Strategic sustainability

The Engine Shed is Scotland’s building conservation centre. Created and managed by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), it promotes engagement with traditional buildings and educates people about the skills and materials required to build, conserve and maintain them. We were initially appointed to support HES in defining the sustainable design criteria as part of their briefing process for the Engine Shed. We led a workshop with key stakeholders to collaboratively identify and benchmark sustainability challenges and possibilities for the building and documented the targets within a bespoke Sustainability Matrix. The matrix set out the project's sustainability brief and aspirations, set against the industry's capabilities. HES used the Sustainability Matrix in the tendering process to convey the sustainability aspirations to bidding designers. The Sustainability Matrix, which had several elements in the ‘Pioneering’ range, was then used to aid the design development and decision-making process for the project.

With a pioneering lean design, powered by 100% renewable grid electricity, this groundbreaking project will be the UK’s largest full timber frame, net zero carbon office building. The building’s operational energy efficiency and low lifetime carbon targets will be delivered via 100% renewable grid electricity, rooftop photovoltaic panels, an intelligent Building Management System, energy-efficient all-electric heating, hot water, and cooling systems, and demand-driven displacement ventilation to the office floors. The building’s occupiers can expect to reduce their occupational CO₂ emissions by up to 82% compared to a typical office building.

A landmark development in the heart of Stoke-on-Trent, the Catalyst Building at Staffordshire University has been designed to be low energy, low water use and have a low environmental impact, in line with the University’s net zero and one planet ambitions. In line with the University’s high sustainability ambitions, the building envelope is highly efficient, airtight and uses exposed concrete as thermal mass. North-facing roof lights bring in daylight, but do not add to solar gain. Heating, cooling and hot water production are via electricity, either directly or via the use of heat pumps. This means the building is not reliant on burning fossil fuels and makes use of a decarbonising electricity grid. Photovoltaic panels on the roof will generate an estimated 200MWh of electricity per year. As part of a holistic design approach, materials and components have also been selected to minimise waste, for example through the use of prefabrication and pre-construction and also to reduce energy use and carbon emissions - such as the glazing design, which maximises natural lighting to interior spaces and an air-tight façade which reduces energy transfer and heat loss.

The redevelopment of Agar Grove Estate sets a standard for social housing in the UK. The first Passivhaus development of its kind in the UK, it has meaningfully tackled fuel poverty by reducing residents' fuel bills by 70% and has influenced changes to the London Plan's approach to district heat networks.

Our careful, rigorous sustainability and MEP engineering strategies drastically reduced the energy consumption of this Grade I-listed building, and set a benchmark for the sympathetic low-energy refurbishment of our historic building stock. Collaborating with 5th Studio Architects, our environmental strategy for this ground-breaking project successfully reduced energy consumption by 75% and carbon emissions by 88%. We improved and upgraded environmental performance, energy consumption and operation of building services installations.

We provided sustainability and Soft Landings consultancy on this BREEAM 'Outstanding' sports centre. In the first six months since opening, the data has shown that the building’s operational energy consumption is less than 100 kWh/m²/yr, which is around one-tenth of the energy demand of an equivalent typical UK sports centre. This ultra-low level of carbon emissions is compatible with a net zero carbon future, and the building is all-electric, meaning its carbon emissions will continue to fall as the UK grid continues to decarbonise.