Sustainability buildings specialists
We specialise in designing high performance, energy and resource efficient buildings – tailored to the needs and wellbeing of owners and occupants – with a special focus on minimising their environmental and ecological impact.
Our projects include commercial and residential buildings, research laboratories, stadiums, museums and public infrastructure schemes. Our experience spans sustainable buildings including Queen’s Wharf in Australia, Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, South Key Plaza in London, L’Avenue in Shanghai, Salesforce Tower in San Francisco, the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC, New City Office Complex in Warsaw, the Menlyn Maine green precinct development in Pretoria, and Four Seasons Hotel and Residences in Toronto.
Our teams are involved in both new buildings and the renovation of existing buildings. For new buildings, they hold design charrettes, create energy models, guide energy efficiency decisions and manage green building certifications. With existing buildings, it’s a case of carrying out energy audits and retro-commissioning to recommend improvements and show value, so business owners can make the right decisions.
Addressing the whole life cycle
Our holistic approach to ESD considers the whole life cycle of a building, from the earliest stages of design through construction and operation to demolition. We advise on building massing and orientation, consider the energy embodied in construction materials, optimise natural resources and incorporate renewables where possible.
I team is experienced in helping our clients meet requirements for compliance and planning as well as voluntary certification schemes, including:
- Section J
- NatHERS/BASIX
- SEPP 65/ADG
- NGERS
- BEEC/NABERS
- LEED
- ISCA
- Green Star
- WELL Building Standard
- EnviroDevelopment
- Climate change risk assessments
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions reporting
Improving energy efficiency
Working collaboratively with the architect during the early stages of design, we seek to maximise the inherent potential for passive environmental impacts. Through the application of natural ventilation, passive solar heating, daylight harvesting and thermal mass cooling, we can often improve building performance without increasing cost.
Harnessed effectively, designing for daylight can complement the architectural quality and character of a space while significantly reducing the energy demand of electric lighting. In addition, well day-lit environments promote occupant wellbeing and productivity. Our specialist teams use daylight modelling software to inform the design of building facades, light wells and atria.
Our goal is to harvest beneficial natural light while mitigating the potentially detrimental side effects of glare and solar heat gain. We ensure that daylight and electric lighting designs are complementary, both in terms of energy efficiency and architectural aesthetic.
Our holistic approach to building energy modelling is an indispensable tool in developing facade solutions that maintain architectural character while delivering on energy, daylight and comfort.
Building systems design and integration
In designing building systems, we take nature as our model. We simulate energy, water and waste flows as aspects of a single interrelated system. We utilise advanced system simulation software that provides us with excellent flexibility to model and validate the performance of any combination of energy, water and waste system technologies.
To optimise water systems, we analyse opportunities to not only conserve water, but to also capture, treat and reuse this resource on-site. Our analysis starts early in the design process as we look for opportunities to integrate ecological water management into the design of rain, storm and wastewater systems.
Solutions tailored for clients and building occupants
Our solutions combine a commercial approach, technical excellence and creative thinking. They are tailored to our clients’ unique objectives, bearing in mind current and future building occupants.
We deliver attractive, healthy, fit-for-purpose environments that add real value through enhanced user wellbeing, reduced energy and natural resources demand, improved performance and above all, higher market values.
