CULLINAN STUDIO
Sustainability Report: 2012
AGENDA
“...Cullinans are among the world leaders in green design. Their buildings are also well-detailed and constructed in a broad palette of materials, many ‘natural’, that help the buildings blend into their settings and weather gracefully. Importantly too, they are generally popular with users and public.” Peter Buchanan, ‘The Big Rethink’, Jan 2012 Architectural Review
Cullinan Studio have a long-standing reputation for our commitment to designing sustainable masterplans and buildings, running a low impact office, and minimising our own personal carbon footprints. But it is more than just environmental responsibility:
Political Commitment Social Engagement Economic Viability Environmental Impact
Now Nick Stern has revised his estimate of temperature rise from 2oC to 4oC or 5oC, don’t we all need to try a bit harder?
Front Cover: The restored oak trusses of our new Islington studios. Photo © Tim Soar Opposite: The BREEAM ‘Excellent’ Herbarium at Kew Gardens employed features such as natural ventilation and deep well bore holes to keep the collection at 15°C. Photo © Tim Soar.
PROJECTS
In 2012 we completed some memorable projects including: * our new low-energy studios - BREEAM ‘Excellent’ * IIPSI at University of Warwick (opposite) - BREEAM ‘Excellent’ * Shenley Academy in Birmingham - BREEAM ‘Very Good’ * Phased retrofit of the BFI’s Conservation Centre in Berkhamsted * Rosendale Primary School Refurbishment - Phase 2. We started some great new projects on site including: * Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre in Newcastle - BREEAM ‘Excellent’ * Stoney Street housing, London - CfSH 3 * Baldwin Terrace Housing * The final residential building in our Bristol Harbourside masterplan CfSH 3. We are working on a range of interesting schemes: * mixed-tenure housing in Stonebridge for Hyde, London - CfSH 4 * a TSB research project on immersive visualisation in construction with the Hyde Group and the University of Warwick * Fitzwilliam College Central Buildings refurbishment, Cambridge * Cryfield Energy Centre CHP facility at the University of Warwick * Our ‘standard’ school design to suit most sites elegantly customised for a primary school in Swindon And we won a number of awards including: * RIBA Award for our BREEAM ‘Excellent’ BFI Master Film Store * Highly Commended at the BCI Awards for the BFI Master Film Store (Building Project of the Year). * CIBSE award for John Hope Gateway (Public Building of the Year).
Opposite: The International Institute for Product and Service Innovation (IIPSI), at the University of Warwick, employs an active double skin to the south-west facade as the best value solution to regulate the internal environment of this naturally ventilated building. Photo © Simon Warren.
CASE STUDY
1. Existing fabric retained 2. Recycled newspaper as insulation 3. Natural Ventilation 4. Air Source Heat Pump 5. 22m2 PV Panels 6. Heat Recovery 7. Underfloor heating
Foundry, Retrofit Offices, London In October we moved into our new studios on Regents Canal. The refurbished building, named the Foundry in reference to its original use, incorporates a new structure that was inserted to restrain the listed Victorian warehouse façade to the south. Cullinan Studio’s double-height office, with a mezzanine floor, has connections at the canal tow-path level and the street level. The top floor, complete with its original timber trusses, is now home to our colocators – The Modern House, the Sustainable Development Foundation and Studio Toogood who moved with us from next door. We worked with the Main Contractor, Jerram Falkus Construction Ltd, to create a BREEAM Excellent, collaborative office. The majority of the existing facade and roof has been retained. Using a fabric first approach, the south wall’s insulation has been upgraded to a u-value of 0.1W/m2K by using recycled newspaper (warmcell). The north wall uses externally applied insulation up to 380mm over the existing rendered facade, providing a u-value of 0.08W/m2K. Heat is supplied via under-floor heating fed from our air-source heat pump (in part powered by an adjacent PV array). The building is naturally ventilated where possible, with a mechanically ventilated heat recovery system serving the shower and toilets. All window apertures have been enlarged and windows upgraded. Day-lighting is maximized and lowenergy task lighting is employed when needed. We are currently monitoring our energy usage via the BMS and submetering with the view of publishing a POE in conjunction with the building’s Mechanical and Electrical Engineers, Max Fordham LLP. Opposite: An open plan layout with views between floors and a shared kitchen aids the flow of conversations and ideas between colleagues and companies working in the Foundry.
OVER 45 YEARS OF SUSTAINABLE DESIGN...
OFFICE COMMITMENTS
We practise what we preach. In 2008 we signed up to the Islington Climate Change Partnership commitment to reduce our carbon footprint by 15% in 3 years. Through a number of changes we achieved that figure and are now 39% lower than our 2008 figure We minimise carbon dioxide emission by: * video conferences and online presenting to reduce trips to meetings * taking public transport or cycling to meetings and our sites * replacing outdated equipment with A-rated products * using renewable energy providers & installing on site renewables * switching equipment off when not in use * operating a cycle to work scheme and payment per mile of workrelated cycling We are an accredited ISO 14001 company. Some ways in which we maintain this environmental management standard are by: * procuring sustainable products from like-minded companies * producing our office note books from our own waste paper * operating a zero waste to landfill policy Our previous office acquired a Display Energy Certificate rating ‘E’, which is typical for the building’s age and construction. We hope to be able to show considerable improvements once we obtain sufficient data from our new building.
Opposite: A design session in our old studios at the concept stage of our recently published Anthology.
Cullinan Studios total carbon footprint comparison by year
70000 60000
11.7% *
10% *
kgCO2eq
50000
29% * 39% *
40000 30000 20000 10000 0
2008
2009
2010
Year
2011
2012 *reduction since 2008
Compared to figures for 2008 we managed a total carbon footprint reduction of 39% to date. We have reduced our carbon footprint by 13% in comparison to our 2011 figures
120
100
80
60
40
Electricity:** Cullinan Studio’s (CS) annual footprint comparison against CIBSE standards for 2010 per m2
20
0 Best practice 2010
Typical 2010
CS 2008
CS 2009
CS 2010
CS 2011
CS 2012
180 160 140 120 100 80 60
Gas:** Cullinan Studio’s (CS) annual footprint comparison against CIBSE standards for 2010 per m2
40 20 0 Best practice 2010
Typical 2010
CS 2008
CS 2009
CS 2010
CS 2011
CS 2012
tCO2e 11.5 3.3 2.0 1.3 1.0 10.0 2.7 3.0 5.0 5.2 3.6 7.1 4.2 7.2 4.2 5.7 4.0 3.0 6.3 5.3 3.9 1.4 10.2 1.6
tCO2e
Carol
Charlie
Johnny
Brendan Sarah
Helen Amy
Kev Amy
Kev Peter
Helen
Alex Wen
Alex
Colin
Emma
Roddy
Tim
John Sahiba
Allan
Charlie Peter
Allan
Nick Colin
Brendan
Nick Cherry
Robin
Roddy Claire
Kristina
Sarah
Johnny
Cherry
Tim
Carol
Sahiba
Phil
John
Wen
UK average: 10.1
UK average: 5.5
Personal * *includes flights
Claire Kristina
Robin Phil
Emma
7.6 2.6 1.8 1.4 1.1 6.7 3.3 6.5 2.3 1.4 5.6 4.3 5.6 3.7 5.8 3.7 4.2 3.3 3.4 2.7 1.7 4.0 7.5 2.0
Household
To meet the reduction targets for global carbon emissions we understand that it is not only our projects and our office where we need to minimise the impact - we also need to consider our own contribution. Since 2005 we have been monitoring the carbon footprints of ourselves as individuals and also the print of our households. To make reductions, some of us have done the following:
* * * * * * * * * * * *
improved insulation draft-proofed sash windows replaced doors and windows installed solar panels installed efficient boilers optimised thermostats grown our own fruit and veg took ‘staycations’ took the train or ferry when leaving Britain switched to electric cars purchased “green” energy planted trees
“Often the innovation required in building is to bring people, processes and things together in slightly different ways to achieve radically better results.” - Bill Bordass 20 Feb 2012
Opposite: The personal carbon footprints and household carbon footprints from 2012 for each member of Cullinan Studio
GIB TOR
The best way the UK construction industry can be world leaders in sustainable design is through knowledge sharing. At Cullinan Studio we are committed to sharing our learnt lessons with our peers, clients, the public and students. We hosted talks at our office: * ‘Beyond the Green Guide’ * ‘Old Schools v New Schools’ * Launch of The Islington Honey Club Some of the places we spoke during the year: * The Royal Academy London * CIBSE Conference * North Carolina State University, USA * At architecture departments at various UK universities including Cambridge, UCL, Birmingham, Nottingham, and Loughborough * London Festival of Architecture * Royal Architects Institute of Canada * The SCALA awards * Belgrade, Serbia * Rio de Janeiro, Brazil * The Building Centre, London * The Building Design Centre, London * The Royal Academy of Engineering, London
Opposite: Each year we, our families, and our friends visit Ted Cullinan’s small farm at Gibtor in the Peak District to help plant a native forest. Last year we planted approximately 500 trees. One native broad leaf absorbs on average 1 tonne of carbon over 100 years.
ENGAGEMENT
GIB TOR
We are active members (or signatories) of a number of organisations and groups with an environmental agenda, including. * * * * * * * *
All Parliamentary Party Climate Change Group TRADA Good Homes Alliance The Edge Islington Climate Change Partnership Lambeth Eco Teams Programme NHBC foundation WRAP
In 2011 we invited a collection of sustainability groups to come and base themselves in our home on Regents Canal. This allows us to collaborate and share knowledge with others who are at the leading edge of environmental policy and research, including * * * * * *
Sustainable Development Foundation Passivhaus Trust Good Homes Alliance SHINE Alliance for Sustainable Building Products Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance
Opposite: One of the refurbished classrooms in our ongoing upgrade of Rosendale Primary School in south London. We are currently undertaking a post occupancy evaluation with Atlas Photo Š Paul Raftery.
Cullinan Studio is committed to collaborative design to make fine architecture that fulfils the needs of the client, the users and those of the wider society. We have been designing carefully composed, lowenergy exemplar buildings for five decades and are currently working on masterplanning, urban regeneration, inner city housing, cultural institutions, schools and universities in the UK and abroad. We have consistently won awards including:
• • • • • • •
RICS Scotland Sustainability Award 2011 for the John Hope Gateway a Special Civic Trust Award 2011 for Community Impact & Engagement; and a Building for Life Gold Standard and Award for the Stonebridge Hillside Hub Building Magazine’s Architectural Practice of the Year 2010 Building Design’s Public Building Architect of the Year 2010 fifteen RIBA awards including Regional Building of the Year for the BFI Master Film Store in 2012 the 2008 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for Ted Cullinan who was made a Royal Designer of Industry in 2010 the 2002 Stirling Prize Shortlist for the Downland Gridshell
CULLINAN STUDIO 5 Baldwin Terrace, London, N1 7RU T + 44 (0)20 7704 1975 studio@cullinanstudio.com www.cullinanstudio.com Cullinan Studio is the trading name of Edward Cullinan Architects Ltd. We endeavour at all times to conduct our business with integrity, competence and discretion. We are an equal opportunities employer, promoting mutual respect and encouraging life-long development; presently we are 49% women, 51% men with an average age of 37. Cullinan Studio is Quality Assured to BS EN ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 environmental accreditation. We are members of the Employee Ownership Association sus_2