Mission Statement
To date the building industry has taken little responsibility for its impact on the environment.
The built environment is responsible for using 45% of the energy produced in the UK, of producing 26% of landfill
waste, and generating 50% of the UK's COČ emissions. The effects new development has on communities are hard to
quantify but often equally negative.
It is our mission to lead by example, to change the construction industry for the better, and to create beautiful,
healthy places where people want to be.
As a team we consider the sustainability of a development as a whole - we look at the environmental, social,
and economic processes, on local, national, and global scales. We do not look at projects in terms of a pick list of sustainable
materials, eco-friendly idealism and energy concepts, but strive to have an overall strategy that works with the
microclimate and specifics of the site whilst recognising the importance of local industry and communities.
We will consider the impact, and seek to minimise, waste and energy use in the industry for both the construction
process and throughout the lifecycle of the building. In addition to this we will consider how legislation could
go further in limiting the ecological impact of the built environment locally, nationally and globally.
This way of thinking puts more emphasis on the whole project team to work as closely and efficiently as possible toward the
finished project. Working together from the start encourages all aspects to be considered at an early
stage: increased time put into design 'at the front end' of the process (including design of the process itself)
greatly increases the quality of the product and the efficiency and economy of its delivery, and improves the
interface between designers, constructors, and ultimate users.
The design must be continually reassessed, as each change impacts upon
other parameters, and must incorporate new considerations effectively. Working like this enables
us to work as efficiently as possible towards the finished product and is a valuable exercise for a team working
to tight deadlines.
The feasibility stage of the design is only the start. Sustainable technologies often become
lost further down the design process due to budget and time constraints. The client needs to ensure that their
ecological aims are included in a policy statement from the very beginning to ensure that sustainable technologies
and practices are practically incorporated into the finished building.
Specifying environmental and sustainable performance of a development must apply to feasibility, design,
construction (including manufacture of components), practical completion, occupation, residual material,
durability, maintenance, refurbishment and demolition, and must consider the community on all scales.
Julie, James, and Jason - J3«building futures
