Impacts from the built environment account for 27% of the total carbon emissions of the UK alone. As part of the Paris Agreement, countries around the world have committed to reduce emissions by specific amounts, and it requires all of us to take action today.
Your interior space will be contributing to this global impact and needs to be part of the solution to reduce emissions and minimise the effect on the environment and people. With a strategic approach underpinned by deep technical expertise, our work has a transformative impact on the organisations we support and in the lives of their people. As sustainability experts we offer robust, independent advice as well as assessments against the latest industry standards – some of which we helped to create!
The only thing that is sustainable is the decisions made during a project and the space’s occupation. These decisions need to balance the impacts and benefits made under the 3 pillars of sustainability. No space can be called sustainable if knowledge of the impacts of these three pillars is known.
The 3 main areas our Sustainability and Net Zero Consulting cover are:
Real Estate Sustainability Strategy
We work with companies or estates teams to create systemic change in the sustainable design, delivery and operation of buildings and the refurbishment of their interiors.
Aims include:
- Achieve Net Zero carbon by 2030 in the whole life cycle impacts of procurement and operation and address the wider environmental impacts that relate to this through assessment methodologies such as: SKArating, BREEAM or LEED.
- Achieve occupant, supply chain and social comfort that enables wellbeing.
- Clarify the value targeted and available to the client and other stakeholders using the building(s) and space(s), and align the brief, design, and measurement of the strategy for maximum impact.
We work with brands that update one location or a series in a portfolio or franchise. Our work cuts across industry specific topics and transfers solutions between them. We start with the end result as the aim and work backwards to help prioritize and clarify the direction for a strategy, and the practical incremental steps within it for speedy and reliable implementation.
Building / Interior Sustainability Strategy
We look at the full lifecycle of a building-wide or interior, analyse opportunities and responsibilities of clients and develop an approach that aims for true sustainability. The aim is to understand, measure and maximise the impacts under all three pillars of sustainability in the lifecycle of the building or space for maximum value, wellbeing and environmental positive impacts. Initial due-diligence and ongoing review of a building/space’s value return, enables it to provide high comfort to all occupants and to strategically make the lowest environmental impacts in the process of change.
We create a variety of strategies which could be as wide and inclusive as all the sustainability impacts, or with a narrower focus that may reflect the client’s priorities and principles. For example, environmental strategies may include a Net Zero 2030 target, high passivity, renewability/biobased or technically based solutions, high circularity, low carbon or pre-loved supplies. Wellbeing strategies may include aims such as high air quality or high biophilia, high occupant support and understanding the links to occupant performance. Aims could also include the development of user profiles and definition of design characteristics.
Project Sustainability Strategy
Understanding the overall aesthetic, cultural and lifecycle impacts can allow us to create a most harmonious and thus sustainable project strategy. All the aims and offerings which apply to an estate, building or asset are relevant to the design or refurbishment of an interior as a sole project. We help clients clarify which approach towards sustainability is the best fit and then create sustainability, or singular Net Zero Carbon, environmental, wellbeing or value strategies for a specific project.
Our strategies can be developed to align with a specific environmental, or wellbeing assessment methodology and rating target, or be informed by us against wider good or best practice.
Our approach supports project teams to gain sustainability knowledge and upskill along a project’s journey that creates a very collaborative and empowering result for all involved.
Contact us below to discuss how we can help you with your Sustainability, Wellbeing and Net Zero strategies.
