Perkins&Will recently released its first ESG report that discloses the firm’s operational performance data across key metrics and assesses its strengths and opportunities.
The firm also introduced to its internal design teams advanced best practices around energy use intensity (EUI), embodied carbon, and materials specification. Perkins&Will says it has established its own industry-leading thresholds for EUI performance and embodied carbon emissions and developed a more stringent protocol for avoiding products and materials with known human and environmental health concerns.
In 2022, Perkins&Will established a policy to transition its global operations off fossil fuels, conserve more energy, conduct embodied carbon assessments, integrate renewable energy technologies into the design of its new studios, and procure high-quality carbon offsets. The new report examines progress made in these areas.
“By putting the spotlight on our performance and sharing it with the world, we make it known that we’re serious about doing what’s right—not just for our business, but also for people and the planet,” says Kathy Wardle, regional director of regenerative design. “We’re also making it clear that we’ve got a lot more to learn.”
The firm plans to release more information—including its complete embodied carbon benchmarking study—to clients and the industry-at-large this year.
Related Stories
| Jan 21, 2015
Tesla Motors starts construction on $5 billion battery plant in Nevada
Tesla Motors’ “gigafactory,” a $5 billion project on 980 acres in Sparks, Nev., could annually produce enough power for 500,000 electric cars.
| Dec 29, 2014
Leo A Daly's minimally invasive approach to remote field site design [BD+C's 2014 Great Solutions Report]
For the past six years, Leo A Daly has been designing sites for remote field stations with near-zero ecological disturbance. The firm's environmentally delicate work was named a 2014 Great Solution by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
| Dec 28, 2014
Using energy modeling to increase project value [AIA course]
This course, worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW, explores how to increase project value through energy modeling, as well as how to conduct quick payback and net present value studies to identify which energy strategies are most viable for the project.
| Dec 23, 2014
5 tech trends transforming BIM/VDC
From energy modeling on the fly to prefabrication of building systems, these advancements are potential game changers for AEC firms that are serious about building information modeling.
| Nov 25, 2014
Behnisch Architekten unveils design for energy-positive building in Boston
The multi-use building for Artists For Humanity that is slated to be the largest energy positive commercial building in New England.
| Nov 21, 2014
STEP Foundation, Green Building Initiative Team to Promote Building Sustainability
The STEP Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing technology industry benchmarks for sustainability practices in the built environment, and the Green Building Initiative, a nonprofit organization committed to accelerating the adoption of sustainable building practices, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
| Nov 12, 2014
Chesapeake Bay Foundation completes uber-green Brock Environmental Center, targets Living Building certification
More than a decade after opening its groundbreaking Philip Merrill Environmental Center, the group is back at it with a structure designed to be net-zero water, net-zero energy, and net-zero waste.
| Nov 2, 2014
Top 10 LEED lessons learned from a green building veteran
M+W Group's David Gibney offers his top lessons learned from coordinating dozens of large LEED projects during the past 13 years.
| Oct 30, 2014
CannonDesign releases guide for specifying flooring in healthcare settings
The new report, "Flooring Applications in Healthcare Settings," compares and contrasts different flooring types in the context of parameters such as health and safety impact, design and operational issues, environmental considerations, economics, and product options.
| Oct 29, 2014
Better guidance for appraising green buildings is steadily emerging
The Appraisal Foundation is striving to improve appraisers’ understanding of green valuation.