Climate Action Progress Report 2022

CLIMATE ACTION PROGRESS REPORT 2022

A FEW WORDS FROM OUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE

2022 AT A GLANCE

OUR COMMITMENT

Purpose

Declarations

Climate action routemap

M easurable targets

OUR PRACTICE

C arbon governance

W hat we did in 2022

Advocating for faster change

OUR PROJECTS

Retrofit first

B eyond net zero

U nderstanding project impact

OUR PEOPLE

H ealthy and stimulating working environments

I mproving climate literacy

U nderstanding commuting impact

EXTRAS

Full Operational Carbon Footprint Report

Record of Community Impact

O ffset certificates and information

A FEW WORDS FROM OUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Purcell has long held a belief that heritage is the key to unlocking some of the most profound questions around our future and the climate emergency. It is not enough to simply comply with the directives of our ISO 14001 certification, and as employee owners we must take responsibility for both our collective and our individual actions.

This report builds on 15 years of operational carbon reporting. It aims to shine a spotlight on the progress Purcell has made in meeting its commitments to climate action across our practice, our projects and our communities, setting clear and measurable objectives that will form the framework for our reporting structure going forward. This report is an important steppingstone in recognising the action we must take, ensuring the sustainable, carbon-positive charge we must lead.

Mark Goldspink Chief Executive, Purcell

2022 AT A GLANCE

Over the past year, we have made great strides in understanding the emissions associated with our operations and our projects, and advocating for positive change within the wider industry.

We acknowledge we still have a long way to go however. Whilst our overall carbon footprint (per FTE) is down 69% from our benchmark year 2007, it is up 10% on 2021, mainly due to an increase in business travel emissions which saw a continued post-covid ‘bounce-back’, up 57% on 2021 emissions.

We completed our first Climate Literacy Survey which helped inform our sustainability training programme.

We built up Purcell’s Green Network to > 40 members, meeting monthly to share knowledge and lessons.

We logged over 600 hours of community impact activities, ranging from mentoring and upskilling, to documenting wildlife species.

Our overall operational carbon footprint (per FTE) has reduced 69% below our benchmark year 2007.

We continued to prioritise the upgrading of existing buildings as a more carbon efficient alternative to demolition and new build, with 82% of our projects in 2022 making use of existing buildings and structures.

We increased our understanding and calculation of our scope 3 emissions, to include staff commuting and home working.

We advocated for faster change in our industry, raising awareness of the climate and biodiversity emergencies through a number of networks, projects and open source tools.

We developed the Responsible Retrofit Hierarchy as an open source toolkit to help address energy efficiency in existing buildings.

We saw an increased ambiton on projects to achieve higher environmental performance, including four projects targeting Passivhaus accreditation.

We developed the Beyond Net Zero Toolkit to help us adopt more regenerative design principles on our projects, with the aim of going beyond the standard of net zero carbon in use.

We carried out our first life cycle assessments to start understanding the embodied carbon impact of our design decisions.

OUR COMMITMENTS

National Gallery Hub, London

Our expertise has always been in finding solutions for complex environments. For over 75 years, we have committed to caring for existing buildings. Instinct naturally guided our founders to adapt and reuse buildings and we have continued this path because, for Purcell, first and foremost, it’s about the buildings and the communities they serve.

Of course, we don’t claim to have known then, the catastrophic planetary impact of tearing down buildings and replacing them with new structures made from carbon intensive materials. It is clear now however, that the work we do at Purcell, by its very nature, is inherently sustainable. By preserving and prolonging the life of our built heritage we are ensuring its long-term enjoyment, accessibility and functionality for future generations. At the same time, we are protecting our natural resources by making use of what we have, rejecting wasteful cycles of demolition in favour of retaining, maintaining, repairing, and adapting existing buildings.

However, it is not enough to merely continue to work in the way we have done for the last 75 years. Whilst there are many positive aspects we can continue to build upon, we still have a long way to go before we can say that all our projects have a net positive impact on the planet and the communities they serve.

There are still many challenges facing the heritage sector when it comes to decarbonisation, and as leaders in this field, it is vitally important we continue to adapt and reuse our existing buildings, in a way that prolongs their life but in a sustainable and carbon-free way.

At the same time, we need to continue to lead by example, operating our business in a way that reflects the core values of our employee owners, working to reduce the carbon footprint of our business operations and helping our staff make sustainable choices.

The problems our industry must address if we are to keep temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels are well documented. It’s time for positive actions to go beyond net-zero and build a regenerative future.

We recognise we are operating in a climate emergency and without a thriving planet, we will not have a functioning business. As such, in 2020, we committed to the declarations set out by Architects Declare and Heritage Declares. At the same time, we became signatories of the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge and have been working hard towards meeting these commitments since. The declarations are summarised below:

RIBA 2030 CLIMATE CHALLENGE

VERSION

The Architects Declare Climate and Biodiversity Emergency movement launched in 2019, acknowledges the impact of the construction industry on global climate change and biodiversity loss. The declaration sets out a list of goals to minimise carbon emissions in the built environment:

1. Raise awareness of the climate and biodiversity emergencies

2. Advocate for faster change in our industry

3. Establish climate and biodiversity mitigation principles as the key measure of our industry’s success

4. Share knowledge and research on an open source basis

5. Evaluate all new projects against the aspiration to contribute positively to mitigating climate breakdown

6. Upgrade existing buildings for extended use as a more carbon efficient alternative to demolition and new build

7. Include life cycle costing, whole life carbon modelling and post occupancy evaluation as part of our basic scope of work

8. Adopt more regenerative design principles in our studios

9. Collaborate with engineers, contractors and clients to further reduce construction waste

10. Accelerate the shift to low embodied carbon materials

11. Minimise wasteful use of resources

12. Support those who are working for climate justice and strive to ensure equity and an improved quality of life for all

As the world’s leading heritage architecture firm, we are acutely aware that the conservation of cultural heritage is inextricably linked to activities with a high environmental impact. However, the roots of heritage conservation, with its call for inter-generational solidarity and responsible stewardship of the inherited world, are deeply interwoven with those of the environmental movement. We therefore commit to:

1. Be a platform for change by using our prominent position to promote environmental awareness and action

2. Shift conservation priorities by actively seeking out opportunities to adapt heritage sites so as to reduce their carbon footprint and promote biodiversity, without harming their cultural significance

3. Build and share the evidence

4. Conserve embodied resources by bringing whole-life carbon and energy efficiency analyses to bear on the choices we make

5. Plan for sustainability by embedding climate and ecological sustainability at the foundation of heritage planning and funding

6. Rethink heritage tourism by rejecting approaches that magnify the environmental harms of tourism

7. Empower practitioners by giving heritage practitioners and related specialists the support, training and resources they need

8. Protect skills and materials by supporting traditional building crafts, the use of local materials and supply chains

9. Detoxify conservation practice by moving to eliminate harmful waste and pollution

10. Pursue ethical finance

RIBA has developed the 2030 Climate Challenge to help architects design within a climate conscious trajectory. The 2030 Climate Challenge provides a stepped approach towards reaching net zero, and sets a series of targets for practices to adopt to reduce operational energy, embodied carbon and potable water. As signatories of this challenge we commit to attempt to meet the targets on all our new and major refurbishment projects and commit to submitting data on these projects to the RIBA.

Progress on this commitment has been slow to date so a significant effort is needed to address this over the coming years. The key commitments of the challenge are:

1. Reduce operational energy demand by at least 60% from current business as usual baseline figures, before offsetting

2. Reduce embodied carbon by at least 40% from current business as usual baseline figures, before offsetting

3. Reduce potable water use by at least 40% from CIRIA benchmark/ Building Regulation figures

4. Achieve all core health and wellbeing metrics (set out in the RIBA Sustainable Outcomes Guide)

CLIMATE ACTION ROUTEMAP

PROJECTS

RETROFIT FIRST

PEOPLE

Purcell become signatories of: Architects Declare Heritage Declares RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge

BEYOND NET ZERO routemap developed

Purcell becomes Employee Owned

All projects designed to be net zero

First inhouse Passivhaus Accredited Designers

13 qualified in Level 3 Energy Efficiency in Traditional and Historic Buildings

PRACTICE

First Carbon Governance Strategy

TOTAL EMISSIONS (tonnes CO2e / FTE) including international business travel

York studio relocated with a potential energy saving of 6.5 tCO2e per annum

Indoor environmental air quality measured in all studios

Energy related green house gas emissions reduced to 50% 2019 levels

Business mile target reduced to 3,000 miles per person

Ongoing:

Energy related green house gas emissions reduced to ZERO

All studios to have a minimum EPC C

> review of ener gy efficiency commitments and metering with landlords

> encourage / incentivise sustainable forms of transport

EMISSIONS OFFSET

> evaluate and set waste targets

> review options for measuring other Scope 3 emissions

Business travel related green house gas emissions reduced by 75% 2019 levels

NET EMISSIONS (tonnes CO2e / FTE)

energy waste water paper business travel (excluding international business travel)

CARBON GOVERNANCE TARGET

When considering impact, it is important that we consider the collective footprint of our work in context with our organisation and the personal decisions of our colleagues. Recognising the scale, influence and inter-dependence of these aspects is key to realising the potential in delivering substantial reductions in carbon emissions, but also the sociocultural change that enables this.

Whilst we do not have complete control over the emissions outside of our organisation, we are in a position to support our colleagues to help inform decisions on project design work.

This framework is not static. In a dynamic and ever-evolving environment we must be adaptive to new advances in technology, market trends and conditions. Indicators and targets will be adjusted to maintain our sustainable ambition and business objectives.

OUR PRACTICE

1 REDUCE the carbon impact of our business operations

2 ADVOCATE and support faster change in our industry, raise awareness amongst our collaborators Number of hours dedicated to advocacy work (excludes paid project hours)

3 INVEST in research and development activities to further sustainability goals

% of tur nover invested in R&D relating to sustainability strategy to be defined in 2023 to inform future targets

OUR PROJECTS

4 REUSE and retrofit are prioritised over demolition

5 MEASURE and reduce the whole life carbon impact of our projects

6 CHAMPION regenerative design principles throughout project development

7 EVALUATE and understand building performance

OUR PEOPLE

% reusing existing buildings, structures and materials strategy for capturing data to be defined in 2023 to inform targets

% conducting Life Cycle Assessments % achieving RIBA 2030 targets

% car rying out building performance and post occupancy evaluation

8 DEVELOP expertise through a customised curriculum for continual development in sustainability % with good understanding of climate

9 SUPPORT a culture of equality, diversity and inclusion

% with expert understanding of climate literacy

to be aligned with Collective Ambition targets to be confirmed

10 COMMUNITY impact and social value activities that work towards an improved quality of life for all annual hours/FTE

Developing a clear methodology through which we will report and deliver on our commitments

OUR PRACTICE

We recognise that as architects our business operations are likely to be dwarfed by our project impacts. Despite that imbalance it’s important to understand that our business impacts are within our direct control and having them well understood will make it easier to advocate for change with our clients and contractors, who are directly responsible for the project impacts.

Purcell has been calculating the carbon emissions associated with our business operations since 2007. Since 2020 we have been offsetting all calculated emissions. We have ambitious targets to half these emissions (from our 2019 total) by 2030, and we are well on our way to achieving this goal through significant reductions to our business travel, energy and paper use. We have policies and procedures to ensure the continued reduction in emissions relating to the delivery of our services,

the operational running of our studios, the resourcing of projects locally to cut down on travel emissions, and agile working policies. We have also developed a systematic approach to environmental management as part of our integrated management system, and as such, are ISO14001 accredited.

In 2022 we dramatically increased our understanding of our scope 3 emissions, incorporating staff commuting, home working and ‘well to tank’ emissions. Whilst this is a complex process, and Purcell has a lesser degree of control on these emissions than our scope 1 and 2, the end goal of measuring and tracking them is to shape business decisions that mitigate the effects of climate change. We can then focus efforts where they will have the greatest impact.

CARBON GOVERNANCE STRATEGY

In 2010 we developed our first Carbon Governance Strategy to set our long term targets (up to 2020) for carbon performance on our architectural work and studio activities.

During 2020, we re-assessed our Carbon Governance Strategy and agreed the following targets for the years up to 2030:

• Offset all calculated emissions that are within Purcell’s control

• Reduce net emissions by 50% (from the 2019 total) by 2030

• Reduce average energy in studios to 160 kWh/m2

• Analyse business miles in private cars by fuel type (diesel/ petrol/hybrid/electric)

• Adopt a policy that all hire cars used will, wherever possible, be at least self-charging hybrids

• Recognise and promote best practices from the Covid-19 lockdown that reduce business travel

• Report Regional totals in the Footprint Reports to emphasise the benefits of the Regional strategy

• Reduce paper emissions by 50% (from 2019 levels) by 2030

Reducing the carbon impact of our business operations and supporting sustainable and ethical practices throughout our supply chain

Our net* footprint was up 2% in 2022 but

DOWN 73% SINCE 2007

*includes scope 1, 2, and all scope 3 within Purcell’s direct control, but excludes international travel

HOW MUCH ENERGY DID WE USE?

Total energy use was DOWN 4.8% from 2021, and is down 47% from our benchmark year.

WE CONTINUED TO REDUCE OUR PAPER USE

HOW FAR DID WE TRAVEL?

We increased our understanding of our wider impact by measuring more of our Scope 3 emissions, including employee commuting, home working and well to tank emissions

by a further 47% in 2022.

WORKING TOWARDS A LOW CARBON FUTURE IN 2022

Business miles increase by 39% in 2022, with 180% increase in air miles due to a continued post-Covid-19 bounce-back.

However, this is still

WELL BELOW PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS

and our target of 3,750 miles per employee. We have therefore reduced our target for 2023 to 3,000 miles per employee.

Throughout 2022 we advocated for positive change within our spheres of influence, from attending rallies with Architects Declare calling for faster action, co-founding the Yorkshire Chapter of Architects Declare, donating time to the Low Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI), and helping to host climate literacy events with the Architects Climate Action Network.

In addition, we developed the Responsible Retrofit Hierarchy and toolkit to help people understand the steps needed to address energy efficiency in existing buildings. This tool is opensource and available on our website.

Within our studios we hosted climate action workshops over COP27, to discuss ways we could reduce our personal and practice impact. Ongoing internal engagement is vitally important as we continue to strive towards more sustainable practices.

RESPONSIBLERETROFIT

PRINCIPALSFORADDRESSINGTHECLIMATEEMERGENCYINEXISTINGBUILDINGS

A‘wholebuilding’approach

Aresponsibleapproachtoretrofitshouldbefoundedonthe principlethatthegreenest(andcheapest)energy,isthe energyyoudon’tuse.A‘wholebuilding’approachconsiders thebuildingasasystemofinterconnectedmaterials, functionsandusers.

Startingfromapositionofknowledge,understandhowthe buildingisworkingandwhatneedstobedone.Reducing carbonemissionsismorethansimplyinsulatingandadding solarpanels.Muchcanbeachievedbychangingbehaviour, avoidingwaste,usingefficientcontrolsandequipment,and managingthebuildingtoitsoptimumperformance.

Traditionalbuildingswereconstructedtobe‘breathable’ usingvapour-permeablematerials.Incorporatingmaterials thatenablethispermeabilityiscrucialtoavoidingunintended consequenceslikemoisturebuildupanddamp.Arisk-based approachwillhelpeffectivelymanagethis.

Beyondnetzero

Reducingcarbonemissionsrelatingtoabuilding’soperation isvitaltoaddressingtheclimateemergency,butthisshould notbeconsideredinisolation.Embodiedcarbonemissions associatedwithnewmaterialsandwastefulconstruction practicesarealsosignificant.Inaddition,projectsshould considerhowabuildingcancontributepositivelytofactors suchascomfortandhealth,biodiversityandwaterefficiency.

Timescalesandprogramme

Allowtimeearlyonintheprocesstoproperlyunderstand thebuilding,howenergyisbeingwastedandwhatfactors areimpactingthis.Followthiswithathoroughanalysisofthe availableoptions,andtheirrespectiveimpactonthebuilding, heritage,carbonandcosts.Thiswillensuretherightsolutions areimplemented.

Someretrofitworkcanbeintrusive.Whenplanningwhat workisneeded,itisimportanttoconsidertheinevitable disruptionthismaycause.Insomeinstancesitmaybebetter todoalltheworkatonce,inothers,itwillbenecessaryto phasetheworkoveranumberofyears.

Legalandregulatoryrequirements

Applicationstothelocalplanningauthorityforplanning permissionsand/orlistedbuildingconsentmayberequired forcertainenergyefficiencymeasures.Detailedsitespecific advicewillbeavailablefromthelocalplanningauthority.

Proposedenergyefficiencymeasuresmayalsorequire approvalundertheBuildingRegulations.Earlyconsultation canhelpensurethatworksareappropriateandcompliant.

Financingandfunding

Foraschemetobesuccessful,adequatefundingandaccess toappropriateprofessionalexpertiseandpracticalskillswill beneeded.Whenconsideringhowtoplanandbudgetfor anyretrofitworksthefollowingshouldbeconsidered:

WholeLifeCosting considersabuilding’scostoveritsfulllife spanandisimportantinachievingbestvaluefromboththe capitalcostsofconstructionandtherelatedongoingcostsof operatingit.

Funding maybeavailabledependingonlocationandbuilding

type.Forexample:PublicSectorDecarbonisationScheme (PSDS),SocialHousingDecarbonisationFund(SHDF),or HeritageLotteryFunding(HLF).Residentialprojectsmay alsobeeligibleforVATdeductions.

KNOWLEDGE

Understandthebuilding,itscontextandimpact context,history,significance,construction,condition,lifespan,occupation,energyuse,budget

Eliminateunnecessaryenergyandresourcewastage defects,damp,draughts,coldbridges,occupantbehaviour,spaceuse

Mitigatetheimpactofunavoidableenergyandresourceuse LEDlighting,energyefficiencyappliancesandcontrols,lowflowfittings, efficientuseofspace

Improveperformanceofexistingbuildingfabricandservices Passivemeasures,insulation,solarshading,windowanddoorupgrades,airtightness

Introduceappropriatezerocarbonenergytechnologies photovoltaics,solarhotwaterpanels,heatpump, districtheating/coolingnetwork,biomass

ResponsibleRetrofitHierarchy -aplanningtoolfortheearly stagesofaproject

Chimneystacksare importantfornatural ventilation.Theycanbe usedtodiscretely locatenewservices.

The Historic Buildings Challenge: Carbon Reduction and Climate Resilience

A collaboration between the City of London Corporation and Purcell, the Historic Buildings Challenge, aims to galvanise action within the Square Mile, facilitating and empowering historic building owners and occupiers to initiate the adaptations necessary.

Drawing from research and engagement with owners, occupiers, and caretakers of historic buildings within and around the City, the study will identify barriers and constraints, analyse current guidance and thought-leadership, and promote best-in-class action.

This Historic Buildings Challenge, is part of the City Corporation’s wider Climate Action Strategy and will culminate in a new, open access digital toolkit. This will form a one-stop knowledge hub of best practice guidance and case studies to galvanise action within the Square Mile and beyond, empowering historic building owners to initiate the adaptations necessary.

integratedonoroff thebuilding dependingon space.

Thegreenestandcheapestenergy istheenergywedon’tuse

While drawing on the historic environment of the Square Mile, this toolkit will be relevant to towns and cities in the UK and around the world who are exploring how to adapt their historic buildings for a sustainable future.

A‘WholeBuilding’Approach considersthebuildingasa systemofinterconnected materials,functionsandusers

Usefullinks

ResponsibleRetrofitGuidanceWheel,STBA Planningpermissionguidance,GOV.UK

PublicSectorDecarbonisationScheme,GOV.UK

Energy-savingmaterialsandheatingequipmentVATnotice,GOV.UK

Energyefficiencyandhistoricbuildings,HistoricEngland

Implementing‘low hangingfruit’ measureslikeLED lightingcanbe relativelylow cost.

Raising awareness and advocating for faster change

OUR PROJECTS

The construction and built environment sectors are responsible for approximately 40% of global carbon emissions. As professionals working in this industry, we are acutely aware of the role we have in curtailing the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss.

As architects and conservation specialists, we focus on preserving and prolonging the life of our built heritage. In doing so, we not only ensure its long-term enjoyment, accessibility, and functionality for future generations, we are protecting our natural resources by making use of what we have. In retaining, repairing and adapting our existing buildings, we reject wasteful cycles of demolition. At the same time, we help facilitate the essential changes needed to prepare these buildings for the future, designing out carbon emissions, and designing in climate resilience. Some of the examples we celebrated in 2022 are shown here.

Story Museum, Oxford

The key objectives of this project were focused on recycling and reuse, improving thermal performance, energy efficiency and ease of control. Improvements to the existing fabric included internal wall and ground floor insulation with underfloor heating, and window upgrades throughout. A passive ventilation approach is utilised with easy to open windows.

Camden Town Hall, London

This major refurbishment of the Grade II-listed Camden Town Hall, achieved BREEAM

BICE Building, Australia

The preservation of this multileaf brick and concrete building included the addition of roof insulation, upgrades to the glazing, improved air tightness, as well as energy efficient lighting, fixtures and controls. The completed building has achieved a 6-Star Green Star certified rating, demonstrating how a heritage building can provide an environmental standard equal to a new build.

Norfolk County Hall, Norfolk

The retrofit of an existing 1960s building has brought life to previously uninviting and dilapidated spaces, and has prolonged the life of this important building. Both Phase 1 and Phase 2 combined have produced a 58% reduction in overall carbon emissions. At the same time comfort levels in the building have increased through improved glazing, insulation, lighting, heating and cooling, and associated controls.

Excellent. Upgrades included secondary double glazing and improved air tightness, as well as the enclosure of four lightwells to improve thermal performance. The roof houses six air source heat pumps, the weight of which required additional steel supports to be carefully threaded through the existing building. Rain and grey water recycling and are also integrated.

Ledston Hall, Yorkshire

The restoration of this Grade I-listed estate, where early engagement and consultation with Historic England enabled the integration of carefully designed slim-line double glazed windows. These achieved U-values of 1.9 in a thickness of 16mm, whilst ensuring the buildings heritage value is secured.

Making the most of the precious resources we have and finding innovative ways to make them fit for the future

The most recent IPCC report (March 2023) shows that those working in the built environment still need to go far beyond the conventional understanding of what sustainability means, and of established benchmarks or assessment tools, to better respond to the urgency of the crisis. Our designs have not only to minimise energy and material consumption but also to contribute to a regenerative approach in the built environment, to increase biodiversity and redefine our relationship with nature, and also recognise the ability of architecture to influence the societal move towards a low carbon lifestyle.

To respond to this need, we have developed a Beyond Net Zero Routemap. This is designed to empower project teams to go beyond merely considering operational carbon emissions. It helps guide the process through each stage, promoting a regenerative approach which prioritises reuse and circular economy principles, reduces embodied carbon, enhances biodiversity, considers human factors like comfort and wellbeing, and encourages connectivity. Our aim is for all our projects to have a net positive impact on the environment, and communities they serve.

Purcell is currently undertaking design development of a visitor and learning centre at Harcourt Arboretum in Oxfordshire, which will include a café and shop, as well as all-weather education spaces.

The grade I-listed attraction at Nuneham Courtenay, five miles south of Oxford city centre, covers 52ha and boasts a nationallyimportant collection of trees. Regenerative design principles have been considered from the outset, with an ambitious brief set by The University of Oxford for the project to achieve low operational energy, and low embodied carbon.

The project team are investigating the use of natural and locally sourced materials that sequester carbon, promoting local skills and craftmanships and utilising materials and energy that are on the site already.

Our aim is for all our projects to have a net positive impact on the environment and the communities they serve

Harcourt Arboretum, Oxfordshire

Measuring, evaluating and reducing the impact of our projects

In 2022 we completed the first embodied carbon analysis on our projects. Whilst we are at the very early stages of understanding the wider impact of the buildings we design and collaborate on, this is a vital step towards reducing emissions.

With construction activities contributing to about 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions, minimising embodied carbon through the re-use of existing buildings and structures, and through careful design for new build elements, is key to achieving the carbon reductions needed.

We now need to build on this knowledge, embedding life cycle assessments within our design process, and evaluating building performance throughout every design stage. How our designs perform, the way the occupants use the buildings and adjust them to meet their needs over time, is an essential source of design inspiration and the basis of continuous improvement.

OUR PEOPLE

As a practice, we have a responsibility to make sure the impacts of our operations are positive, both to us and to wider society. That includes:

1. providing for a safe, fair, secure, diverse and well workforce;

2. enabling a socially responsible and socially impactful supply chain;

3. meeting the needs and priorities of local and stakeholder communities; and

4. meeting community needs and priorities in partnership with other sectors and industries.

As an employee owned company, we put our employees at the centre of all key decision making. We are committed to creating a culture where differences are valued, and everyone feels included.

We are dedicated to supporting a change in attitude and understanding towards physical and mental health. Initiatives like ‘Purcell Pals’, a network of champions across our practice, support and encourage good mental health, wellbeing, and physical health within the workplace and on our projects.

In line with Purcell’s collaborative, inclusive and positive values, and following our transition to employee ownership, we are proud of our accreditation as a Real Living Wage Employer.

We have allowed the rich knowledge of our employees to define the progression of our practice, which now represents 24 nationalities, speaking 18 different languages, and from a broad spectrum of socioeconomic backgrounds.

Providing healthy and stimulating working environments that promote a culture of continuous learning, shared experience, and inclusivity

Taking

The shift towards a green economy increases the demand for our employees to be reskilled or upskilled to meet the needs of the future.

In 2022, we carried out our first climate literacy survey. The results identified that whilst colleagues had a large amount of concern about the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss, most felt under-equipped to advise clients and communicate strategic decisions with impact and influence.

Based on the results of the survey, we developed a 12-month training plan, looking at both practice wide up-skilling, and the development of individual expertise. Through a blended approach of online resources, toolkits, seminars, workshops and certification routes, we are working to ensure all employees have the opportunity to hone their knowledge, understanding, and talent, regardless of their learning style.

Purcell have also used our position to advocate and help drive climate literacy across our industry, including participating in webinars, workshops and hosting student environmental career guidance programmes.

Workshops

In person climate workshops were held throughout 2022, with each studio. Sessions covered key topics around sustainability and regenerative design. The focus was on ensuring we are all talking the same language when it comes to climate vocabulary, covering core topics to help ensure a consistent approach.

Industry upskilling

In 2022, Purcell took part in a series of lectures organised by the Architects Climate Action Network, aimed at improving the climate literacy of the industry. Head of Sustainability, Laura Baron, hosted a virtual discussion around building performance and evaluation with an expert panel of contributors. All sessions are available as open source.

One Planet Lecture Series

This monthly series of lectures follows the themes set out in the RIBA Climate Knowledge Schedule, these sessions aim to share lessons and knowledge from within the studios, but also bring in external parties to discuss their areas of expertise.

Topics from 2022 included: Circular Economy - a step by step guide, Lessons in Retrofit in Historic Buildings, Ecology and biodiversity with two external experts, and Human Factors - a look at the requirements of the WELL accreditation.

Courses and accreditations

In 2022 11 members of staff across the UK studios undertook the Level 3 Award for Energy Efficiency Measures for Older and Traditional Buildings. The course raises awareness of older, traditional and vulnerable buildings, and covers how to assess options for the introduction of energy efficiency measures within these sensitive settings.

Knowledge sharing

The Hong Kong team hosted students on behalf of the Professional Green Building Council, providing an environmental career student guidance programme. The session involved 10 students hosted virtually, with two students attending in person.

an active role in upskilling our current and future workforce.

Meeting the needs and priorities of local and stakeholder communities

As an intrinsic part of our cultural identity and our understanding of a place, its history, and its social story, our built heritage has a crucial role to play in our collective futures.

We have an important role in ensuring that our projects have a positive impact on the communities that they serve. From enabling communities to learn about a building’s history through to facilitating skills development and opportunities for jobseekers, we work hard to add social value, at all stages of our projects.

We promote the history and significance of a place to our clients, the public, local community groups, the construction workforce, end users, local schools, and universities. We involve the often-diverse communities for whom the project serves, developing broad educational programmes which inform those communities of their architectural heritage.

A selection of activities carried out in 2022 are shown here.

Our Town Hall, Manchester

The Our Town Hall (OTH) project, focusing on the wholesale refurbishment of the Grade 1 Listed Manchester Town Hall, is making a significant social, economic and environmental contribution to the residents of Manchester. Purcell’s role in this has included:

• The employment of several local apprentices, with mentoring, support and financial assistance while they undertake courses and part-time work.

• Providing work placements and experience to local A-level students.

• Working with a local primary school to host a “What’s my job” session.

• Engagement with local universities and supporting the RIBA mentoring Scheme.

• Raising local awareness through guided tours of the construction site and more in-depth studies of the philosophy which lies behind our work.

• Facilitating partnerships between local social enterprises.

• Specifying locally sourced materials and labour, to ensure the longevity of the project and support the legacy of local trades.

• Participating in the OTH Carbon Club, helping to raise awareness across people working on the project about the environmental impacts of their decisions.

Skills for a Sustainable Skyline, London

In 2022 members of Purcell took part in this voluntary taskforce set up by the City of London Corporation. Our involvement included contributing to working groups, discussions, surveys and interviews, to establish key barriers to action, skills gaps and qualifications gaps, and setting a business case for investing in the green skills that are needed to decarbonise the cities commercial buildings.

Old Fire Station, Oxford

Staff in the Oxford studio carried out some pro-bono work for the Old Fire Station, a public arts centre housing the homelessness charity Crisis, and Arts at the Old Fire Station, which encourages creative activities and the arts to connect with a wider community. Work included an application for new external signage.

Cleaning St George, Norwich

The Norwich studio joined a programme in the parish church of St George, Colegate, to clean and polish ledger slabs (floor memorials). The programme ran with volunteers from the congregation, from the Norwich Historic Churches Trust, and The Matthew Project. The latter is a charity which works with recovering addicts. The aims are to improve the appearance of the monuments in the church, repair damage and clean appropriately, whilst providing training in conservation skills with an experienced conservator.

FULL OPERATIONAL CARBON FOOTPRINT REPORT 2022

Peter Jones, London

OPERATIONAL CARBON FOOTPRINT 2022

2022 has seen a further increase in our total footprint as the business has grown and working practices have continued to move towards pre-pandemic norms. However, this increase is still gradual and demonstrates that we have succeeded in locking-in some environmentally beneficial behaviours. Overall, whilst staff numbers increased by 8%, our net footprint per FTE was only up by 2%.

For 2022 we have re-assessed the scope of our operational footprint and introduced additional elements that illustrate our wider carbon impacts. Whilst we can’t directly manage all of these aspects ourselves, identifying and monitoring them will allow us to understand and, where possible, influence or change our wider impact.

OUR ROUTE TO 2030

ACTIONS TO-DATE

ENERGY (SCOPES 1-3)

• Studio relocations to more energy efficient buildings: Bristol, Cambridge, London, Norwich & Oxford

• Migrated from office to cloud-based servers and upgraded heating systems

• Energy efficiency awareness raising across all studios

• Overall reduction in energy use per m2 of 47% since 2007

Negligible (<1tCO2e)

TRAVEL (SCOPES 1-3)

• Pre-pandemic reduction in private car use from 64% to 21%. 35% in 2022 but falling

• Reduced average business miles per FTE from around 4,000 to 2,000 pa

• Investment in video conferencing and remote working technology

• Emphasis on minimising non-essential travel (especially for internal meetings)

OTHER SCOPE 3

• Paper use – down 96% through electronic document management & employee commitment

• Waste - <1% of footprint. Increased in 2022 by closure of last remaining hard copy archive

• Water use previously monitored (<1%) but only data from 2 offices now available

• Energy & Travel WTT emissions are included in Energy/ Travel (above) and back cast for prior years

The following Scope 3 items have been evaluated but not included within our total footprint estimate. These are primarily controlled by the lifestyle demands & decisions of our staff.

0.89 tCO2e/FTE

COMMUTING

• Originally measured from 2007 to 2012

• Staff survey re-commenced in 2022. Average commute per FTE +29% on 2012

• Underlying emissions (excl. WTT) are down by 8% on 2012

• Compared with 2012, the use of private cars for commuting has decreased by 17% & walk/bike is +20%

0.08 tCO2e/FTE

HOMEWORKING

• Data from 2022 commuting survey was used to estimate average homeworking time (0.7 days)

• UK Government emissions factors included homeworking as a category for the first time in 2022

• First estimate of homeworking emissions = 19.1 tCO2e

ENERGY (SCOPES 1-3)

• York studio relocated end of 2022. Potential energy saving = 6.5 tCO2e pa

• New boiler installed in Canterbury. Potential energy saving = 0.75 tCO2e pa

• Review energy efficiency potential with landlords or assess relocation options, as leases allow

• Set a minimum EPC standard of C for all UK studios by April 2028 at latest

OUR ACTIONS FOR THE FUTURE

TRAVEL (SCOPE 3)

TRAVEL (SCOPE 3)

• Revised target of 3,000 miles per FTE (from 3,750 miles per FTE)

• Encourage/incentivise use of EVs for business travel

OTHER SCOPE 3

OTHER SCOPE 3

• Continued commitment to reducing paper use

• Work with landlords to get water meters installed in studios

• Review options for measuring other Scope 3 components. Hotel use will be monitored from 2023

COMMUTING

COMMUTING

• Review options for incentivising efficient methods of commuting

• Work with landlords to have end of trip facilities installed in all studios

• Communicate commuting findings and promote awareness

HOMEWORKING

HOMEWORKING

• Homeworking emissions are 15% of the level of commuting emissions

• Increased homeworking would automatically decrease commuting emissions

• The balance between homeworking and commuting is set by a wide range of factors, not just emissions

• To be considered further during 2023

ENERGY USE

• Total energy use was down by 4.8% from 2021 and is 47% below our benchmark year.

• Emissions were unchanged due to a relative increase in the level of electricity used (increased office working over 2021).

• Scope 3 WTT (Well-to-Tank) emissions are now included in our energy footprint.

• The Carbon Governance Strategy target for energy use was an average of 160 kWh/m2 across all studios. This has been met ahead of the target date and for the third year in a row. This target has been changed to zero energy emissions by 2040.

• The Asia-Pacific studios have been included in the energy footprint by using the average kWh/m2 total from the UK studios and energy emissions factors for those countries (which are higher than the UK factors).

• A new boiler was installed in one of our UK studios in the 3rd quarter of 2022. Comparison of the Q4 gas usage between 2021 and 2022 indicates a reduction on usage of around 20%. Over a full year it is hoped that this would yield at least a 10% reduction in heating emissions; estimated at 0.75 tCO2e pa.

• Our studios have a range of EPC ratings, from B down to E. In 2022, another of our studios moved from an E-rated location to a new B-rated location. This is estimated to save 6.5 tCO2e pa.

• As lease renewals approach for all studios, we will consider the options for energy efficiency improvements at each location, both in terms of improvements at the existing studio or from relocation (along with the non-carbon criteria of location, suitability, etc.).

• In line with the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards regulations, we expect to have all studios located in buildings that are at least C-rated for EPC by April 2028 but will look to accelerate this change where possible.

FOCUS ON OUR FOOTPRINT

BUSINESS TRAVEL

• Business miles increased by 39% in 2022, whilst our turnover increased by an estimated 28%.

• On a per FTE basis, the miles travelled was up 29% on last year, which is in line with the change in turnover.

• The main reason for the increased distance travelled was a 180% increase in air miles. A large element of this increase was an Asia-Pacific regional meeting of all staff, for the first time in three years. This is not an annual event.

• Total emissions from business travel increased by 57%. The emissions increase is proportionately smaller than the increased mileage because all of the additional travel was by public transport; the distance travelled in private cars was unchanged.

• The miles travelled by all Regions was well below our existing target of 3,750 miles per FTE. This target will be changed to 3,000 miles per FTE for 2023.

• Scope 3 WTT (Well-to-Tank) emissions are now included in our travel footprint.

SCOPE 3 EMISSIONS | WITHIN PURCELL’S CONTROL

• Paper use was reduced by a further 47% in 2022.

• Emissions from paper use are 0.4 tCO2e (0.2% of Gross Footprint).

• The reduction in paper use since 2007 is 96%.

• Measured emissions from waste were 0.4 tCO2e (0.2% of Gross Footprint). This was primarily the recycling of waste paper following the closure of the last remaining paper archive in Norwich.

• Water use has not been measured in 2022 as only three studios have water meters fitted. Historical data has shown Purcell’s water use to be low and not of significance to the total footprint. But monitoring of this would be beneficial to our overall environmental control.

• Scope 3 WTT emission are included with the Energy/Business Travel data above.

SCOPE 3 EMISSIONS | OUTSIDE OF PURCELL’S CONTROL 02

• A staff commuting survey was held in 2022 for the first time since 2012 (166/61% responses 03).

• Staff commuting mileage is estimated to be almost 1.5 million miles pa. This is an average of 6,600 miles pa for every employee; equivalent to a 35-mile daily round trip.

• There has been a 29% increase in the commuting distance since the last survey. The estimated emissions from commuting are 200 tCO2e, or 0.9 tCO2e per employee. The per employee level is 8% lower than the 2012 level.

• The increase in emissions is much lower than the mileage increase because of improvements in the commuting travel modes. Commuting by car was down to 28% (from 45%) and commuting by bike/walking was 27% (up from 7%)

• Analysis of the number of days that people commute into the office indicates an average of 0.7 days per week homeworking. This gives an estimate of 19 tCO2e emissions.

T hese Scope 3 emissions relate to aspects that are predominantly controlled by the lifestyle demands and choices of individuals. Purcell can only seek to influence these choices.

n overall total of 198 responses were received but 32 were excluded from the analysis as the commuting distances were considered to be wrong (possibly due to a weekly distance having been quoted instead of a daily distance). The format of the commuting questionnaire will be reviewed and recommunicated in 2023.

ENERGY USE

ANNEXES

LONDON & SE

Overall

Heating energy use has reduced, largely due to controls in Colchester having been re-set

NB. In the charts, the FTE numbers are based on the number of staff who are based within the studios. This includes Group & Central staff who are based in the studios, but excludes staff based in the Manchester Town Hall and Palace of Westminster locations

Heating energy use has decreased at a higher rate than HDD, due to the correction of the Colchester heating settings. The increase in electricity usage is not matched by an FTE increase and appears to coming from the Norwich studio.

All trends are broadly in line with the controlling indicators.

All trends are broadly in line with the controlling indicators.

There is a small disparity between the rise in heating energy and fall in HDD, but not significant.

BRISTOL

All trends are broadly in line with the controlling indicators.

CAMBRIDGE

CANTERBURY

No data has been received from the landlord’s agents for gas use since 2013.

All trends are broadly in line with the controlling indicators.

COLCHESTER

The high level of gas use in 2021 was traced to the heating controls having been over-ridden. This has been corrected and both heating and power energy usage are now in-line with the controlling factors.

LONDON

NORWICH

No data is available on heating energy, but this is understood to be low. Electrical energy has increased sharply against a modest rise in FTE. This may be due to more staff returning to work in the studio.

The notable improvement in heating energy usage for Seebohm House has continued. There is a sharp rise in electrical usage that is contrary to the decreasing trend in FTE.

OXFORD

There is a small increase in heating energy that is contrary to the temperature data, but not significant.

All plots: Business miles per FTE, excluding international flights. Travel by Group staff is excluded from each applicable studio and shown separately from 2013 onwards. Travel for Manchester Town Hall and Palace of Westminster are included with the Manchester and London studios, respectively. Travel for HCT staff is included with the studio/ region where they are based.

BUSINESS TRAVEL

REGIONS

The adjacent charts show the total commuting footprint for each studio per FTE, and the relative emissions factors by mode of transport. The plots on then following pages show the declared commuting patterns by miles travelled for all studios.

COMMUTING

COMMUTING

RECORD OF COMMUNITY IMPACT 2022

RECORD OF COMMUNITY IMPACT

Decarbonising and protecting habitats

Hong Kong Asia Pacific Purcell

Purcell

and protecting habitats 10

London Central Purcell Decarbonising and protecting habitats

London Central Individual Decarbonising and protecting habitats

Oxford West Individual Decarbonising and protecting habitats

Sydney Asia Pacific Individual Decarbonising and protecting habitats

7.5

12 students Environmental Career Student Guidance Programme: Hosted students for the Professional Green Building Council.

70

Architects Declare: Taking part in their masterclass sessions, sharing lessons from developing a curriculum for Climate Literacy.

Volunteer with Architects Climate Action Network, organising open source climate literacy workshops, lectures and events.

Oxford Gardens Trust - Trustee and leading committee member (out of work initiative)

Volunteer one day a week at Australian Museum as part of DigiVol, imaging the collection specimens, creating registration for unregistered specimens and transcribing the label data to support the Government and Museum's goal of having an accurate record of the collection. Also volunteer at DigiVol online, supporting biodiversity studies

Sydney Asia Pacific Individual Decarbonising and protecting habitats

Sydney Asia Pacific Individual Decarbonising and protecting habitats

York North Purcell Decarbonising and protecting habitats

3

Total 100.5

iNaturalist contributor reporting and uploading images.

FrogID contributor, an Australian Museum citizen science project to capture and identify Frog calls.

Co-founding Architects Declare Yorkshire

RECORD OF COMMUNITY IMPACT

Healthier, safer and resilient communities

5

Showing public around a series of projects as part of government led heritage vogue event. Approached by HKIA and HKICON

UABB - HK studio was on the curatorial team for the UABB event initiated by HKIA Biennale Foundation and alerted the HK studio regarding this exhibition opportunity. Purcell then applied to exhibit at the event and were successful. Over 70 manhours / We received a subsidy of HK$45,000 from the organiser, while Purcell contributed a further HK$30,000 / The exhibition was open to public and recorded a visitor count of 27,000.

"Programme in the parish church of St George, Colegate, to clean and polish ledger slabs ( floor memorials), and we are gearing up for a more major project to work on the wall monuments. The programme is running with volunteers from the congregation, from the Norwich Historic Churches Trust, and The Matthew Project. The latter is a charity which works with recovering addicts."

RECORD OF COMMUNITY IMPACT

RECORD OF COMMUNITY IMPACT

Jobs

2 Mentoring of work experience student from South Gloucestershire and Stroud College. This included guiding her through completing a pre-written workbook with tasks relating to the world of architecture. This was complemented by several presentations where project leads in the Bristol office introduced their respective projects and a site visit to one of our projects under construction. Client led (Creative Youth Network), as part of their plan to fulfil NHLF requirements for work experience within the project.

work for Old Fire Station, a public arts centre housing a homelessness charity Crisis, and Arts at the Old Fire Station, which encourages creative activities and the arts connect with wider community. Work included exterior signage application

OFFSET CERTIFICATION 2022

Yr Ysgwrn, Beudy Llwyd

This year we have offset all calculated emissions within Purcell’s control. In addition excess carbon offsets have been purchased for 2022 to cover the shortfall created for 2020 & 2021 by the post-dated inclusion of scope 3 well-to-tank emissions. This maintains our commitment to carbon neutrality from 2020.

This year we are supporting a carefully selected range of projects from within the Americas region that have strong additional benefits beyond reducing carbon emissions. These include health benefits and reducing deforestation. All projects in this portfolio are certified to either the Verified Carbon Standard or the Gold Standard and include energy efficiency, reducing deforestation and clean drinking water projects. All certified credits follow the stringent requirements of the Quality Assurance Standard (QAS) for Carbon Offsetting.

We recognise that purchasing offsets can have positive impacts and generate much-needed investments which help reduce climate change, for example in nature climate solutions. However, we acknowledge the challenges with the voluntary carbon market and do not see this as a substitute for the stringent emission-reduction requirements that need to be achieved collectively. We remain committed to reducing the impact of our business as much as possible before offsetting.

This certificate acknowledges that Purcell Architecture Ltd (Purcell) offset

315 tonnes of carbon dioxide by supporting

Gold Standard Community Based Verified Carbon Reduction Projects

23 March 2023

Helping to combat climate change and sustain our environment for future generations

John Buckley Managing Director, Carbon Footprint Ltd www.carbonfootprint.com

On behalf of Purcell ®

15 Bermondsey Square, London, SE1 3UN

laura.baron@purcelluk.com www.purcelluk.com

All rights in this work are reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means (including without limitation by photocopying or placing on a website) without the prior permission in writing of Purcell except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Applications for permission to reproduce any part of this work should be addressed to Purcell at info@purcelluk.com.

Undertaking any unauthorised act in relation to this work may result in a civil claim for damages and/or criminal prosecution. Any materials used in this work which are subject to third party copyright have been reproduced under licence from the copyright owner except in the case of works of unknown authorship as defined by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Any person wishing to assert rights in relation to works which have been reproduced as works of unknown authorship should contact Purcell at info@purcelluk.com.

Purcell asserts its moral rights to be identified as the author of this work under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Purcell® is the trading name of Purcell Architecture Ltd.

© Purcell 2023

Laura Baron