.

There's also valuable information on prefabricated wildlife-friendly components from various manufacturers, plus a chapter on living walls, roof gardens and artificial lighting. Full of clearly annotated architectural drawings, colour photos and well-organized information, this book will be an excellent reference for architects and developers in the sustainable building industry.

Hugh Pearman, RIBA Journal, April 2010

How to design your buildings to incorporate all manner of nooks and crannies for birds and bats. No more nailed-on boxes needed with this integrated, detailed design approach.

Michael Pawlyn RIBA FRSA, Exploration Architecture

This book fills an important gap – clear practical advice and drawings showing how biodiversity can be incorporated into new buildings. Even from an anthropocentric perspective, protecting biodiversity is important since much of our food, medicines and increasingly innovative solutions are dependent on healthy and richly varied ecosystems

Paul King, Chief Executive, UK Green Building Council

The UK Green Building Council Biodiversity Task Group illustrated that buildings can have a positive impact on biological diversity. The industry has a key role to play in ensuring that our homes are designed or refurbished with this positive impact in mind and this book provides an invaluable resource for those who wish to enhance habitats for both people and wildlife.

Carol Williams article in Green Building Magazine

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