Applied Research Roadmap
Addressing emissions produced by the built environment is vital in tackling the climate emergency. Despite the absence of regulations within the UK for some elements of the built environment, reduction measures still need to be integrated into the design process. The construction industry is responsible for 38% of emissions worldwide. Within the UK, the built environment is responsible for 25% of emissions. The goals and actions within our research strategy, sets out the plan that will not only reduce our impact but will work towards a built environment that is truly regenerative, not just reducing harm.
Taken together, these themes reflect SPACE Architects’ commitment to research that is embedded and responsive to the realities of practice. As the work continues, the focus remains on translating research into usable tools, frameworks and decisions that support meaningful change across projects, sectors and the wider profession.
Need for Building
80% of buildings that exist today will still be in use in 2050 and 19 % of the UK’s carbon footprint is from operational emissions (UKGBC), from energy needed to heat, cool and power our building, this highlights the need for retrofit and the importance of care for the existing building stock. It needs to be considered whether a new building is necessary or if existing building stock can be retrofitted and utilised.
Benchmarks
Setting benchmarks for projects within SPACE will help align with industry best practice and the goal to decarbonise the built environment. It will allow us to create targets and measure our progress in reducing the Whole Life Carbon of our buildings. Integrating benchmarks from the earliest stage of design will ensure the whole project team is invested in meeting these targets.
Project benchmarks need to be agreed upon at the earliest phase of the design project and monitored throughout the process, including post completion. Some projects will have project specific benchmarks that are included within the requirements. This includes the Department for Education, NHS and some councils such as the Greater London Authority. Targets should be set for elements in addition to Whole Life Carbon such as (but not limited to) recycled materials, water use and end of life. Benchmarks give a quantifiable way of measuring impact across projects and the industry.
Design Decisions
WLC of a project is set, often unknowingly, from the design phase. By utilising good early design decisions, WLC can be reduced by up to 40%. These design decisions can be analysed using D-CARB (Design Carbon Assessment and Reduction for Buildings), an open-access Autodesk Revit plugin that was developed by SPACE. D-CARB brings Whole Life Carbon analysis to the forefront of the design process, integrating it from the earliest stage of design.
Embodied Carbon
Embodied carbon from the construction and refurbishment of buildings currently makes up 20% of the UK’s built environment emissions (UKGBC).
Embodied carbon emissions are the emissions associated with the construction process and materials throughout the whole lifecycle of a building.
Embodied carbon reduction and measurement is not currently within UK legislation, despite being a major source of the UK’s carbon emissions. Whilst many organisations are beginning to require embodied carbon reporting and reduction within projects, it is not yet mainstream practice.
Materials
Within the research strategy, we will be reviewing and analysing the materials specified from the earliest stage of design across multiple projects. This will be in line with the Living Building Challenge reviewing forever chemicals within materials alongside the distance that the materials are sourced from the site.
The Living Building Challenge states that material choices should consider non toxic, ecologically restorative materials. The Living Building Challenge envisions a future where all materials in the built environment are regenerative and have no negative impact on ecosystem or human health.
Operational Carbon
Operational Carbon refers to the emissions that are released as a result of a building’s energy use. This can typically be attributed to hot water, heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting and other elements that use energy.
Part L of the Building Regulations is the legislation that covers Operational Carbon. Following the 2022 update, buildings were required to have an improvement in both energy efficiency and a reduction in emissions.
LETI, the World Green Building Council and Architecture 2030 believe that all new buildings must operate at net zero carbon by 2030 and all buildings must operate at net zero carbon by 2050 in order to meet climate change targets.
Circular Economy
A Circular Economy (CE) is an alternative to a traditional linear economy (make, use and dispose) in which resources for used for as long as possible and then they are recovered and made into other products and materials at the end of each service life. Creating a strategy to design circular economy practices into projects will create a new way of thinking, looking at design for disassembly, reuse and recycling. A circular economy approach should be prioritised in order to address the global issue of resource scarcity and environmental depletion.
Regenerative Design
Regenerative design is an approach in which human and natural systems are designed to co-exist and co-evolve over time (Arup). SPACE are beginning to follow the values set out by the Living Building Challenge, which is a framework that encourages regenerative design, creating buildings that give back to the environment and community, creating no harm.