Functional design, material selection, construction practices and life cycle are all critical to the environmental performance of a project. So how does this translate into responsible and sustainable design practice?
Lightweight membrane structures, with their roots in making the most from limited resources, are the embodiment of sustainable construction. Their high strength-to-weight ratio enables large spans with reduced structure, supporting the ‘Use Less’ mantra proposed by the hierarchy of Net-Zero design. Created digitally and predominantly built offsite, the design and build process is both efficient and implicitly minimises waste.
We aim to create buildings and structures that are not only aesthetically pleasing and functional, but also environmentally responsible by integrating sustainability within our design process. We incorporate principles of energy and structural efficiency, shade and natural lighting control, and embodied carbon assessment to create innovative solutions to reduce energy consumption, promote resource efficiency, and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
Reducing carbon emissions is key to our sustainability approach. We are committed to not only lowering our own impact year on year but to collaborating with design teams to minimise the embodied carbon of the structures we manufacture. We are currently determining our Scope 1 and 2 emissions in order to set realistic reduction targets, and are assessing the latest approaches to both upstream and downstream Scope 3 auditing.
Waste reduction and responsible waste management is essential to minimising our impact on the planet. We strive to minimize construction waste through efficient planning and construction techniques. Whenever feasible, we prioritise the repurposing and recycling of materials to reduce landfill impact, and are investigating alternative materials to support this.