Here, we share what this vital but challenging new standard means for the industry – and why a delicate balance must be struck between minimising carbon and maximising space.

In February 2023, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) issued the UK’s first Net Zero Building Standard for delivering net zero carbon healthcare buildings. In doing so, it created a blueprint – and set a challenge – for healthcare providers around the world to follow.

The Standard is part of the NHS’s commitment to become net zero carbon by 2045. Decarbonising the NHS is a mammoth task. More than 3000 buildings fall under its stewardship, contributing 4-5 per cent of the UK’s total carbon emissions each year.

Why now?

Climate-change-related health problems are rising, laying an added burden onto an NHS already under deep strain. The NHS’s decision to be the first health system to embed a net zero target into legislation (via the Health and Care Act 2022) is bold and takes a proactive approach towards urgently mitigating climate change.

The impact of rising temperatures is proving vastly expensive to manage. The Royal College of Physicians reported that . The NHS spends on carbon permits to offset its CO2 production. The costs of failing to decarbonise one of the UK’s biggest institutions are now simply too high from legal, financial, social and health perspectives. In short, climate change threatens the NHS’s viability.

Why develop a standard for new buildings?

Healthcare buildings are energy and resource-hungry spaces, running 24/7, 365 days a year. Decarbonising new buildings can only shave a small slice off the NHS’s total carbon emissions. Much more work is needed to reduce carbon and energy used by existing building stock, and the NHS’s scope 1, 2, 3 and travel emissions, as outlined in the graphic below.

However, by making it mandatory for new buildings to be net zero carbon, the NHS is furthering its decarbonisation mission through implementing incremental improvements. In time, as older buildings are decommissioned, a more efficient estate will be created.

How can it be achieved?

The Standard applies to all investments in new buildings and major upgrades to existing facilities from October 2023. It provides technical guidance to develop sustainable, resilient, and energy efficient healthcare buildings.

The Standard sets out an approach to low carbon building design by setting performance criteria for key design drivers that include:

• Minimum performance targets (MPTs) for construction U-values and building services plant efficiencies.
• Setting carbon limits for operational energy on a departmental basis and embodied carbon for the major components of the building.
• Crucially, it requires the reporting of whole life carbon – both to create an accurate picture of the carbon output of a building and to inform and refine future iterations of the Standard.

The challenges: applying the NHS Standard to our hospital designs

Creating a sustainability standard for inherently power-hungry buildings is immensely difficult – not least when it must be integrated alongside other best practice guidance for achieving high quality healthy, sustainable buildings.

The Standard is designed to be adaptable and recognises hospitals’ high base energy demand. The methodology will undoubtedly need to improve with time as learnings from different hospitals emerge. It is evolving and being actively tested via our projects.

As designers, our biggest challenge is creating a balance between ensuring we achieve sustainability goals, within the NHS’s project budgets – without impacting the critical clinical delivery pathways and outcomes within the flexibility needed for future change.

Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital

Right now, we are testing the implications of net zero design on live projects, including the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital (CCRH).

A collaboration between Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK, and commercial partners, the 27,083m² project is a nine-storey standalone building.

Due for completion in 2026, the hospital will be a key centre of care and translational research for cancer patients and an early example of the NHS’s net zero carbon building standard in practice. The average hospital on the neighbouring Addenbrooke’s Hospital campus uses around 405-470 kWh/m2 of operational energy a year; CCRH’s operational energy target will be more than half this consumption, at 200 kWh/m2 a year.

To achieve the ambitious carbon reduction target for CCRH, we are focusing on the following:

• Being lean – reducing energy demand through passive design measures and optimising clinical space design.
• Improving fabric – designing a highly insulated, high-performance building envelope.
• Decentralised plant – minimising service runs and providing plant space near the specific clinical functions.
• Creating clean onsite energy – onsite Solar PVs on a biodiverse green/blue roof.
• Efficient use and reuse of heat and cooling – through integrating ASHP and GSHP technologies.
• Measuring through a Whole Life Cycle Carbon approach.

Greener buildings, healthier lives

New healthcare buildings stand at the intersection between health, technology, and design. With hospital buildings being vastly energy intensive in their operation, construction, and eventual decommissioning, creating a net zero carbon hospital without financial carbon offsetting is unlikely to happen. The Standard recognises this and aims to offset its overall carbon footprint at an institutional level, rather than individual buildings.

Decarbonising one of the biggest institutions in Europe, and indeed the world, is an incredibly difficult task: but this does not mean we should not rise to the challenge. The NHS has already reduced its emissions ; this is just another step forwards in making a low-carbon NHS a reality. The decarbonisation of NHS building design is a significant step forward in improving public health – and a great example of exactly what this institution was created to achieve.

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Building community diagnostic centres (CDCs) is a priority for NHS England. Right now, thirteen new CDCs are being launched across the country – part of a £2.3 billion plan to establish up to 160 centres by 2025.

The primary goal is to reduce waiting times for NHS patients who need non-urgent care. The NHS England elective waiting list stands at around 6.4 million people.�� As of December 2023, 337,450 people in England have been waiting more than a year to receive care.��

Historically, diagnostic care – used, for example, to identify and monitor cancers and long-term health issues – would be the preserve of acute hospitals in larger towns and cities. Today, diagnostics are increasingly moving into separate buildings, off acute sites and even into temporary locations. This is to meet the needs of ageing, less mobile populations and to also achieve a key part of the NHS Long Term Plan, which includes the goal to deliver more care outside of major acute hospitals.����

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Tailoring design to meet local needs

Each project is highly individualised based on the NHS Trust, the geography, and local need. Where cost savings can be made largely depends on the client’s drivers.��

Available locations vary widely, and designers must consider a proposed project’s interaction with and impact upon adjoining buildings. Some projects join existing NHS estates; others repurpose existing commercial space. For example, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust created a CDC using vacant shopping units in the Dolphin Shopping Centre, which has had the added benefit of driving footfall to the centre.����

As technology evolves, building design must evolve with it

Fit-out equipment depends on the diagnostics being carried out on site. These often include imaging equipment, computed tomography (CT) scanners and MRI scanners. As these technologies advance, a CDC must be designed to be adaptable to meet changes in service delivery. This means from the earliest stages, consideration should be given to slab-to-slab heights, lift provision and the ability to expand the space.����

In multi-storey buildings, the sheer weight of imaging equipment theoretically calls for diagnostic rooms to be situated on the ground floor. The challenge is that diagnostic equipment typically requires large spaces, which are often found in healthcare buildings above-ground. This means sometimes the building grid does not ideally stack: early space planning of key adjacencies helps overcome this issue.�� Mitigation of vibration is another key design consideration.������

One healthcare technology evolution which is shaping the design of CDCs is the growing shielding requirements of imaging equipment. MRI scanners, for example, require a Faraday cage – an enclosure used to block electromagnetic fields – as well as stainless steel reinforcement to enhance the quality of the imaging that is produced. These are unavoidable cost pressures that should be designed and priced in from the outset.��

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Addressing safety and capacity challenges in CDC design

Electrical and data infrastructure usually must be upgraded on existing sites to enable these facilities to operate, as many Trust estates are already at, or over maximum capacity with their electrical load.����

Incorporating MRI equipment into a building has the added challenge of safely installing quench pipes, which safely discharge helium gases from the scanners and out of the building. In turn, the heat loading associated with this imaging equipment is so extreme that it can skew the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) design and, if not considered at the earliest design stages, potentially cause significant problems further down the line.��

The future: could CDCs transform the UK’s healthcare system?

CDCs present a trifecta of obstacles: cost, decarbonisation, and delivery challenges must all be considered. Encouragingly, we are already seeing solutions and completed projects emerge that are overcoming these obstacles – and promptly cutting down local NHS waiting times in the process. ��

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Case study: Ambulatory Diagnostic Centre, West Middlesex University Hospital

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is constructing a £73 million Ambulatory Diagnostic Centre (ADC) at West Middlesex University Hospital.

This is the largest capital project that the Trust has ever undertaken and includes a £15 million capital grant from NHS England.

The new state-of-the-art facility will provide cancer, renal and imaging services for the residents of Hounslow, Richmond, and Ealing, ensuring that people can access tests and treatment more quickly and closer to home.

Cancer and renal disease are some of the biggest health issues among the local population. The ADC will double capacity for these services, ensuring that the local community can access treatment locally. It will also help reduce pressure on urgent care services at the main hospital, by caring for non-urgent patients at the ADC.

The centre will include an education facility for staff, which it is hoped will aid recruitment and retention of staff within the local community.

The project is expected to be complete by the end of 2026. �����Ƶ is providing several services for the project – acting as lead designer, architect, civil and structural engineer, fire engineer and BREEAM advisor.

 

Case study: Northamptonshire CDCs

Northamptonshire NHS Group is set to receive nearly £17 million in funding to establish two CDCs: one in Corby and one in Kings Heath, Northampton.

At present, waiting times for routine non-urgent specialist tests such as MRI and CT in the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group, which are developing the sites, can be up to 20 weeks for an MRI and 13 weeks for CT tests.

The new CDCs are expected to quickly cut waiting times for these procedures once they become operational this year, operating for 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Once fully operational, the two CDCs will be able to deliver at least 90,000 additional tests each year, including 16,000 additional MRI scans and 24,000 additional CT scans.

�����Ƶ were appointed as architects, project and cost managers, and both CDCs are expected to be operational in 2024. In the meantime, routine tests are being carried out in mobile units to try and alleviate demand for care.

 

This is an abridged version of an article that was first published in Building magazine. You can read the full article by clicking .

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Optimising sustainability and user experience����

The recent generation of buildings has already implemented smart technologies, such as Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to gather environmental and system inputs. Aspects of the workplace environment, like air quality, benefit from these inputs, relying on a fine balance of systems driven by sensors and user comfort feedback.����

Today, as we design the next generation of buildings, artificial intelligence is advancing smart buildings even further by automatically adapting a building’s systems using IoT insights. Data analytics and artificial intelligence are valuable tools in making informed decisions about building design, maintenance, and resource allocation.����

There are many ways to maximise Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) outcomes in smart building design, such as measuring embodied carbon in the procurement process and using Environmental Product Declaration information to source low-carbon technology solutions.������

It’s important to consider how people are likely to use the building in the future, analyse the efficiency across a portfolio, and consider aspects like popular transport modes and the demand for car parking spaces, all of which can significantly impact a building’s footprint and optimisation.��������

For organisations, tools and technologies can improve people’s living and working space. Augmented reality, artificial intelligence, laser scanning, artificial hygiene, and circadian lighting can all be used to support health and well-being. Considered and implemented thoughtfully, these tools play a vital role in unlocking a range of sustainable outcomes and improving business performance while engaging people to work together towards a low-carbon economy. ����

However, systems selection at the design and procurement stages is key to seamless integration. A powerful master systems integrator is a critical success factor of any next-generation smart building. This delivers a fast network for the building occupants, the capacity, speed, and flexibility to integrate all the building’s systems, and better ESG outcomes, particularly when followed-up with reporting, learning and optimisation, AI-powered insights and predictive maintenance.����

The intersection of IT and ESG in buildings presents an incredible opportunity to drive sustainable and responsible practices. The components of ESG are interwoven with IT solutions that optimise energy consumption, enhance occupant well-being, track material sourcing, enable data-driven decision-making, promote resilience, and ensure transparency.��

 Organisations that embrace IT-driven ESG initiatives in their building infrastructure are not only fulfilling their social and environmental responsibilities but also positioning for long-term success in a world where sustainability is paramount. As technology continues to evolve, IT will remain an invaluable tool in creating a better, more sustainable, and equitable future for all.��

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Given the speed with which technology and data legislation can advance and the plethora of off-the-shelf software that promises to revolutionise projects today, it’s no surprise that managers can struggle when choosing the most effective way to capture, store and visualise their data. ��

That’s why with a better understanding of the process and the efficiencies that data empowerment can bring, there are exponential benefits to be gained.����

Here we share five effective uses of data analytics:��

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1/ Making data more accessible��

For data specialists, interpreting vast quantities of data from tables and graphs is second nature. But for others – including project stakeholders – the information might not be so straightforward. This is where business intelligence (BI) tools for data visualisation can help.����

When used effectively, BI visualisation allows your project reporting to be communicated in a clear, digestible format. As well as making data more accessible, these tools can improve collaboration between teams by providing a more integrated workspace – with bespoke dashboards for each stakeholder group or review session.����

2/ Providing a single source of truth��

As a project manager, the overall success of the project will ultimately fall on your shoulders.����

Effective use of data analytics principles alongside your regular reporting can lead to a greater sense of control and improved accountability across the project team.����

By utilising a single reporting dashboard suite, this removes the occurrence of rogue files saved to desktop, enables better protection via cloud storage, and ensures that data access is universal across the project.��

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3/ Adopting trend analytics to gain key insights��

One of the most accessible data analytics principles to apply to project data is trend analytics. This is a strategy used to forecast future outcomes based on historical data.��

Besides helping to identify positive outcomes, trend analytics can allow project managers to address issues before they escalate.����

Furthermore, custom analytics within a digital report can be configured to automatically refresh each of these key metrics with each new data refresh – instantly generating a headline view of key performance indicators.����

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4/ Integrating data into a unified platform��

With data often stored across numerous databases, software packages, and legacy company servers, reporting can often mean hours of copying, pasting, and formatting of slide packs.��

BI software such as Microsoft Power BI or Tableau allow the user to load and transform data from a seemingly endless list of sources databases such as Azure.��

Combined with a robust data model, this can allow comparison and analytics of datasets that would typically present a challenge.����

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5/ Early engagement means early results����

The main challenge project managers face is trying making results happen quickly, especially if we are coming into a programme project in a troubleshooting role.����

Once a project is underway, it can be challenging to devote time to adjusting processes and practices. Engaging a data specialist early and defining project-specific analytics outputs will allow for faster and more effective implementation of data-driven solutions. Stakeholders can expect more informed decision-making, increased efficiency, and better team integration from the outset – leading to improved outcomes and successful delivery.

The post Five ways project managers can use data analytics to boost project performance appeared first on Without Limits.

In the past decade, major developers, companies and construction clients have made public commitments to delivering and operating net zero carbon buildings by, or around, 2030. However, at present there is no single agreed definition of what constitutes net zero. This means that many buildings are being badged as net zero based on different standards and targets.����

While the guidelines outlined in initiatives such as the , the , the and the (LETI) – as well as the and for existing buildings – offer good starting points, each has different scopes, targets and levels of adoption.����

A definitive, industry-recognised standard that unifies all these initiatives while providing consensus, consistency and credibility, is therefore desperately needed. Thankfully, a new net zero carbon buildings standard (NZCBS) is now being developed that does exactly that.������

What is the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard?

The development of the NZCBS is an industry-wide collaborative effort, involving major property-related organisations such as BBP, BRE, the Carbon Trust, CIBSE, IStructE, LETI, RIBA, RICS, and UK-GBC.����

The voluntary standard will provide a clear definition of net zero as well as robust targets for all new building projects. Once released, the NZCBS is likely to become a single reference point for any developer wishing to demonstrate that their development or building has achieved net zero carbon.��

To assess this, the key metrics specified in the standard include an operational energy demand (kWh/m2/year) target (the energy needed to run buildings) and an embodied carbon (kgCO2e/m2) target (the sum of the energy used to create the building).��

When will the NZCBS be released?

The standard is due to be released in early 2024. Recently published results from the technical consultation – involving more than 500 individuals and organisations – reveal the evidence base collected so far.��

The consultation reports propose preliminary targets for operational energy performance and the data ranges for embodied carbon for different building types.����

For example, Figure 1 (below) shows the analysis of the data received so far for office buildings, compared to the existing Greater London Authority (GLA) and LETI benchmarks. The working group has not yet proposed an embodied carbon target and has requested more data. ��

The chart illustrates that the NZCBS mean value aligns closely with the GLA Aspiration WLC benchmark, and that the LETI best practice target (the red line) is more challenging than even the 25th percentile figures from the data received to date. This demonstrates that a considerable shift is required to achieve the LETI target.����

Figure 2 shows the initial proposals for operational energy targets (again for offices), based on the analysis of the data that has been received. These are initial results, but they show the broad direction of travel.����

The graph displays the proposed performance levels from launch, for 2030 and for a future exemplar from 2035. The proposed NZCBS performance levels compare well with LETI best practice – with the future exemplar being considerably more challenging than the LETI target.��

Reshaping the future for the UK’s built environment

Establishing an industry-recognised standard that sets out clear benchmarks for achieving net zero is crucial for ensuring that buildings achieve the performance required. Thanks to the commitment of the hundreds of volunteers and organisations involved in creating the NZCBS, the new standard is expected to accelerate industry progress towards and ensure alignment with the UK’s wider climate goals.����

The targets will be challenging, demanding a radical departure from traditional practices and a fundamental shift in both the construction and operation of new and existing buildings. However, with the looming climate crisis, there is no alternative.��������

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‘Revenge travel’ – the desire to travel more, further and for longer after being unable to during coronavirus – has continued into 2023, after starting in 2021. The phrase started as a tongue-in-cheek concept on social media, but such attitudes are being reflected in travel data.��

Travel to the UK has almost recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Visit Britain’s latest inbound forecast for travel to the UK in 2023 is 37.5 million visits – 92 per cent of 2019’s visitor figures. Travellers are forecast to spend £30.9 billion in the UK this year, 90 per cent of the 2019 spend in real terms, after taking inflation into account. This means the hotels sector, which suffered greatly in the pandemic, is enjoying a return to normality.��

However, what constitutes normal is changing. People may be travelling more and spending more on travel, many using money they saved up during the pandemic – but their expectations are now higher. Hotel guests crave experiences, not just a place to rest for the night. In another evolution, tourists and business travellers alike are more conscious than ever of their carbon footprint.��

The relative weakness of the pound against the dollar has also led to a changing tourist demographic. There has been a rise in domestic tourism within the UK, and for international visitors, a perception that the UK offers good value for shopping and leisure compared to other international destinations.������

What does the next generation of hotels look like?

New hotels distinguish themselves by delivering a unique, memorable, highly positive customer experience. The building fabric and design is crucial to providing this.����

Developers want to create ‘destinations’ – places where people want to be, see, and experience, even if they are not staying in a room there. These experiential aspects of a new hotel could centre around a rooftop bar, a ground level coworking space, or an art gallery, a music venue or a florist attached to the hotel lobby. The goal is to make hotel a place to meet and gather, not just to sleep. ��

Hotel design and visuals should be anticipated to be photographed and shared on social media, particularly among younger customers. YouGov reports four in 10 (39 per cent) under-25s now use social media platforms as their primary source of information when making travel bookings. Original artwork, unusual building features and high levels of biophilia are all ways to add appeal to Gen Z.��

In contrast to the trend for providing a wide range of amenities, some hotels have scaled back on amenities and focus instead on providing low-cost, compact rooms designed for short stays. The growth of serviced apartments and aparthotels has also challenged preconceptions and expectations of what a good hotel experience should look and feel like. ��

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Food and beverage (F&B) provision��

Room occupancy forms the bedrock of a hotel’s profitability, but a successful food and beverage provision is now also important. As retail spaces reduce, hospitality is stepping further into F&B space. Socialising trends are evolving too, with food and restaurants now being a huge reason to meet and to travel.��

When planning F&B and amenities, the local area should be thoroughly investigated. There is a nascent trend for new hotel developments to form agreements and partnerships with large local entertainment providers, such as stadiums. The post-pandemic return of big-ticket sports and music events with thousands of attendees has led to demand for nearby hotels to meet the spikes in accommodation and F&B needs of local major venues.����

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Health and wellness

Wellness is a buzzword. The Global Wellness Institute reports ‘wellness tourism’ is set to grow more than any other wellness sector, increasing by 20.9 per cent by 2025. In the hotel sector, this is reflected in increased demand for amenities such as yoga studios and access to wellness experts, classes, workshops and health retreats.�� ��

For hotel guests, the pandemic means there is a desire for antimicrobial finishes and passive measures to reduce the amount of physical contact users have with the building. This includes the introduction of kick plates to remove need to open doors using hands/door handles, and a focus on automatic sensor lights for rooms and toilets.��

For hotel employees, everything at the outset should be designed to enable quick room turnarounds. Not only does this reduce cleaning times, but it can also improve the next guest’s experience, as the hotel is thus able to offer an earlier check-in.��

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Fire safety��

Branded residences within hotels or aparthotels are making designing for fire safety complex. Branded residences are classed as residential spaces, and thus must comply with the Building Safety Act. The full ramifications of the new 2023 regulations may take some time to unfold, but it is likely to have a significant impact on project costs. The rollout of the new regulations is being monitored closely by industry.����

Sustainability

Green travel is a booming sub-sector within travel, and customers increasingly want to stay in and associate themselves with hotel destinations that align with their values and green aspirations.����

As a result, there is a strong shift towards new hotel developments achieving excellent or outstanding BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) ratings and showcasing sustainable developments to guests.

In a key shift since 2020, developers are now concerned with how to provide electric vehicle (EV) car charging infrastructure for their guests. There is a strong mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) element to car charging provision, as it demands a high electrical load. The addition of EV charging also necessitates additional fire protection measures, further increasing overall costs to developers. ��

Redefining the future of hotel design

In a challenging macroeconomic environment, smart, efficient, flexible design will be critical to hotel profitability and success. Meeting stringent, data-backed sustainability and net-zero standards is also key to future-proofing buildings and attracting loyal customers who are proud to be associated with the hotel. In a world dominated by social media, providing great photo opportunities for guests and creating memorable moments and experiences is also key. ��

We are working at a time where the definition of luxury, high quality, business, and budget hotels is being redefined. We are redrawing the lines around what a hotel should look like, feel like and provide to users, with technology, economic and health considerations deeply influencing this. For industry, the challenge is being aware of — and responsive — to these rapidly changing norms. ��

This is an abridged version of an article that was first published in Building magazine. You can read the full article by clicking .

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Rising public knowledge and concern surrounding the climate crisis are placing pressure on developers to deliver decarbonised buildings. People are increasingly demanding that their workspaces align with their values: research this year by KPMG found that 20 per cent of UK office workers would turn down a job if a company’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors were deemed lacking. Almost half of workers want their employers to demonstrate climate and social commitments.��

Progress is undoubtedly being made in commercial office space decarbonisation. However, a by-product of the numerous guidelines, targets, and standards created to help us reach net zero means that there is not one single accepted definition of what a net zero building is. There are varying, and at times conflicting, rules for the industry to adhere to.����

Complicating matters further, these metrics and guidelines are constantly developing and being refined. It is therefore important to set clear objectives of what we are looking to achieve. One useful – and ambitious – metric is LETI’s upfront embodied carbon emission targets. These apply for building elements at the product sourcing and construction stage, excluding sequestration. This targets 350kg CO2/m2 by 2030, with 50 per cent of building materials from re-used sources and 80 per cent of materials used to be able to be re-used at the end of the building’s life. ��

As of 2023, this target is not being reached – 500kg CO2/m2 is considered best in class. We use the 500kg CO2/m2�� metric as our benchmark for a low carbon building targeting net zero in this cost model.����

New build versus refurb��

Embodied carbon is the most important and carbon-intensive factor to consider when designing for net zero. As the embodied carbon profile of a refurbishment project can be lower than a new build development, we are witnessing a shift towards a refurb-first approach to delivering projects across the UK. This is part of a general drive towards making the use of new materials in buildings a last resort, rather than first choice.����

Yet choosing a refurbishment over a new build does not guarantee the lowest-carbon result. When measuring a project’s carbon profile, choosing between whole life versus upfront carbon measurements is a key factor to consider when trying to deliver the lowest carbon project possible. Typically, a refurbishment option will have a lower upfront carbon footprint. However, when assessing the whole life carbon of the building, the efficiencies associated with a new build scheme could close the gap.����

Solid, accurate modelling and data are required to make sure the right assessments and choices are made as to whether to pursue a new build or refurb development.����

Design considerations��

The market (developers, tenants, agents) perceptions of what makes a Grade A office space need to include sustainability credentials, but this may conflict with other aspirations, such as the desire for large, open plan spaces. To meet these sometimes competing demands, traditional specifications should be challenged.����

If retaining existing buildings, reviews of the product and the specification level required – or that tenants are prepared to accept – are essential for a clear design solution to be achieved. Lateral thinking is important. For example, some schemes are now prepared to embrace smaller column grids and less stringent environmental conditions.��

When deciding what to re-use, and what to build or procure as new, the following design factors should be considered: ��

Sub-structure

• Basements. Our preliminary research suggests a basement could emit the equivalent of between two and three storeys of superstructure frame based on a typical single-storey basement of a mid-rise residential building. The industry is increasingly looking at how the basements inherited on schemes can be incorporated and re-used.

• Re-use of existing foundations/pile. The cost and viability of re-using and strengthening existing foundations should be the first potential solution to investigate, as it reduces the need to build new. With new sub-structures, the use of hollow piles, which reduce carbon by cutting material volume, can be considered. Precast, reusable, UK-sourced commercial hollow pile products are growing in use and availability.��

Structure/Frame��

• Concrete. Reducing concrete through design measures is the most effective way to cut the carbon impact of a project. Where concrete cannot be re-used or, in a new build, reduced through design, products are emerging to attempt to reduce its carbon intensity.

• Steelwork. The carbon intensity is influenced by the amount of steel specified for a frame, so the design should aim to minimise the amount of steel used. Reused steel can have a carbon intensity as low as 50kgCO2e/t, compared with a sector average of 1740kgCO2e/t for new steelwork.��

• Structural grids and depths. A key driver for inefficient structural frame design is the current aesthetic preference for open spaces and concealed structures. By reducing grids, up to a point, significant efficiencies in the structure will be found in both the superstructure and substructure.��

• Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT). CLT is a glued product, which can make it hard to break down, re-use or re-purpose. This may act at odds with circular economy principles and the sequestration benefits may be lost depending on the building’s end-of-life scenario.������

MEP��

• Recent calculations by the GLA suggest that services contribute 21 per cent to the whole life carbon output of a building. MEP decarbonisation is achieved by challenging norms; and optimising the efficiency of kit and its usage and control.��

Finishes����

• Developers are examining how they can dematerialise projects, cores, landlord and common areas that have the basic structure as the finish, sometimes with an enhanced finish from the original basic structure, without having to add further applied finishes to structure, which adds carbon.��

Making net zero offices commercially viable

Net zero office buildings must evolve from being theoretical, to fully realised. For industry, the challenge is balancing cost versus decarbonisation. The overarching question is, how can we achieve lower carbon buildings in a financially viable way?����

Right now there are more questions than answers. Existing norms must constantly be questioned if effective, consistent progress towards net zero is to be made. By making the most of disruptive technologies; choosing the most relevant, adaptable, low-carbon materials and processes; and by committing to industry-wide collaboration, we can answer these questions.��

This is an abridged version of an article that was first published in Building magazine. .

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The demand for new buildings by floor area is expected to double or increase by 240 billion square meters by 2060. This entails a significant demand for new building materials and construction activities in the coming years. Currently operational carbon emissions account for 72 percent of emissions from the built environment sector; embodied carbon which comes from the energy put in to produce and transport materials makes up the rest. By 2060, this ratio will change with embodied carbon dominating the emissions related to the built environment sector at 57 percent and operational carbon (from heating, cooling, lighting and other activities) at 43 percent. With better energy efficiency and automation, operational emissions may well come down further — but because of the new building demand, embodied carbon is only going to go up as raw material usage is predicted to double compared to today.

What does this mean for the built environment sector?

In rapidly urbanizing cities like Hong Kong, we must strive to design out carbon before the project gets to site. While the pressing demand for new housing and infrastructure threatens to overshadow climate considerations, we, as carbon practitioners, must look at the life-cycle of a project to identify the opportunities for carbon reduction — and savings — at the different stages.

The updated PAS 2080 standard for whole life carbon assessment (LCA) provides a framework which covers not just operational and embodied carbon but also upfront, use stage and end of life carbon, thereby enabling followers of the standard to identify the relevant stages for reduction interventions.

PAS 2080 places great emphasis on data and evidence, particularly with reference to BS EN 15804, the standard for sustainability of construction works and services. This standard harmonizes the structure for environmental product declarations (EPD) in the construction sector, making the information transparent and comparable.

Case studies

1. Easing Sydney’s Congestion – Pavement design guide
   �����Ƶ was designer for the Easing Sydney’s Congestion (ESC) project — a A$16 billion program to ease congestion across Sydney, addressing pinch points and public transport upgrades. Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) requested a design guide providing an overview of pavement technologies utilized on ESC and recommendations for successful implementation. This included comparisons of environmental impacts (including carbon) between the selected designs against alternate and available business-as-usual technologies in like-for-like applications, quantified using LCA.
   

   

   Among other key findings, �����Ƶ’s research shows that substitution of hot mix asphalt with warm mix, together with use of recycled concrete, can reduce embodied carbon by 30 percent. Further findings showed that in-situ stabilization has poor carbon performance and binder impacts (lime, bitumen) dominate over aggregate impacts. The ESC pavement design guide is a leading example for the implementation of sustainable pavement technologies.

2. Tackling Carbon on HS2
   High Speed 2 (HS2) is a new high speed rail line being built to better connect people across Britain. It is the largest infrastructure project in Europe and the most important economic and social regeneration project in decades.

   

   �����Ƶ is assisting HS2 across various work packages, including whole-life carbon assessments of early-stage optioneering, quantitative and qualitative carbon assessments, whole-life impacts of design, and broader sustainability and environmental management.

   HS2 has committed and been certified against PAS 2080 (Carbon Management in Buildings and Infrastructure), and with this, within their Net Zero Carbon Plan, have several targets for cutting carbon emissions from construction, maintenance and operation, much of which are driven by design through “build nothing, build less, build clever and building efficiently.”

   

   HS2’s Net Zero Plan not only underlines the progress of the project thus far but presents the project’s carbon mitigation ambitions in areas like concrete and steel (reduced by 50 percent), HGV transport (reduced by 11 percent), and the elimination of diesel on HS2 construction sites. Collaboration with HS2 on these and others are key in enabling HS2 to reach its net zero goals.

3. Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis
   �����Ƶ is working on the Northern Metropolis development, a 300 km2 designated space where 2.5 million people will find homes, work and living facilities, serving as a strategic link to the Greater Bay Area on the mainland. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a city from the ground up while prioritizing its decarbonization.

   

   Implementing better design planning and integrating sustainable solutions from the very beginning are key in ensuring that we future proof our cities. �����Ƶ is playing a key role to be part of this ambitious goal. The �����Ƶ Hong Kong team is transforming the Northern Metropolis into an eco-conscious development through planning, engineering and design works with sustainability, resilience and environmental, social, and governance as pillars in the development areas of the New Territories North New Town and Man Kam To, San Tin/Lok Ma Chau Development Node, and the widening of the Yuen Long Highway.

   The array of smart, green and resilient initiatives developed by �����Ƶ aligns with Hong Kong’s avowed target of carbon neutrality by 2050.

What have we learned from these lessons?

• The path to net zero is essential for future proofing the built environment. As engineers and planners, we must take ownership for not taking “no” for an answer when it comes to embedding both operational and whole life cycle.
• There are tools and frameworks like PAS 2080 to guide us towards making the right choices for decarbonization at different stages of a project.
• Carbon management planning is important for creating a clear roadmap towards net zero projects and prioritizing opportunities with realistic carbon savings. Incremental action is crucial, rather than waiting for a perfect solution.
• Collaboration is vital across the spectrum of stakeholders involved in the built environment because it will take everyone across the entire supply chain, working in tandem, to solve the net zero challenge.

Read related content

We’re committed to accelerating decarbonization efforts for both ourselves and our clients. Discover more about our ScopeX approach and the global journey to net zero in our article:

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As programme delivery specialists, we know first-hand the importance of using a clear, outcome-focused programme delivery model to ensure the right resources, with capacity and capability, are in place to deliver successful outcomes.������

There are two broad approaches to large-scale programme delivery within the industry. The use of generic models is one. However, because they are based on previous provisions for different clients or sectors, time and money are often wasted navigating programme-specific problems as they (inevitably) arise. There is also the risk of cost-cutting for short-term benefits that result in more problems down the line.

In contrast, a bespoke programme delivery model takes the client’s strategy and long-term intent and turns them into something tangible: a structured programme that delivers results at scale and pace.��

Five benefits of developing a bespoke programme delivery model����

We have developed a sector-agnostic approach that draws upon our knowledge of delivering major initiatives in energy, infrastructure, design, buildings, defence, and transport, as well as our global expertise. The approach is also informed by lessons we have learnt and analysis of academic research on what has worked and not worked on thousands of programmes.����

Its real value, however, is in its adaptability to suit transformational programmes of any size across different industries.����

Here are five benefits of using a bespoke programme delivery model:

1/ A laser-focus on outcomes��

A programme must be designed to deliver its outcomes. A bespoke model works ‘future-back’ to identify what the programme needs to deliver for the client and for its different stakeholders so the structure can be designed accordingly.��

2/ Defines beneficiaries and their roles��

Defines the programme’s beneficiaries and the roles they may play in decision-making.�� By doing this, the complex network of relationships and organisations can be managed to ensure successful delivery of the outcomes. ��

3/ Communication tool for cohesion and consistency����

All stakeholders need to unite behind a common purpose. A bespoke model acts as a communication tool setting out what the programme seeks to achieve and how it will work in practice.

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4/ Creates an effective organisational structure��

Programmes are like organisations. They need to be correctly structured. A bespoke model sets out an organisational structure and the roles of different functions in delivering the programme (which ensures the right capability at the right time).����

5/ Greater speed to market��

A good programme delivery model requires the right mix of partners who bring the best of their capabilities to the delivery of the programme objectives.�� Identifying and assembling these arrangements early minimises setbacks and prevents problems from arising, leading to quicker processes and faster delivery times.����

At �����Ƶ, our sector-agnostic approach to bespoke programme delivery model design, brings together expert leadership and technical expertise to realise the outcomes and legacy environmental and social benefits of the programme. Success depends on considering the bigger picture.����

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The benefits of lean management techniques are indisputable. But while many programme managers are aware of lean as a concept, there is often a lesser understanding of how to apply lean techniques in practice.

Lean tools need not be complicated. Here are five easy lean techniques that can help when internal processes appear unwieldy or slow.

1/ Root cause analysis using the ‘5 Whys’ technique

When difficulties occur, most managers will instinctively seek a solution to make them disappear. But this approach assumes you know why the issues occurred in the first place – which will not always be the case.

The 5 Whys is a lean tool that harnesses the power of interrogation to drill down and identify the underlying cause of an issue. Essentially you ask yourself why you have the problem, then write your answers. Then ask why again.

The resulting list of potential root causes helps inform actions to reduce or eliminate the problem, instead of purely treating the symptoms.

2/ The 3Cs

The 3Cs is a longstanding lean tool that stands for ‘concern, cause and countermeasure’. It helps team members identify, understand and solve problems collectively using boards.

These boards – which can be physical or digital – allow anyone to log a concern and demonstrate progress towards resolving it.

If the reason behind the problem is unknown, you can use the 5 Whys technique mentioned above to better understand the ‘cause’. The ‘countermeasure’ then becomes the solution.

3/ Choosing by Advantages (CBA)

In every project there are times when a major decision needs to be made.

One lean tool that is particularly effective for decision-making is Choosing by Advantages (CBA). This collaborative method encourages team members to consider the potential advantages of each alternative, leading to more informed decisions.

With clear documentation on these group decisions, the CBA technique brings a transparency that helps ensure unanimous confidence in the final decision.

4/ Process mapping

One of the key advantages of process mapping is that it presents a broad overview of any given project. This allows teams a deeper understanding of the entire process and their role in it by taking an ‘as-is’ look at what is happening at that moment.

The next step is to review the entire process through the classic lean lens by asking which steps add value, which do not, and which can be removed. This will help to streamline processes and improve efficiency.

‘Future state’ process maps — which outline the ideal way a project should operate in the future — can also help measure progress and provide direction. The real benefit, however, comes from the actions generated throughout the process.

Finally, from a programme perspective, process mapping gives people confidence that things are moving towards the desired outcomes.

5/ Kanban boards

Our final lean tool is Kanban boards. Employing the power of visualisation, Kanban boards are an efficient method of visually managing team workflows.

Sticky notes are used to represent work, while categories like ‘To Do’, ‘In Progress’, ‘Peer Review’ and ‘Done’ enable teams to monitor real-time progress and track actions.

Unlike dashboards, Kanban boards do not require data collection, nor do they quantify overall performance. Instead, they provide a visual snapshot of the workflow – and a place for people to come together to update their progress.

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The UK is regarded as a life sciences powerhouse. Medicinal and pharmaceutical products are among the country’s top five exported goods, and the nation comes second only to the US in terms of inward investment.����

The UK government values the domestic life science sector at £94 billion, and estimates it provides over 250,000 high-skill jobs in fields such as drug discovery, diagnostics, MedTech devices and vaccine creation. It is an expanding science, encompassing fields such as AI, genomics, biomanufacturing, tech-enabled healthcare devices and personalised immunotherapies.����

The ‘golden triangle’ of London, Oxford and Cambridge is home to some of the most significant and well-funded universities and research centres in the world – all of which demand access to best-in-class life sciences laboratories. Universities and businesses in other parts of the UK are also hungry for lab space.��

What are the characteristic design features of laboratories?

Lab fit-outs typically consist of a physical laboratory space area where research is carried out and an office-style ‘writeup space’, for performing desk-based analysis.����

However, unlike office spaces, there are no accepted guidelines, specifications or building standards for life science laboratories. Despite sharing many common features such as receptions, desk space and communal staff areas, and even though they are often based in the same building, laboratory occupiers generally have different needs to those of office workers.

Many specifications refer to BCO Office 2019 as guidance for the office element, with no real set guidance for the laboratory function.����

Confusion is also rife in how to deal with what is included within the shell and core of the building, and what is required as standard within the tenant demise.��

The way life science companies operate within a building is also evolving. The incubator model – common in the US – is now gaining traction in the UK. In this model, multiple fledgling start-ups work in the same building and utilise the same facilities.

This one-stop-shop concept provides flexible, low-cost lab space and support to develop early-stage research. In addition to shared services, incubators can provide support to access venture funding, legal and IP guidance and commercial mentoring.����

Designing with a solutions-focused lens

Some features and equipment common to laboratories are standard parts of a lab fit out specification. These include fume cupboards, door seals or multiple door systems, and writeup space.����

It is generally considered wise to keep laboratory and office writeup space adjacent to each other to encourage the cross-pollination of experiments, research, and reflection amongst peers. A typical lab/office ratio is around 50:50. In projects where labs and offices are kept separate from each other, tenants have reported difficulty in effectively collaborating.����

The access requirements must be considered well before the installation phase of a fit out. Particularly large or unique pieces of equipment may require specialist installation or be difficult to transport, lift or move, or may need to be built in situ. In some cases, rooms or buildings are designed around a specific piece of machinery. This can add to the building’s weight and structural loading considerations, including anti vibration measures, plus floor-to-floor height.����

The more specialist the equipment, the more likely the requirement to provide special measures to control the environment in which the equipment is to be located – for instance slab thickening for vibration control, dark rooms, and clean rooms.����

In turn, room heights often need to be higher to accommodate additional MEP needs. From a safety perspective, labs usually require high levels of ventilation and in some cases, advanced air filtration. There needs to be more frequent air changes in a science facility compared to an office space.����

Prioritising health and safety is crucial

Containment levels – the ability of a lab to contain key biological hazards, genetically modified organisms and chemicals – must also be taken into consideration. These range from containment level 1 (C1), which represents the lowest level of risk, to containment level 4 (CL4), where highly dangerous or exotic microbes or pathogens are present, which currently do not have vaccines or antidotes.

At any containment level, laboratory doors/entrance systems need to be sealed and airtight. There are different ways to achieve this, but a common design is to create a double-door entry system.����

The risk of containing potentially dangerous materials also makes building security a key design consideration. This extends beyond the labs themselves, to building reception areas and external spaces. Depending on the levels of security required, this will add significant costs on to a project.����

Waste disposal is also key, and subject to hazardous waste regulations. Storage is also required for products such as consumables, glass products, personal protective equipment (PPE), and scientific literature. This can significantly increase storage space demands compared to a typical office.������

‘Dry’ labs – used for computational science or advanced mathematical analyses – will require appropriate mechanical and electrical installations. Equipment such as 3D printers, powerful computers and lasers all demand specific power, safety measures, air supply controls, emergency power and humidity levels to function successfully.��

Occupancy levels tend to be lower than typical office standards, between 15 – 18m2 per person, which impacts key services such as WC/shower provision and lift capacity.

Meeting the growing demand for lab space

The sector is a hot asset for private investors. A record £2.5 billion in venture capital (VC) was invested into private UK biotechs in 2021: a 79 per cent increase on the total raised in 2020. Overall, this signals that life science companies in the UK are now strong targets for both state and private capital and suggests demand for lab space is unlikely to abate in the short term. ��

As new science clusters emerge outside of the golden triangle, major new projects are springing up around the country, with big-name international businesses making the UK regions their home.����

Life science laboratory fit-outs must be adaptable and able to meet the needs of biotechnology start-ups, which are by their nature nimble, ambitious and fast-growing. They demand high-tech, high-spec working environments where they can meet and collaborate with their peers.

Strong sustainability credentials are also key. The challenge for the design and construction industries is to keep pace with the scale and ambition of the life sciences sector – creating laboratory spaces that help accelerate and support scientific progress.������

This is an abridged version of an article that was first published in Building magazine. .

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The 2019 Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System final report called for an ambitious reform agenda with more than 65 recommendations to improve the state’s mental health and well-being system. The expansion of flexible mental health infrastructure is the centrepiece of significant investment commitments from the Victorian State Government and is shining a light on the need for modern facilities that support recovery-focused treatment and provide consumers with an appropriate level of autonomy over their environment.��

Over the last two years, the Victorian state budget has committed more than $AUD 5 billion (US$3.4 billion) to support better mental health outcomes. �����Ƶ is currently engaged on several mental health projects, including the secure forensic mental health facility, Thomas Embling Hospital. The 136-bed facility is undergoing expansion and refurbishment, providing an additional 82 beds by the end of 2024. The hospital provides treatment and care for people living with a serious mental illness who are in, or at risk of entering, the justice system. The $AUD474 million expansion will address critical bed shortages, providing 82 new secure mental health beds, including a new dedicated women’s precinct, a medium security men’s facility and a new entry complex. �����Ƶ is providing multidisciplinary engineering services for the project, working closely with Guymer Bailey Architects and MAAP Architects.����

In this article, we share learnings from the design and delivery of mental health facilities in Victoria and explore the key considerations that make these facilities unique from any other health facility.����

Co-designing a better future��

As design professionals, we are responsible for interpreting and responding to community insights to provide better spaces that support recovery.��

Modern-day mental health facilities are an important part of our community, and their design is evolving with greater recognition of recovery-focused outcomes. Learning from those with lived experiences through the ongoing co-design of facilities is integral to the evolution of mental health care and ensuring the needs of consumers are met. For example, during the co-design process, consumers can share aspects of a facility where design solutions could improve their experience, or they could share their personal experiences, such as feelings of fear and confusion when arriving at a facility and the key design elements that could improve the experience.��

Through co-design, we gather their unique insights – what were the pressure points, what was good and how could it be better? Their perspective is essential to ensuring our facilities are fit for purpose.����

The design of mental health facilities is critical in providing a safe and rehabilitative environment for consumers, and while from the outside, facilities may appear to be similar to other buildings, they are highly bespoke with every aspect, from design to material selection and audio-visual solutions, considered.��

Six key considerations����

1. Safety is the core design principle: safety is at the heart of the design process to ensure the wellbeing of consumers and staff. Safety is prioritised across every design element and impacts everything from electrical solutions and fire safety interventions to ceiling heights to reduce risks of self-harm. For example, a higher level of acoustic treatment is required in mental health facilities to minimise stress incurred from noise in adjacent spaces. When considering security design, it’s important to take a mitigative approach using passive systems, which are unobtrusive and respectful of privacy while prioritising consumer and staff safety.����
2. Designing for flexibility: it’s critical to design facilities to be flexible and adaptable to cater to changing models of care and to reduce the impact on facility operations and unnecessary disturbances to consumers. For example, floor-to-floor heights will need to be coordinated with building services to make it easier to adapt spaces in the future. This requires a highly integrated design between engineering disciplines and architects.
3. Sustainability and access to nature: the environment has an important role in enabling a salutogenic approach to health and wellbeing. A healthy and comfortable indoor environment is widely accepted to support positive health outcomes for consumers and staff. Access to daylight and improved indoor air quality is vital to achieving this and can be supported using anti-ligature operable windows to help consumers control their environment. Providing consumers with a connection to nature through biophilic design solutions that use natural materials and providing courtyard areas and visual access to the landscape through views of water and green spaces can also support recovery. The use of temperature control can also be beneficial to help reduce aggressive behaviours and encourage good sleep hygiene, while the use of circadian lighting can be used to support health and wellbeing by mimicking natural lighting to align with our biological clock.��
4. Technology: plays an important role in recovery. Internet connection and web-based communication platforms can provide consumers with a sense of connection to friends, family, and support networks beyond the mental health facility and access to training and development programmes. These connections form part of an integrated approach to treatment and support their reintegration into society and ability to lead a meaningful and contributory life. Audio-visual technology solutions, such as sensory rooms with fibre-optic star ceilings and wall projections create immersive experiences for consumers and are designed to aid rehabilitation.����
5. Designing for infectious disease: the coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally changed how we design buildings. We are now acutely aware of the need to control the spread of infectious diseases, and how this will inform design outcomes in future. In practice, this could be designing specific wards that can operate safely in pandemic mode or be more easily adapted to suit pandemic operational requirements. This is particularly critical for mental health facilities where consumers cannot be easily transferred to other facilities due to specific safety and security requirements or where disruption to one’s environment may impact recovery outcomes.��
6. Embed your costing in the process: mental health facilities are inherently complex. What appears as a regular building component is rarely as it seems, for example, plywood backing behind walls for reinforcement, anti-pick caulking around fittings, and tamperproof and anti-ligature fixtures and fittings all add a premium cost. Every aspect requires more or special materials or time to achieve the level of robustness needed. This means there are significant cost risk factors across every design element, and they must be tracked throughout the project to reduce the risk of going over budget.

A solution for all��

Mental health projects require meticulous planning and delivery experience. New technology and models of care are driving better outcomes for consumer recovery, and how our buildings transform over time requires both an agile mindset and a considered approach. Innovative ideas are important to push the industry forward and drive better care, but to be successful in a mental health setting, a thorough understanding of the unique sensitivities and pressure points is vital to creating a built solution that meets the needs of consumers, their families, and staff alike.��

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The construction industry is an important part of the UK economy, employing over two million workers. The way construction companies make purchasing decisions therefore has enormous potential to create a positive impact for the planet and people. We call this sustainable procurement.����

What is sustainable procurement and what makes it different?��

Procurement is the buying of goods, services and works that enable an organisation to operate their supply chains in a profitable and ethical manner. Traditionally, suppliers are appointed based on three criteria: cost, time and quality. Sustainable procurement, however, identifies value for money against social, economic, and environmental criteria.��

Knowing and understanding this difference is crucial. Sustainable procurement factors in these indirect cost considerations to gain a holistic view on a supplier’s proposal, rather than focusing on the direct procurement costs alone.��

What are the barriers to adoption? Are they easy to overcome?��

As sustainable procurement specialists, we see a lot of untapped potential. There are several reasons for this.����

The government’s , which came into force in 2021 for in-scope organisations, encourages greater action around social value within public sector contracts. Yet, guidance and parameters are limited.����

We also see a lack of understanding around sustainable procurement, as well as fears around extra costs and lack of capacity.����

But, with increasing emphasis from society and stakeholders on environment, social and governance (ESG) issues, pressure to act is only going to increase.��

The good news is that the journey to integrate sustainable procurement within an organisation does not require significant change on day one. Here are five simple changes that construction professionals can make.��

1/ Establish a baseline��

Establishing a baseline position identifies the good work that supply chain members are already doing. It will also enable your organisation to demonstrate future progress both internally and as well as actual societal impact.

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2/ Include a purposeful sustainable procurement question��

Include a purposeful sustainable procurement question within tenders. This will initiate conversations with suppliers and lead to conscious decision-making when preparing bids.������

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3/ Set a pathway for success��

Setting the pathway for success is an important factor not to be overlooked as it provides employees with direction and suppliers with a vision for them to tailor in their responses.����

Develop sustainability policies and accompanying procedures to ensure consistency across projects and practises.����

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4/ Be clear at the outset ��

To get the maximum output from bidders, organisations and the project team need to communicate to each other the social value outcomes that they want to achieve through the procurement process.����

This information can be disseminated through the Construction Innovation Hub’s Toolkit, as well as the ����

These mechanisms can also be used to capture the good work already being done in the supply chain – another easy win.��

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5/ Manage through to completion�� ��

One of the most overlooked areas in sustainable procurement is the management of delivery.  Project teams are often so focused on completing the job on time and to budget that it is easy to neglect suppliers’ tender commitments. But there are ways to ensure delivery without the need for additional resource.  ��

For example, we developed an innovative clause that amended a client’s NEC contract to allow it to withhold payment if a successful bidder failed to deliver on their social value ���dz������ٳ���Գ�. �į��

The bidder was responsible for evidencing real and meaningful social impact to ensure swift payment, which they were happy to do. ��

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In 2023, universities are facing two key major issues. The first is rising energy prices. Universities are research, people and data-intensive and consume vast amounts of power, and thus face particularly high bills. One major UK university reported a rise in its total energy bill from £30 million per annum to £70 million in 2022; such price hikes will influence their appetite for spending on new major infrastructure projects.����

The second issue is decarbonisation. Many universities are committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030. However, universities tend to have large physical estates. Many include buildings which are decades, or even centuries old, which were not built with energy efficiency or decarbonisation in mind.��

Purposeful design goes a long way

Over the past decade, brand new buildings sprang up on university campuses to attract attendees and to deploy the capital raised from fees. This is reflected in the far higher standard of student accommodation which has now become an expectation across the UK. However, looking ahead, many universities will have to manage their budgets carefully. We could see an uptick in refurbishment projects as universities assess their estates, and as funding becomes more challenging in the face of high energy costs and inflation.����

When looking at the commissioning and design of new buildings, some universities prize architectural merit and distinctive designs which single them out as world-leading centres of excellence for a specific discipline. Many universities have buildings of historic importance, or have simply become iconic parts of a city or town’s architecture and landscape. In these cases, buildings may be retained even if they are difficult to integrate into modern-day education and sustainability requirements. ��

Other, more practical, or teaching-intensive universities will require simpler buildings which can accommodate as many students as possible, with 1.5-2 metres of teaching space allocated per person.��

Harnessing smart technology for campuses

Today, as in the professional workplace, students and academics are largely embracing a hybrid, flexible approach to studying, which necessitates less physical teaching space and strong IT infrastructure. Decarbonisation, digitisation and energy efficiency are increasingly dovetailing with each other. IT master plans are emerging that enable the digital student experience and teaching model to connect to physical spaces – the smart campus concept.����

Under this model, physical aspects of a university are linked and respond flexibly to their users via smart devices, monitoring systems and sensors. For example, desks in a library building might be equipped with sensors to measure room usage, and reduce lighting and heating in unoccupied spaces.����

Creating more inclusive, welcoming spaces is also rising in importance. Recent �����Ƶ projects include interventions that support neurodivergent students and building users. Enabling excellent accessibility throughout physical buildings, supported by smart technology, is now a principal design tenet – creating the ability to open doors via a smartphone, for example, or to message a reception desk to help staff prepare a physical space ahead of a person’s arrival.��������

Enabling the local community to better integrate with university building is increasingly a feature of new developments. For example, the ground floor of a new research building could be made accessible to the public, enabling local people to access learning, research, and coffee shop facilities. Not only can this improve educational and social outcomes for local communities, it can also help students to feel more at home in the town or city they are studying in.����

Meeting sustainability and net zero targets

Many institutions within the university sector, with its focus on innovation and research, are committed to becoming trailblazers in sustainability. As a result, willingness to invest is high and many of the lower-carbon technologies and materials deployed in university building projects later trickle through to other sectors.����

The net zero goal is strongly influencing university’s master plans and use of space. By creating more compact, well-utilised spaces, the goal is to reduce embodied carbon and to reduce unnecessary energy use.��

As with other sectors, refurbishments have become key to meeting embodied carbon reduction goals. In many cases, the embodied carbon profile of improving an older building is far lower than creating a new building. Refurbs are set to become a mainstay of order books in the years ahead, as asset owners look to adapt their portfolios to meet decarbonisation requirements.������

However, many universities are asking for Passivhaus principles to be applied to new projects; this may favour new build over refurbishment to achieve the goal of air-tight buildings, or divestments of old buildings to make way for new assets with assured quality.��

Alongside Passivhaus and LETI principles, other accreditations such as the US-based WELL standard are rising in uptake.����

Ensuring a financially viable future for universities

As in other sectors, there are ongoing challenges around procurement and cost increases. �����Ƶ’s TPI indices rose 9.9 per cent year-on-year in 2022, with a 6.9 per cent increase anticipated in 2023. Combined with rising energy costs, creating financially viable new projects is currently difficult. ��

Despite the challenges, it is important to note that overall, UK universities’ incomes are increasing. According to the University and College Union (UCU), in 2020/21, the most recent financial year, universities finished with £3.4 billion more cash than they started it with. The combined surplus of the universities of Cambridge and Oxford in 2020/21 alone was £1.7 billion. University leaders also told regulator the Office for Students (OfS) that they were planning to increase overall capital expenditure by 36 per cent in 2022/23, to £4.6 billion.��

The question is where they will allocate this money. Trade unions are calling for it to be diverted away from capital spending, and instead spent on increasing teaching wages, or on technology rather than on physical assets; it could be stockpiled, rather than spent. Outside of broader macroeconomic forces, these are perhaps the most influential factors on whether we will see a strong pipeline of university building projects in the near and mid-term future.����

This is an abridged version of an article that was first published in Building magazine. .

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The revised and expanded Carbon Management in Buildings and Infrastructure specification represents a massive advancement in how our industry can play a crucial role in enabling reductions in greenhouse gas emissions through greater understanding, thereby accelerating the charge to net zero.

PAS 2080 has established itself as the global gold standard for carbon management in infrastructure since its release by The British Standards Institution (BSI) in 2016. However, the upgrade – PAS 2080:2023 – introduces a decisive and exciting change: it is now the world’s first framework to unite both buildings and infrastructure in the decarbonisation of the built environment.

What’s in the new PAS2080:2023 revision?

The revised PAS demands that every part of the value chain works together to consider the whole life carbon of projects by bringing carbon impact into decision-making as early as possible, considering our assets as part of a wider system, and embedding best practices within procurement through to end-of-life management.

Furthermore, it requires industry to break the habit of viewing carbon with tunnel vision. Now, we must consider the importance and influence of interrelationships like nature-based solutions, climate adaptation and biodiversity and their impacts on carbon.

Everybody working in the built environment knows full well that collaboration is critical to accelerating decarbonisation. As industry contributes over 50 per cent of global carbon emissions, there is a huge task ahead of us. And so, we welcome a framework designed by and for the industry that emphasises and provides vital guidance on how it can be achieved across the full life of a project or programme.

The renewed PAS will undoubtedly help industry put the inconsistencies of the past behind it and collaborate to ensure we get the basics of carbon management right. It will boost cooperation to identify and mitigate emissions at every stage.

As a member of the Technical Advisory Panel for the revised PAS 2080: 2023, we are fully committed to working with all our partners and customers to ensure the specification is harnessed to its full potential in reducing the carbon impact of our projects.

Three key elements of the new PAS that should guide our thinking

As the industry continues on the decarbonisation path, there are three key elements to the new PAS that should guide our thinking:

1/ We must work together and factor in carbon thinking right from the start

At the heart of the renewed PAS is the recognition that there must be behavioural change if we’re to achieve our collective goals. And so it insists that all stakeholders, including owners, designers, constructors and suppliers, work together in a common framework from the earliest moments of a project. Only by doing that will projects be built on the firmest foundations for success.

As well as demanding leadership and improved governance, the framework establishes roles and responsibilities across the entire value chain to maintain a focus on carbon for the project’s lifetime.

It emphasises decisions and actions that reduce whole-life carbon as early as possible with the whole value chain considered rather than focusing on the capital (or embodied), operational or user carbon in isolation. This refreshed approach will influence broader participation and the sharing of results to reveal best practices for advancing decarbonisation.

The framework will also create a forum for parties to work together and think innovatively about which delivery approaches will work best for people and planet, such as the consideration of retrofit over new build, or the adoption of digital tools and processes.

2/ PAS 2080 certification demonstrates a clear commitment to climate action

It is notable and impressive how many people working in this industry are passionate about making a difference. Adopting the revised PAS 2080 provides us with a framework that will enable the transition to a low-carbon built environment and a means of validating this commitment. Verification will indicate adherence to the industry’s very best practices and will demonstrate clear climate action leadership.

And it also makes business sense. Users can reduce their energy, labour and material costs and win a competitive edge when bidding for tenders in an increasingly carbon and climate-aware world. In the UK for example, government-funded arms-length bodies such as major infrastructure providers National Highways, High Speed Two (HS2) and Network Rail are required to be PAS2080 certified in 2023. This will have wider implications as their supply chain will need to demonstrate compliance too.

3/ Maximise opportunities to build climate resilience

PAS 2080 acknowledges the shared obligation of the industry to contribute towards creating a cleaner and more sustainable environment.

It goes beyond carbon reduction and promotes a holistic approach to project planning that considers the broader impact on climate resilience, biodiversity, and environmental restoration.

A platform for rapid change

PAS 2080 is becoming an increasingly important means of promoting decarbonisation. As panel members of the Institution of Civil Engineers’s (ICE) , we have observed numerous instances of good practices and innovation within the industry that have resulted from these commitments.

The principles underpinning PAS 2080:2023 are already embraced by . We strongly support our clients’ ambitious decarbonisation commitments and PAS 2080 requirements for their supply chain. It reflects our common drive for decarbonisation, and together enables us to identify and implement innovations and opportunities to create a more sustainable built environment, which is core to the �����Ƶ’s ScopeX^TM approach.

We are excited to collaborate with our clients to push the boundaries of best practices and drive progress towards a more sustainable future for the built environment.

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Reducing the carbon impact of existing building stock is a time-critical task for the industry, as the consequences of human-induced climate change are now tangible. In 2022 alone, the UK experienced its warmest year on record, according to Met Office data. The past year has also seen heavy rainfall, flooding, urban wildfires, and other extreme weather conditions in the UK and on a global scale – all of which are being experienced with increasing frequency.

The scale of the decarbonisation challenge cannot be underestimated. Existing building stock accounts for approximately 23% of UK carbon emissions, according to a 2019 Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors report. In the housing sector alone, the UK Green Building Council estimates that the UK’s 29 million homes must be retrofitted at a rate of 1.8 every minute to achieve net zero by 2050.

The public sector

Despite immense funding pressure, the UK public sector has in many cases led the way in estate decarbonisation investment. Initiatives such as the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS), launched by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, are injecting cash into improving public buildings by stripping out carbon and energy inefficiencies.

The PSDS has to date provided around £1.6 billion in grant funding to help public sector organisations improve the energy use of existing buildings, and to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. Additionally, the Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund provides grants for public sector bodies to engage specialist advice to develop decarbonisation plans for their estate.

The private sector

For private estate owners, the investment case for decarbonising their buildings centres around both highlighting their ESG credentials and preventing assets from becoming stranded. Assets become stranded when their value is vulnerable to external factors such as changing regulation, technological innovation or evolving social norms.

In real estate, legislation preventing assets with poor energy efficiency from being occupied is a growing risk. There is also rising pressure from fellow asset owners: initiatives such as the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance requires members to reduce emissions across global property portfolios.

To mitigate this risk, tools are emerging to help estate owners assess the likelihood of their assets becoming stranded. The European Union (EU)-funded Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor (CRREM)��is a tool that allows investors and property owners to assess the exposure of their assets to stranding risks based on energy and emission data and the analysis of regulatory requirements.

Factoring energy efficiency into design

Cutting carbon by increasing energy efficiency typically involves improving the thermal efficiency and air tightness of the building fabric, along with the installation of energy-efficient plant and smart building control technology. Energy assessments will provide guidance on what is possible at each site.

A fabric-first approach is important. Improving mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering (MEP) systems in a building with a poorly performing external envelope has limited value. In contrast, upgrading facades, adding insulation, and increasing air tightness are all effective interventions and are often the first point of focus when taking on a retrofit challenge.

That said, improving the heat efficiency of the building fabric can often create an increase in whole-life carbon. Given their carbon intensity, is only advisable to undertake full cladding replacement if the existing system is damaged, performing poorly or nearing the end of its useful life. A holistic approach should be taken to considering the impact of building fabric changes – overheating and condensation, for example, can be consequences of failing to consider how a replacement building fabric will interact with existing building components.

Once decisions about the external fabric and structure have been made, it is important to understand how a building is used. Heating, cooling and lighting unoccupied space is costly in both monetary and carbon terms, yet if building occupier patterns are fully understood, this is a relatively easy way to quickly cut carbon output and energy costs.

This can be done through installing building-level controls to enable efficient building management. Controls are key to ensuring energy use is minimised and the benefits of natural ventilation are explored and incorporated where feasible. Incentivising efficient occupier behaviour is another important way to reduce energy demand.

Introducing onsite renewable energy generation capability is something developers are often keen to explore, as it is typically a highly visible example of a building’s efforts to be more sustainable and can help achieve higher EPC ratings. However, it should be noted that as electricity sourced from the national grid decarbonises, the operational carbon benefit of onsite production lessens.

Full grid decarbonisation is still decades away, but we are swiftly moving towards renewables becoming the dominant source of on-grid power. Onsite generation has other valuable benefits, such as energy security and the potential to sell energy to the grid, but electrification of existing plant has the biggest impact on carbon reduction.

Creating holistic decarbonisation plans

For real estate owners that are yet to consider these issues, thinking ahead of time and having a plan in place for estate decarbonisation will enable them to be nimble and take full advantage when new funding streams or supportive initiatives are announced. Tax policy is one area in clear need of greater government support. That UK policy currently favours new build developments over refurbishment is bewildering in the face of our climate goals, and needs to change.

Public sector support – directly through grant funding, targeted initiatives, and regulatory change – is key, but is only one part of the solution. Private sector action on estate decarbonisation is crucial and is an important part of the jigsaw which cannot be ignored. More instruments are needed to accelerate this market, whether in the form of a carbon tax, or a shift in the relative prices of gas and electricity or other solutions.

The construction industry, the financial community, and asset owners must all pick up the pace on estate decarbonisation if both the UK’s and other international carbon targets are to be achieved. In the face of soaring inflation, a recession, labour and materials shortages and a lack of knowledge in the sector on the topic, it is an indisputably difficult task. Success in these conditions may be about trade-offs and compromises – and collectively creating holistic decarbonisation plans to break the decarbonisation challenge down into achievable steps, one project or estate at a time.

This is an abridged version of an article that was first published in Building magazine. .

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The UK is home to some of the most innovative state-funded cancer treatment centres in the world. However, the NHS is under immense strain: record numbers of people are coming forward for cancer tests, with almost a quarter of a million referrals per month in 2022, according to NHS data. This is triple the number of referrals reported in 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic meant people were often reluctant to attend hospitals or to visit their GP practice.

This means cancer care centres are dealing with all-time high levels of referrals and patients, at a time when coronavirus and its attendant risks is still ongoing. Those commissioning cancer facilities are tasked with the challenge of delivering high-quality spaces which are sensitive to patient needs, while incorporating the best of new and existing technology. There’s also a huge focus on quality; and all this must be achieved under tough public sector budget and time constraints.

Enhancing patient experience

Cancer facility designs should provide a sense of calm and reassurance, in a place where patients often feel frightened and overwhelmed.

Clear wayfinding, creating logical pathways and flows through the building are a key factor in order to reduce stress on patients, staff and visitors. Wayfinding and layout should also account for the fact that people often receive difficult news and information in these spaces.

Discreet, calming interview rooms are necessary, and some centres have private exit routes which avoid patients and families having to walk through a public waiting room after receiving bad news. In turn, waiting areas are evolving from serried rows of fixed seating to a more relaxed, hotel lobby-style layout, with chairs that can be moved around coffee tables or by windows.

Cancer treatments typically require patients to make multiple outpatient visits, and so designing simple pathways that enable visitors to create their own rituals – whether that means being able to go from a cafe out to a courtyard garden or terrace with a coffee, or into a quiet multi-faith space for contemplation – is important.

Giving patients a sense of autonomy and choice is vital and can lead to better healthcare outcomes. Most new cancer care centres with patient beds are now favouring single patient rooms. Evidence suggests inpatients will have a shorter length of stay if they’re in a single room, which provides a more peaceful environment, greater privacy, the ability to have relatives and friends sleep in their room, and also having loved ones able to help carry out their personal care. That said, some small, four-bed bays are still being designed into projects to provide patient choice.

Ensuring staff feel valued and supported

Providing care makes heavy demands on staff. There are currently more than 110,000 unfilled posts in the NHS, and staff retention is a critical issue for the service. Employees need to feel valued and cared for in their workspace.

These needs can be met in building design via good changing facilities, excellent provision for pedestrian, cycling and driving access and parking, restful facilities for breaks such as quiet rooms, sleep ‘pods’, spaces for indoor exercise such as yoga, and also private outdoor spaces to provide privacy and fresh air during shifts.

Access to education spaces should be seamless. Staff also require access to good education and training facilities, ideally close by or within the same building. Activity-based working involving a variety of workspace typologies is shifting from general workplace design into healthcare buildings. This is reflected in growing calls for these buildings to integrate, or at least have ready access to employee education, office space, clinical and support services such as Maggie’s or Macmillan support centres.

Creating adaptable buildings

Treating the shell and core as having a longer lifetime and the internal fitout as a shorter-term endeavour is a way of looking at buildings which NBBJ has been doing in conjunction with �����Ƶ. Even if they are being procured as a single contract, designing the shell and core as distinct and separate from the internal fit-out configuration is being increasingly practiced. As cancer treatment and hospital design is changing and developing quickly, this approach enables faster changes and updates to the internal elements.

Standardisation – to have repeatable rooms where possible – provides benefits in terms of design, construction, maintenance, cost and clinical safety. As staff become more familiar with a room layout and equipment layout, it is much safer for them to be able to treat repeated patients without the added burden of understanding an unfamiliar space or layout. This also lends itself to Modern Methods of Construction (MMC).

Cancer care centres and net zero

Cancer care centres often have a higher energy usage (kWh/m²) than acute hospital facilities. This is due to a higher proportion of specialist radiotherapy and imaging equipment, usually within a smaller building footprint; the need to maintain a comfortable internal environment; and for specialist departments to incorporate a high fixed air change rate for infection control purposes. There is a potential conflict between NHS Net Zero Carbon (NZC) requirements, and the ability to offset the energy consumed by major medical equipment and Mechanical, Electrical and Public Health (MEP) plant serving energy intensive departments.

When developing net zero carbon energy strategies for cancer centres, it is important to ensure that actual energy usages are quantified during the early design stages. This should incorporate design solutions that allow clients to manage and benchmark their energy consumption, against design assumptions, so that they can achieve net zero once the building is in operation. At present, new-build healthcare projects target BREEAM Excellent as a minimum.

�����Ƶ is designing solutions to enable new cancer centres to achieve net zero. Our approach includes designing all-electric facilities with a fabric-first focus, working with the architect to maximise the efficiency of the building through materials and components choices. Also central is the use of highly efficient decentralised air-handling plant to reduce both distribution energy losses, while maximising MMC.

Case study: Clatterbridge Cancer Centre

The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Liverpool is part of a cluster of world-leading specialist hospitals within Merseyside, including the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital.

The 11-storey, 110-bed NHS facility opened in June 2020. �����Ƶ provided building services engineering, civil and structural engineering, acoustic engineering and sustainability as well as BREEAM and environmental services.

In collaboration with architect BDP, the focus from the outset was on designing a low energy building with a fabric first approach. A high-performance facade was integral to achieving this, as it insulates the building while maximising daylight penetration and thermal comfort for users.

Dynamic control systems help the building to perform over 50 per cent better than the Department of Health’s guideline carbon targets. More than 30 per cent of the building’s electrical demand is generated on site by low and zero carbon systems, including photovoltaic panels.

Modern methods of construction have been used wherever possible: 30 per cent of the structure comprised modular components. Prefabrication and modularisation of MEP systems in particular aided on-site construction and improved quality of build, cutting timescales and reducing on-site health and safety risks. The project is rated BREEAM Excellent.

 

This is an abridged version of an article that was first published in Building magazine. .

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Below are just a few of the highlights from the report which shows how we are providing truly sustainable solutions for our clients informed by decades of experience, industry-leading ESG expertise and, above all, a drive to do good and be good.

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Progressed toward our goal of science-based net zero by 2040, a target validated by the Science Based��Targets initiative (SBTi)

We reached operational net zero in fiscal 2021, while reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions which cover fleet and office energy, respectively, by 47 percent from our full year 2018 baseline year, using key travel and real estate initiatives. In accordance with the new and even more rigorous SBTi net zero standard, we have also s which emphasizes decarbonization over offsets. This ambitious target places us among the forefront of companies globally.

Launched our ESG Advisory Services, supported by decades of expertise

One of our signature milestones this year has been the launch of our ESG Advisory practice, which deploys our depth of expertise to navigate our clients through this rapidly evolving space and realize their ambitious visions. Working with organizations at the forefront of the green transition globally, including the United Kingdom’s and , our Advisory Services are mitigating risk, building trust and improving long-term outcomes worldwide.

Advanced��ScopeX initiatives to accelerate our ESG offering for��clients and cut carbon in our work

is a core offering of our ESG services and will be one of our greatest contributions to tackling the climate crisis. By accounting for materials, site locations, logistics and construction methods, it will help reduce and eliminate the impact of projects on the natural environment. With ScopeX, we aim to reduce the carbon impact of major projects by at least 50 percent.

Acted on equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) by addressing equity challenges globally and regionally

We continue to make progress . We’re nearing our target for women to compose 35 percent of our workforce, with women in 18 percent of leadership roles and making up 33 percent of our overall workforce. We have also fostered a culture of inclusivity that has been recognized by organizations like the Human Rights Campaign— which has named us a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality in the United States. Our ED&I commitments efforts extend to the communities we serve, where we’ve implemented locally relevant workplace diversity and pay equity goals.

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Beyond a commitment

In just one year, we’ve made objective progress on our targets and have set even more stringent ones so that we can lead for our clients and our people. But what can’t be quantified is our sense of purpose.

For us, ESG is so much more than a commitment—it’s something we see every day in our work, where its impact is truly felt. I invite you to see that impact for yourself in this year’s report and explore each of our accomplishments as we continue to deliver Sustainable Legacies worldwide.

Read the report

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Despite clear public interest in speeding the delivery of infrastructure improvements in the United States, it can take as many as 4½ years on average to receive environmental approvals that clear the way for major federal projects.

The Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act (IIJA) establishes an approach to reduce these delays, and other permitting reform efforts are being pursued by government to deliver needed highway, rail, water, new energy and utility projects more quickly. At the same time, new cloud-based, interactive digital platforms like �����Ƶ’s PlanEngage can be influential ��to help reduce by half the cumulative review time and improve transparency and public engagement. In fact, lawmakers in Congress are considering policies to encourage the use of digital tools in the review process.

Making regulatory documents more accessible

While the review requirements set out in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) are critical to protect communities and habitat, a combination of factors over time has combined to extend the environmental review process – leading to costly delays and even dooming worthy projects. Environmental Impact Statements that were as once as short as 10 pages now average 600 pages, plus appendices that typically exceed 1,000 pages. Understaffed regulatory agencies often working across multiple jurisdictions and juggling input from the public, consultants and other stakeholders can bog down under the sheer weight of the review process.

Online digital platforms like PlanEngage essentially make NEPA documents more accessible, expanding stakeholder engagement and transparency, while enabling interactivity and edits in real time between regulatory agencies and the public that can speed up reviews.

How PlanEngage made collaboration easier in Arizona

This was the case in Arizona where PlanEngage was first used by the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) during review of a 280-mile interstate highway segment between Nogales and Wickenburg. Instead of navigating dense, static, two-dimensional PDF documents, the platform allowed users to search headings and subheadings through a navigation bar and provide input. Readers could pop out graphics, see photos and visualizations in a separate window on their devices, and provide input.

In addition to promoting more efficient reviews, online digital platforms allow for better collaboration between agencies that can identify and resolve conflicts earlier in the process, which also reduces the number of formal comments on the draft EIS. In the case of Arizona’s I-11 expansion, it also unlocked new opportunities.

Arizona officials said the results achieved through the interactive process will guide their efforts on future studies.

With as much as $1.2 trillion in new federal infrastructure spending hitting the market, and greater demand by the public for input and more equitable ways to deliver it, the timing is right for increased uptake of online digital platforms. In a process where debate is limited to formal written submissions or public hearings, interactive, mobile-phone friendly documents and engagement, can draw higher levels of interest, reach a broader audience and allow for a wider diversity of voices in real time.

What’s more, officials say, is that better public understanding of projects leads to more substantive comments, less ambiguity and fewer delays or challenges related to not being able to find information in a timely way.

Reducing costs, speeding up delivery

The core goals of environmental review and public participation remain as important as ever in the review process. Delivering an ambitious infrastructure program requires a new approach that aligns with the original intent of NEPA requirements and helps get projects off the drawing board.

A 2015 analysis prepared by Common Good, a nonpartisan reform coalition, found that a six-year delay in starting construction on public projects cost the nation nearly $4 trillion, a sum far in excess of the amount needed to modernize America’s infrastructure. Today’s inflationary economy has already begun eating into the spending power created by IIJA and client project decision-making.

Regulators and clients alike can play a role in encouraging innovation and moving from the approach of previous generations for environmental reviews to an interactive, cloud-based platform approach appropriate for 21st century infrastructure. The outcomes can lead to better projects delivered faster and more economically, while ensuring the environmental protections that keep our communities safe and thriving.

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After a turbulent period which started with Brexit and was sustained by coronavirus, materials, labour and supply chain issues have now been ramped up by the conflict in Ukraine. Wider economic inflation, in turn, is driving costs to all-time highs. ��

Yet the most surprising thing about the logistics market at present is that it is buoyant in the face of these staggering materials price hikes. The industrial market has experienced double-digit increases on build cost over the past eighteen months – leading to an incredibly challenging time for market participants, where demand is high, but supply of key elements is low.��

Logistics buildings typically have a very simple design, comprising an envelope of structural steel, a concrete slab, and then cladding on the walls and roof. However, with steel and concrete now in high demand and low supply, logistics centres’ need for large amounts of steel means costs and delays have become particularly pronounced. Steel and concrete are also energy intensive products to produce. As energy pieces rise, production costs have also soared.��

How inflation impacts procurement

The typical procurement route for this building type is changing. A previous preference for single-stage tendering is now changing in favour of two-stage tendering, and to a more partner-based approach. Many of the bigger developers are even bypassing two-stage tendering – instead, going straight to a partnership with a contractor at an early stage, in order to try and lock in prices and contractor availability.����

January 2022 saw some of the sharpest materials price increases on record. To offset building costs, rental prices are rising on units. This shift in yield has helped upcoming and in-development projects to continue to be financially viable. The problem developers face doing deals going forwards is how to predict build cost, and whether deals can be achieved on a fixed-price basis.����

Design with end use in mind

The biggest change with this building type over the past decade has been the shift to ecommerce, which now dominates demand. All retailers are assessing their ‘dark lstores’ and last-mile facilities and want to use them to help gain a competitive advantage over rivals – by ensuring their logistics centres enable the fastest and smoothest order fulfilment.��

While logistics centres are relatively simple in design, there are differences in facility layouts and heights based on what stage and type of fulfilment they are catering to. Last-mile logistics centres typically have a ground-based operation inside the building. They do not require high racking and are often laid out like a supermarket, with staff doing the picking rather than shoppers. In contrast, larger distribution centres, perhaps leased or owned by major international online retailers, feature high bay racking, and often deploy greater levels of technology and robotics for picking products.����

Therefore when developing a shell, it is important to consider the expected end use. For example, a fulfilment centre which has heavy amounts of robotics may need to reconsider the use of roof lights, windows, and sources of natural light, which can confuse robot tracking and motion sensors.������

Amenities for the people who working in logistics centres are improving, as labour shortages make it more important to attract and retain workers. Some core features are found in almost every project – such as a canteen, showers, changing and toilet facilities, and a large car park. However, gyms, sports fields, trim trails and additional EV charging points for staff cars and grassy outdoor meeting or relaxation areas have all been included in recent projects, to attract tenants and retain labour.����

To maximise value, some tenants are opting to make their distribution centres also their HQ or primary office location. This may also drive-up demand for enhanced staff amenities and increased office design. Offices are typically fitted out to Cat A.��

Making logistics centres sustainable

Because logistics centres are such large, open spaces, the cost impact to improving sustainability is relatively small compared to the cost of the building itself. BREEAM Very Good is easily achievable with speculative logistics developments, and is now a baseline; BREEAM Excellent status is also being reached on some projects where tenants have demanded it.����

Logistics centres, with their large flat roofs, are obvious choices for solar PV installation and this is now commonplace. Some developers are selling the electricity generated from their rooftops to tenants. Making logistics centres self-sufficient from an energy perspective will likely become a strong selling point soon.����

Location also informs what sustainability measures can be included. Rainwater harvesting, on-site wind turbines, EV charging points at every delivery van space and water attenuation are all being deployed on projects.����

A smarter and more efficient future

Rather than a case of ‘survival of the fittest’, where only the largest contractors or tenants can take on and manage the risk associated with the inflation happening on these projects, it may turn out to be survival of the smartest – those industry players who can collaborate with the right partners; secure prices, labour and materials as efficiently as possible; and keep watch and respond to the retail trends which are influencing demand for these buildings.����

This is an abridged version of an article that was first published in Building magazine. .

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