MICA Environmental Strategy 2023 Brochure

Environmental strategy

MICA have been at the forefront of low energy design for over 40 years. We recognise our environmental responsibilities are part of a wider picture, and that our own commitment to the environment runs through everything we do. From this, we have developed our own holistic strategy, informed by our experience, which can be integrated with other industry benchmarks as appropriate. It is also how we deliver social impact, driving economic development and embodying environmental stewardship in all our projects. We hope through our work and how we collaborate with others we can help inspire and achieve positive change. This framework sets out our KPIs and targets to work to so we can ensure we consistently achieve the highest standards, and is subject to continual review. This means we can offer our clients a fully comprehensive and authored approach to how best to tackle key issues and deliver strategies towards net zero carbon.

Cities Streets Buildings Paths Spaces Parts

Environmental strategy

Both studio wide and project based, our strategy works across 6 central themes. Cities is the wider strategic view, Streets is the local context, Buildings is how we construct, Paths is strategies and opportunities, Space is how we experience, and Parts is how we put it all together.

Embedded into this are key recognised industry standards, from the United Nations sustainable development goals, to RIBA 2030, LETI and WELL standards.

Thinking strategically about how we live Cities

Promoting vibrant, diverse and healthy public spaces Streets

Delivering high performance, low energy regenerative design solutions Buildings

Creating opportunities for people and communities Paths

Creating healthy and uplifting environments Spaces

Putting it all together Parts

How our environmental strategy works

A performance focused approach, which by using targets and performance metrics defines measurable ways to assess our environmental impact and to translate ambition into reality.

This is structured around MICA’s six central themes, each of which has a series of key criteria. Each theme contains between 2 and 7 criteria. (24 criteria in total across the themes). Under each criteria is a range of specific Key Performance Indicators which measure a particular process or outcome. These are all related to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and incorporate the RIBA 2030 Climate

Themes

Cities Streets

Thinking strategically about how we live

Promoting vibrant, diverse and healthy spaces

Criteria

Emerging patterns

Spatial layout

Mix and character

Social and economic

Mobility and transport Environment

Future proofed

Key performance indicators

Vibrancy

Health

Accessibility

Challenge KPI’s in addition to MICA’s own developed versions. They are also compliant with MICA’s ISO 14001 accreditation, and MICA’s own principles for Environmental and Social Governance.

Which criteria and indicators are relevant at which stage will depend upon the type of studio activity and the stage it is at. It is not expected that any one project or activity will necessarily cover all the criteria. The purpose is to create a holistic working approach which can stand alone if need be, or equally dovetail under client or team strategies as appropriate, and according to project needs.

Buildings Paths

Delivering high performance, low energy regenerative design solutions

Embodied

Passive Design Measures

Waste

Sustainable Water Cycle

Sustainable Life Cycle Value

Spaces Parts

Good health and wellbeing

Cities Thinking strategically about how we live

Will what we are proposing support and promote sustainable development and discourage unsustainable practices?

Cities are a sustainable and ever evolving development form. Through exploring relationships of living working, learning, recreation playing, how we move around, what makes it special and unique, we research, think and take a strategic overview to future proof and ensure we don’t just plan responsibly but create fantastic places to be in and be part of, to reinforce the city and its environs as a sustainable and compact settlement form. Tapping into international expertise and best practice combined with our insight and database of tried and tested solutions, we map and embed the project to the spot.

Cities

Criteria

Emerging Patterns

Informed by how we live now and in the future

CT.1.01 Living

CT.1.02 Learning

CT.1.03 Working

CT.1.04 Health

CT.1.05 Culture

CT.1.06 Recreation

Spatial layout

Ensuring the optimum based on site conditions

CT.2.01 Settlement form

CT.2.02 Orientation Context and Contour

CT.2.03 Accessibility

CT.2.04 Scale

Mix and Character

Contributing to a sense of scale and place

CT.3.01 Uses including meanwhile

CT.3.02 Density

CT.3.03 Typologies

CT.3.04 Fronts and Backs

CT.3.05 Beauty

CT.3.06 Heritage

Social and Economic

Making sure its people orientated and sustainably viable

CT.4.01 Community

CT.4.02 Environmental economies

CT.4.03 Demographics

CT.4.04 Safety

CT4.05 Economic impact

Connectivity and Transport

Fostering healthy travel and reducing individual car use

CT.5.01 Accessibility

CT.5.02 Sustainable modes

CT.5.03 Integration

CT.5.04 Smart Cities

Environment

Climate friendly solutions that improve our lived experience

CT.6.1 Bio Diversity

CT.6.2 Air Quality and movement

CT.6.3 Water Cycle

CT.6.4 Food Production

CT.6.5

Pollution: air / noise / light

CT.6.6 Energy

Future Proofed

Fully tested robust solutions based on experience and insight

CT.7.01

CT.7.02

Research

Evidence

Streets Promoting vibrant, diverse and healthy public spaces

“Giving something to the street”

Streets and public spaces are conduits and vessels of urban life; the interplay of movement and destination, encompassing scale, diversity, place and orientation and how buildings interact with spaces, their thresholds of privacy or openness, their frontage and aspect. Our projects are committed their wider settings, both immediate and further afield to promote community benefits and create healthy uplifting external environments, encompassing a cross disciplinary approach through design, mix, landscaping and the public realm.

Criteria

Vibrancy

Making streets and public spaces lively, distinctive and safe

ST.1.01 Mix

ST.1.02 Activation

ST.1.03 Frontage

ST.1.04 Character

Health

Fostering and contributing to wellbeing

ST.2.01 Aspect and Orientation

ST.2.02 GLA Scorecard

ST.2.03 Mental wellbeing

ST.2.04 Drinking water

ST.2.05 Equality

ST.2.06 Facilities

ST.2.07 Food production

Accessibility and Safety

Streets and public spaces for all

ST.3.01 Priorities for sustainable modes

ST.3.02 Inclusive approach

ST.3.03 Autonomous neighbourhood

ST.3.04 Lighting

ST.3.05 Security

ST.3.06 Wayfinding

ST.3.07 Stakeholder involvement

Waste and recycling

ST.4.01 Food waste

ST.4.02 Renewables

ST.4.03 Cleaning

Biodiversity

ST.5.01 Air pollution

ST.5.02 Tree planting

ST.5.03 Green space

ST.5.04 Bird and bat boxes

Flexibility

ST.6.01 Vibrant neighbourhood

ST.6.02 Multi-use

Buildings Delivering high performance, low energy regenerative design solutions

How we plan, create, transform and regenerate buildings. Developed from over 40 years of experience of pioneering low energy design. Fabric first, passive, efficiently and elegantly planned; an integrated approach to ensure we meet the RIBA 2030 net zero targets and Architects Declare climate declaration.

Buildings

Criteria

Operational Energy and CO2

Minimising consumption

BD.1.01 Prioritising retrofit

BD.1.02 Fabric first approach

BD.1.03 Ultra low energy

BD.1.04 Prioritising onsite renewables

Embodied Energy and CO2

Minimising the energy inherent in materials and processes

BD.2.01 Prioritising building re-use, whole life carbon analysis

BD.2.02 Ethical, low embodied carbon, local and sustainable materials

BD.2.03 Long life materials targeting zero construction waste

BD.2.04 Designing for disassembly and the circular economy

Passive Design Measures

Ensuring the building is specifically orientated to its setting, making it inherently efficient

BD.3.01 Optimising form and orientation

BD.3.02 Tuning to layout

BD.3.03 Solar control measures

BD.3.04 Landscape and surfaces

Before and after: Newham Collegiate entrance

Waste

Minimising waste, by reuse and recycling

BD.4.01 Maximising reuse of existing structure and materials

BD.4.02 Using offsite construction

BD.4.03 Recycling

BD.4.04 Decontaminating on site where possible

Sustainable Water Cycle

Reducing consumption

BD.5.01 Low flow waterless appliances and fittings

BD.5.02 Minimising leaks

BD.5.03 Black water and sustainable urban drainage

Sustainable Life Cycle Value

Analysing and measuring key aspects in use

BD.6.01 Building systems

BD.6.02

Handover and aftercare

BD.6.03 Running and maintenance costs

BD.6.04 Added value

MICA

BD.7.01

BD.7.02

BD.7.03

Carbon emissions

Energy infrastructure

Strategic advisory and impact

BD.7.04 Emissions

BD.7.05

BD.7.06

Operational sustainability

Renewable energy

Paths Creating opportunities for people and communities

Maximising the wider social value and potential in how we work and what we do.

We measure how our work offers and creates opportunities for people and communities, whether for building users and / or the wider community, capturing social value is intrinsic to our approach. How we engage and interact with others is central to how we communicate and the benefits our effort can offer. We engage with the widest range of communities not just facilitating opportunity on projects, but further benefit through professional career paths, access to options to those for which it might not have been typically available. In creating strategies and routes to targets such as paths to net zero, we help clients and communities.

Paths

Criteria

Jobs

Promoting Skills and Employment

PA.1.01 Local people

PA.1.02 Opportunity

PA.1.03 Improved skills

PA.1.04 Skills for the disadvantaged

PA.1.05 Skills for low carbon

PA.1.06 Young people

PA.1.07 Diverse Workforce

PA1.08 Apprenticeships

PA1.09 Career development / training

PA1.10 Workplacements

Growth

Supporting Growth of Responsible Business

PA.2.01 Opportunity for local MSMEs and VCSEs

PA.2.02 Wellbeing and mental health

PA.2.03 Reducing inequalities

PA.2.04 Ethical procurement

PA.2.05 Cyber security

PA.2.06 Social value within the supply chain

Innovation

Promoting Social Innovation

PA.3.01 Local skills and employment

PA.3.02 Responsible business

Support Strengthening Communities

PA.4.01 Outreach

PA.4.02 Philanthropy and Charitable Work

PA.4.03 Access to communication

PA.4.04 Volunteering

PA.4.05 Equal opportunities

Measuring Social Value

PA.5.01 National TOMs Strategies

PA.6.01 Net Zero

Spaces Creating healthy and uplifting environments

Wellbeing manifest through design and collaboration

How we design spaces orientated to daylight and aspect, which are volumetric, connected, uplifting and accessible to the needs of the widest and most diverse groups of people is key. Catering for all aspects of wellbeing in the spaces we design, from quiet/ busy ; intimate/ reflective, social, inviting, accommodating and safe is central to a holistic approach, as is how we benchmark these against accredited schemes and measures.

Spaces

Criteria

Optimising form and orientation

SP.1.01 Maximising natural daylighting

SP.1.02 Inside / outside relationships

SP.1.03 Well connected

SP.1.04 Uplifting to be in

SP.1.05 Flexibility of use

Good Health and Wellbeing

Ensuring spaces are uplifting, specifically orientated to setting, and foster wellbeing

SP.2.01 Comfort

SP.2.02 Inclusive and accessible

SP.2.03 Fostering social interaction

SP.2.04 Secure

SP.2.05 Balance of private / public

SP.2.06 Materials

SP.2.07 Planting

SP.2.08 Design for a range of users

Longevity

SP.3.01 Furniture

SP.3.02 Finishes

SP.3.03 Certification

Design for the five senses

SP.4.01 Sight

SP.4.02 Touch

SP.4.03 Sound

SP.4.04 Smell

SP.4.05 Taste

Parts Putting it all together

“Knowing where to start and how to finish”

Successful projects are built on collaboration, strategic leadership and insight about what’s required, underpinned by research, How we work together, providing the leadership, organization and awareness of the issues is key to success. From crafting individual elements to mastering the big picture, putting the all the elements together in the right place requires mastery of strategy and detail.

Parts

Criteria

Collaboration and partnership

PR1.01 Ways of working with the client

PR1.02 Critical friends

PR1.03 Other disciplines within MICA

PR1.04 Other disciplines outside of MICA

PR1.05 Design team

PR1.06 Contractors

PR1.07 Local suppliers and/or community groups

PR1.08 MICA affiliations

PR1.09 Client feedback

PR1.10 Supply chain (environmental credentials)

PR1.11 Social enterprises

PR.1.12 Other architects

How we work

PR2.01 Recycling, waste, and energy usage

B

PR2.02 Travel

PR2.03 Safety

PR2.04 Opening up the office to others

PR2.05 Electronic waste

PR2.06 Carbon footprint

Governance

PR3.01 Inclusive Culture

PR3.02 Employee Engagement

PR3.03 Workforce Representation

PR3.04 Diverse Workforce & Diversity

PR3.05 Staff Health and Wellbeing

PR3.06 Employee Benefits

PR3.07 GDPR

PR3.08 Fair Pay

PR3.09 Equitable Recruitment

PR3.10 Risk Management

PR3.11 Corruption and Bribery

PR3.12 Quality

PR3.13 Supply Chain

Policy and Research

PR4.01 Research - hours spent as a % of contract value

PR4.02 POE

PR4.03 Sharing project knowledge with the industry

PR4.04 Current and future policy

PR.4.05 CPD

PR.4.06 Self evaluation

PR.4.07 Conferences / industry talks

There is a long way to go and ever shifting sands as we learn more about how best to deal with the climate emergency. Achieving these targets requires constant monitoring to ensure aims are met.

For this reason our process is subject to continual review and update.

To view more of our work, find out more information about the practice and view our latest news please visit our website micaarchitects.com

123 Camden High St

London UK NW1 7JR

+44 (0)20 7284 1727

micaarchitects.com