Earth Day 2022

Earth day 5

Today we celebrate Earth Day and demonstrating with some great examples of our most recent environmentally conscientious designs, as it’s consistently at the forefront of our thinking and we are fortunate to work with many clients who share this philosophy.

Our team has been at the forefront of championing the use of low carbon natural materials like timber and stone for use in ever larger and more ambitious projects. Striving to meet the needs of our society without breaching planetary boundaries, is an essential foundation of our work.

To ensure that we as a multidisciplinary engineering practice take responsibility that goes beyond the built environment requirements and to reduce our carbon footprint, we work towards 10 Sustainability Targets:

  1. Always offer a low-carbon option at scheme stage, even if the client has not asked for it.
  2. Challenge design changes that will significantly increase carbon emissions.
  3. Include a sustainability section in all design reports from RIBA Stage 3 onwards.
  4. Calculate the embodied carbon of different design options at least once on all projects.
  5. Estimate the Embodied carbon total on all projects over 100m² GIA.
  6. Embodied Carbon on projects: Limit average to LETI 2030 targets, both estimated overall and structural. All building projects from now to be under LETI 2020 targets.
  7. Operational Energy and Carbon on projects: Limit energy use average in line with LETI 2030 targets. All new-build projects net zero carbon by 2030. Reduce energy demand of refurbished projects by 50% compared to the existing building.
  8. Help each other to be better informed and more persuasive. Ask for help and support each other to make sure we can do the best we can.
  9. Assess our work and share our progress against these targets with the office on a regular basis to hold ourselves accountable.
  10. Share our knowledge and analysis of sustainability matters and the data we collect with the wider industry.

Pictured here are Elephant Park Pavilion, mock-up for Grimsthorpe Castle Gallery, 134 Old Street, and Ilford Community Market.

Find out more on our work to bringing the built environment in line with planetary limits.