In the 6 months since the incorporation of our joint venture company, Sussed Sustainability, it is clear to see the benefits that can be achieved, through a close relationship between architect and sustainability consultant. The design of sustainable, low carbon buildings needs to be the focus for architects across the UK, as we address the climate emergency, but for a commissioning client, sustainability also needs to be measurable, to allow targets to be defined at the outset of a project, measured during construction and commissioning, and demonstrated on completion. In collaborating, Holmes Miller + Sussed offer our clients a ‘one team approach’, where the skills, expertise and sector knowledge of our project architects, fuse with the UK’s leading technical analysts, building assessors and advisors. The result is architecture that is intelligent and responsive.  

Our collaborative projects are already achieving outstanding results for our clients, with case studies that showcase this collaborative approach, including; 

• Working within planning policy, to redefine transportation requirements, develop green travel plans, and as a result, reduce project hard landscaping and associated embodied carbon

• Designing within the LETI guidance for capped embodied carbon, and as a result, creating a school design with an interior that reduces anxiety in pupils, mitigates building VOC’s and promotes wellbeing

• Creating uplifting and relaxing external spaces for healthcare patients, whilst focussing on achieving onerous greenspace factors that enhance local biodiversity

• Crafting the design of a new sports centre, where improved indoor air quality enhances athlete performance, whilst reducing our clients operational energy costs

The ‘one team approach’ offers a clear and legible process in ecological design, driving the creation of architecture that brings only positive impact to the environment and the community it serves