Sustainability
Sustainability
Climate change through planetary warming is one of the most serious challenges facing our world today.
At CPW we are all too aware that the construction and operation of buildings is contributing to the ‘greenhouse effect’. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Our dedicated team are passionate about tackling climate change and building a better, healthier and more sustainable future for all. With every building we design, we aim to minimise the carbon emissions and environmental impact.
Early engagement of the team is essential to understand our clients’ evolving needs and aspirations to ensure that key sustainability principles and best practice are embedded into the project from the outset, with practical routes to delivering net zero carbon.
Through creativity and care we promote sustainable consumption throughout the life-cycle of all our buildings. We will harness the very best emerging technologies and ideas in conjunction with our detailed engineering proficiency to deliver this vision and create buildings of genuine quality and longevity.
Environmental Compliance & Certification Services
Our team of specialist assessors deploy Environmental Rating Tools to assess the sustainability credentials of building projects. Over 20 years they have built up a wealth of ‘real-world’ knowledge to help ensure that the accreditation process is done in a pragmatic and thoughtful manner.
Our experienced team members cover a wide range of schemes, from long-established, internationally recognised certification systems like BREEAM and LEED, to more recent entrants that focus on features that impact on human health and well-being, such as the WELL Building Standard and Fitwel accreditations.
We are also leaders in Passivhaus with a number of accredited consultants and industry experts in low energy design who have been responsible for championing and delivering Passivhaus Certified buildings at-scale in the UK and verifying their exemplar in-use performance.
Net Zero Carbon
Delivering practical routes to Net Zero Carbon is fundamental to sustainability and we take pride in our ability to offer clients pathways to achieve this, regardless of building type, scale or complexity.
Our approach draws on years of experience to guide clients through a tailored journey to net zero carbon in a seamless manner, and our professional services include a range of whole life cycle assessment and circular economy reports in line with various standards and local authorities.
Sustainability and Innovation
Sustainability is a product of long-term thinking, and this mind-set is part of every design decision on every project.
All of our staff and engineers are enrolled on lifelong environmental education, to ensure that every project we work on has sustainability at the core, as demonstrated in the below chart. Low Carbon design thus becomes central to everything that we do.
Featured project
CPW’s MEP and Passivhaus designers formed the team responsible for delivering the University of Leicester’s pioneering new £42m facility for their College of Medicine, as well as accommodation for their Biological Sciences and Psychology departments.
The building is home to over 2,350 students and staff. The contemporary development provides 12,000m² of teaching rooms, offices, cutting-edge dry laboratory research facilities and support spaces to set a new benchmark for scientific study in the UK. It is currently the UK’s largest Passivhaus building, leading the standard for sustainable building design.
Frequently asked questions
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Sustainable engineering means building with sustainability at the heart of every design. It incorporates practices, processes and products needed to protect the environment, natural resources and human health. This includes considering the long-term impact of a project and aspects such as building physics, net zero carbon design, materials, technology, energy sources and lighting.
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The basic principles of sustainable design include reducing energy consumption and minimising waste and any negative impact on the environment or people living near the building. A successful sustainable design will support the health and comfort of the occupants and improve building performance. A sustainable building will use low-impact materials, be energy efficient, have inbuilt reuse and recycling practices and durable, lasting design.
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A sustainable building refers to the way in which it is built, the building materials themselves and the impact on the environment. Eco-friendly construction is built to be socially, economically and environmentally sustainable in all its components and will positively impact its surroundings throughout its lifecycle. It may consider the carbon emissions from transportation, manufacturing, construction and demolition (embodied carbon) as well as the emissions when in use (operational carbon).