Approaching 20 years of business, Webb Yates Engineers is a multidisciplinary engineering practice delivering innovation through structural, civil and building services engineering. Inside Sustainability sat down with Alex Lynes, Associate Director, to discuss the integration of sustainability throughout the practice and pushing the boundaries of design.
With 68 employees across offices in London and Birmingham, Webb Yates Engineers provides creative solutions to complex engineering problems. It is rare for a small practice to offer such a holistic approach to building design. Here, however, experienced engineering experts offer a personable and collaborative experience – resulting in over 80% of projects arising from repeat clients.
So where does sustainability come into play? “Addressing the climate emergency is a core priority for us,” explained Alex Lynes, Associate Director. “Uniquely, our ‘sustainability team’ does not work in isolation. Instead, it is representative of all levels in the business, embedding environmentally conscious design into everything we do.”
The team has experience across all typologies and sectors, introducing sustainable materials and systems on projects wherever
possible – from large, new build developments to small refurbishments.
“We work efficiently and sustainably,” said Alex. “By focussing on material conservation and passive design, we create buildings with a minimised environmental impact.”
Knowledgeable in a wide selection of materials, the practice focusses on low-carbon options, such as stone and timber. In these fields, the company has pioneered the development of optimal structures that boast low embodied carbon and high thermal mass to enable more comfortable spaces.
“Our work with stone and timber demonstrates our ability to integrate sustainability into buildings,” Alex continued. “Thereby leading the globaleffort towards a greener future.”
Holistic sustainability
Webb Yates Engineers collaborates with experts to lead the way using stone as a low-carbon alternative to concrete. With exceptional durability, thermal efficiency and reduced emissions in extraction, building with stone is a practical option for environmentally conscious engineering.
Another underutilised material is timber. Webb Yates Engineers has invested into the development of timber construction, filling the gap in the market. Timber has a low-carbon footprint, is a renewable resource and sequesters greenhouse gas emissions for the life of the building. This makes it an efficient and sustainable option.
The team has combined both stone and timber to produce environmentally friendly structures. Through these hybrid designs, the resulting building becomes almost entirely made from low-carbon
materials, contributing to the company’s positive environmental impact.
“Our biggest sustainable influence comes through our designs,” explained Alex. “Ensuring our operations are low carbon is important, but our projects make the biggest difference. As structural engineers, we are responsible for over half of a building’s construction carbon footprint. This unique opportunity allows us to make a significant impact on the sustainability of a building.
“We’re always working with architects, clients and developers to reduce the carbon production of projects. By examining what we’re doing, we find new ways to build more sustainably.”
In 2023, Webb Yates Engineers became carbon neutral, after measuring the carbon footprint of all operations, even commuting and working from home. Now, the company is working to achieve net
zero. All energy used by the company comes from green energy suppliers and Webb Yates Engineers is constantly investigating ways to further reduce its carbon footprint.
The practice also requests carbon data from suppliers and partners to minimise environmental impacts across the supply chain.
Innovating solutions
Webb Yates Engineers has a computational task force with a comprehensive understanding of digital techniques. This group upskills staff and facilitates the design workflow, enhancing the creative and technical approach to design.
This task force collaborated with the sustainability experts across the teams to develop Cactus, an in-house carbon calculator. Cactus parametrically models many different scheme options and mate rial choices, enabling the company to report the embodied carbon of the project. This reporting gives instant quantitative
feedback on early-stage decisions such as grid spacing, structural zones and material choices.
The practice regularly invests in research and development. Working with various companies and universities, Webb Yates Engineers creates alternative methods for sustainable engineering.
“Through these investments, we bring innovative ideas to projects,” said Alex. “With the appropriate testing, we deliver creative and effective engineering. ”
This forward-thinking approach has brought industry awards and recognition.
SOLER & PALAU UK
Congratulations to Webb Yates Engineers on nearly 20 years of excellence! Your innovation and commitment to low-carbon materials inspire us. It’s an honour to collaborate with a team that consistently pushes the boundaries of design. Best wishes for your continued success. Together, we are building a greener future.
editorial mention
An early example is the multiple award-winning Kantor Centre of Excellence, located on a tight central London site near King’s Cross. The part new build, part refurbishment, created clinical, research and training facilities, and office space for the Anna Freud Charity, as well as teaching space for the Pear Family School, a new specialist school for children with mental health problems.
In collaboration with the architect Penoyre & Prasad, now part of Perkins&Will, the Webb Yates Engineers team combined an
efficient composite timber-concrete structure with mechanical modelling to optimise thermal mass and minimise cooling requirements. This resulted in a building with reduced whole-life carbon.
“On this project, we combined all our engineering skills,” explained Alex. “It showcased our versatility as a company.”
Recently, alongside architects Stanton Williams, the team completed the extensive refurbishment of the Grade II* listed Rhodes House, in Oxford, for the Rhodes
Trust. Whilst considering the historical sensitivity of the building, Webb Yates Engineers integrated three large extensions adjacent and underneath the building, as well as upgrading the existing fabric. This work increased floor area and optimised utilisation of the building by turning previously dormant spaces into vibrant hubs of activity.
“We utilised some interesting structural forms in this project,” explained Alex. “There is a timber roof structure that creates a special glowing pavilion, structural stone stairs and low-carbon concrete to drive sustainability through the project.
“We worked closely with everyone involved to upgrade Rhodes House in a way that was sustainable and respected the cultural background of the building.”
Designing the future
To develop creative engineering solutions, Webb Yates Engineers has built longstanding and collaborative relationships with partners and suppliers. A significant partner in the company’s work with structural stone as a sustainable resource is The Stonemasonry Company.
“We’ve worked with The Stonemasonry Company for over 15 years,” explained Alex. “This company specialises in natural stone structures. We began collaborating on small
staircases, but now we work on entire buildings and structural stone frames together.
“It’s rewarding to see this relationship grow. Through open collaboration, we work together to innovatively solve problems. By collaborating in structural stone projects, we evolved our sustainable engineering.”
This emphasis on collaboration saw Webb Yates Engineers and The Stonemasonry Company’s 15 Clerkenwell Close project, designed by Groupwork, shortlisted for the 2021 RIBA Stirling Prize. Following this, their award-winning timber and stone installation was featured in the prestigious RA Summer Exhibition in 2022. The two companies also have a stone installation, ‘Stone Space Frame’, in the 2024 RA Summer Exhibition.
The practice has been privileged to work with many leading, forward-thinking architects. By working with innovative architects, the company delivers engineering solutions that exceed expectations.
“What draws me to Webb Yates Engineers is designing interesting structures, with interesting people and teams,” concluded Alex. “We can make a significant impact on the world with the buildings we create.
“As a team, we solve problems, and the climate crisis is one of the biggest. I love working with like-minded people to tackle these issues.” n
