We look at issues such as the material choice for a building’s facade and structure, as well as energy performance and thermal comfort.
The embodied carbon within the façade increased compared with initial projections.This is partly due to the anodized finish of the aluminium frame curtain walling (this couldn’t be altered due to the extant planning permission) and partly because the façade was manufactured in Poland – a country with both many transport miles and an electricity grid predominantly fuelled by coal..
The internal finishes and walls performed well due to the limited quantity of materials used.The false ceilings were omitted to reduce materials needed, the curtain walling is self finishing to the inside of the external walls, the building is largely open plan reducing the number of internal walls required and finally the raised flooring is reused from an existing building.The materials specified for the internal wall include recycled materials, reducing their embodied carbon..
Finally, the DfMA approach has optimised the MEP systems, using modular prefabricated units, which reduce the amount of material used.When comparing our results with LETI benchmarks (see below), this is not apparent.
It is becoming clear across the industry that LETI benchmarks for MEP are likely underestimated..
Embodied carbon analysis.Recent clients like GSK, Johnson Matthey and MSD have all faced similar problems: large and complex sites that have developed organically over time, resulting in some parts being highly utilised and others much less so, or even being mothballed altogether and standing unused.. For each site, creating a master plan is initially about bringing to life the full range of issues for that site, and exploring multiple layers of value drivers – financial, operational, environmental, aesthetic, attractiveness for investment, and so on – and not just for the status quo, but also modelling future scenarios.
An effective master plan gives the client clarity, understanding and tools for improvement.. A Design to Value master plan is not simply a design, or a set of drawings or visuals for a site.It is a means to understand current processes and activities, and plan for their development in what may be a changing and unpredictable environment, with multiple stakeholders and agendas..
The very process of creating such a plan – gathering all the relevant information and data and presenting it back to clients in a structured way – is in itself a highly productive exercise, allowing people to pull back from the detail of day-to-day operations, and take a more holistic view of what they are doing.Many activities, processes and sites develop organically over time, meaning that the big picture can become confused or even lost altogether.