Sustainability

Sustainability is intrinsic in everything we do.

We recognise that our company and designs have an impact on the future. As Architects and Technologists working in the built environment, we play a significant role in promoting sustainability.

Aligning with our purpose and core values we strive to weave sustainability throughout our processes as a company and within our projects. For us, integrating sustainable practices is not just an ethical responsibility but also an opportunity to create more efficient, liveable, workable and resilient spaces.

At P+HS we believe we have a duty to improve wellbeing within the spaces we design, live and work within.

We have a series of commitments in place which we are constantly evaluating and striving to improve on. We have our own quality assurance strategies which are continually reviewed and updated such as our Environmental Design Guidance, Environmental Management Systems and Footpath to Net Zero. We are also signatories to the RIBA Climate Challenge and Architect’s Declare.

Progression is important to us and we have set up a structure to fulfil this via our Sustainability Working Group. The group consists of team members ranging from directors to architects and technicians of varying levels of experience who are in constant cross working with all our office groups; Healthcare, Residential, Administration, Quality Assurance, Design, BIM, IT and Technology, Technical and Visual Communication, moving forward as one team for which sustainability is integral.

The P+HS team has a wide range of experience through the sectors working on BREEAM, Building Regulations Part L+ standards, and Net Zero projects. We also have an in house Passivhaus designer.

Understanding clients’ sustainability aspirations is part of our briefing process and developing a strategic sustainability plan at the very start ensures that there is a shared focus in achieving these goals. Retrofit v new build is always one of the earliest considerations. The strategic plan allows us to review proposals against the project’s sustainability success criteria (including the whole life carbon / embodied carbon strategy, MMC, and choice of renewables) and forms the basis for tracking and monitoring progress

As a practice we are proactive in our approach to tackling emerging policy, ensuring that our working practices are updated in line with future aspirations but also considering the needs and values of the social sectors that we serve. We are actively engaging with DLUHC, RIBA and the Future Homes Hub on emerging legislation such as the planning reform changes to the NPPF and Future Homes and Building Standards 2025. Critically reviewing the consultation documentation as and when it is issued and commenting back to Government through these bodies to ensure that the needs of our clients and the communities they serve are addressed and considered within the guidance.

We are committed to improving our designs and knowledge with current and emerging research and technologies which assist us in real time analysis of design studies for locations, orientation, shadings, carbon calculating, u-values and data collection. Through this we are able to test elements during the design stages to ensure compliance and means to improve. Post Occupancy data collection assists in analysing for future projects. Within our offices we also calculate our carbon footprint and look to ways to reduce our impact with our quality assurance policies.