Episode 153:

Hello and Welcome to the Part3 with me podcast. 

The show that helps part 3 students jump-start into their careers as qualified architects and also provides refresher episodes for practising architects. I am your host Maria Skoutari and this week we will be covering how to educate clients on pursuing Net Zero Carbon buildings. Todays episode meets PC2 of the Part 3 Criteria.

In the last few years you would have come across the challenges of educating clients to adopt sustainable building strategies and work towards net zero carbon practices. 

To assist with this, LETI, the Low Energy Transformation Initiative, has published the LETI Client Guide for Net Zero Carbon Buildings. The aim of the guide is to help construction client teams navigate their route to Net Zero Carbon development and covers ways in which the processes of briefing, design, procurement, construction, occupation, management and valuing of building development against the RIBA Stages can be developed towards Net Zero carbon. 

Before moving into the detailed elements of the strategies towards adopting Net Zero Carbon, what to we mean when we say Net Zero Carbon, I may have defined this in a previous episode but to assist with the topic of todays episode, lets quickly look at the definition of Net Zero Carbon. So Net Zero Carbon refers to both the net zero embodied and operation carbon.

Now, the main reason identified as to why many clients do not seek to develop Net Zero Carbon buildings, is essentially due to lack of knowledge, awareness and costs. 

This is where the LETI guide assists with educating clients, the key items that can be highlighted to them is that:

Positive Client influence is possibly the most important aspect of delivering Net Zero Carbon projects, as Design Teams will not be able to deliver Net Zero Carbon projects unless it is defined as part of the Client brief.

While initial capital costs of Net Zero Carbon buildings may be higher in some cases, such buildings also demonstrate increased value in terms of high rental premiums, lower tenancy void periods, operational costs and increased repetitional benefits. The LETI guide argues that the capital cost increase of delivering a typical building to achieve the LETI, TIBA and UKGBC operational energy and carbon targets for 2025 is feasible, especially considering that these costs will likely be offset by the value benefits, including the ones just mentioned such as increased rental premiums, lower operating costs and so on. Research has increasingly shown that leased office spaces, promising lower operating costs and healthier working environments, have been proven to command rental premiums up to 10% higher than equivalent buildings delivered to building regulations. Trends also indicate lending institutions are awarding ‘green premiums’ when financing sustainability-led real estate projects.

The guide, therefore, recommends, that clients use Life cycle costing to inform their decision making rather than capital costs metrics. The life cycle costing method reviews costs during the development, construction and operational phases of a project. It is a more holistic approach, which encourages the cost to maintain, operate and decommission a building to be considered. Capital cost studies alone often inflate the risks of Net Zero Carbon actions, whereas life cycle studies can highlight opportunities for heating, lighting or equipment energy demand savings throughout the whole life of a project. Additionally, monetary benefits through grants and subsidies for carbon savings can be accounted for. 

Now, if there are existing buildings on site, their retention should be a priority instead of assuming that demolition will take place. If re-use is not viable on site, then all elements should be reused at their highest carbon value, where possible. A retrofit first approach is a crucial component of a Net Zero Carbon built environment due to the emissions otherwise saved from new development.

To assist with the process towards net zero carbon, A ‘Net Zero Carbon Risk Register’ can be utilised by clients forming part of the briefing documentation to allow the Design Team to highlight decisions that impact the project’s ability to achieve Net Zero Carbon and shadow internal ‘carbon pricing’, which is a theoretical or assumed price per tonne of carbon to be considered in the business case. The Register can include:

Such items help identify their impact on programme, the performance gap and the importance of retaining net zero carbon materials/production methods. 

So diving into the steps and processes that are recommended by the LETI Guide against the RIBA Work Stages. Starting with Stage 0:

During Stage 0, Clients have the opportunity to set aspirational sustainability outcomes, and conduct a sustainability site appraisal. All the key Client team stakeholders should be involved in this process as soon as possible in order for the client requirements and the brief to reflect their needs and financial capacity. Sustainability outcomes should be a key part of the Strategic Definition, setting out the clients expectations for overall sustainability and carbon reduction. Net Zero Carbon should therefore be set as a measurable and clear target, defined specifically for the project. 

As such, a Net Zero Carbon Brief should be set from Stage 0, identifying the Why, What, How and Who, by stating:

Once the brief has been established, the client must then ensure all stakeholders are aware of their duties and influence on the project and brief by compiling a robust Responsibility Matrix to accompany the project brief, highlighting the roles and responsibilities each team has towards the Net Zero objective. Then choosing the best procurement form and delivery is critical in order to build a Net Zero Carbon building which requires a collaborative culture, so careful consideration into the procurement route is key for the effective delivery of a Net Zero Carbon building. 

Now in terms of the project team, it is essential that the client is explicit on the requirements of all the influential roles and professions along the supply chain to be aligned with the objective of a Net Zero Carbon building, if this objective is to be achieved in operation. Such roles and professions tends to include:

These are just some of the roles that could form part of the team on a Net Zero Carbon project. 

At Stage 0, therefore, the key parties involved will be the Client Team and the Client Advisers. The key items they should seek to identify at Stage 0 is:

Then at Stage 1, the key parties involved would remain as the Client Team and Client Advisers. At this stage, the project brief should consider and outline the measurable Net Zero Carbon performance criteria to meet the projects sustainability requirements alongside:

Then at Stage 2, this is the stage where a specialist design team should be appointed with the necessary skills to develop the strategy to achieve Net Zero Carbon. At this stage, Client Team should:

From Stage 2 through to Stage 4, the Client and Design team should start considering what will be required to inform the procurement process such as:

Then moving on to the key actions to be considered at Stage 3, at this stage, suppliers could start to feed into the design and strategy. Additionally, at this stage the design and client teams will need to ensure they have reviewed the design alongside:

Then at Stage 4, the key actions and responsibilities shift to the Design Team and Contractor, depending on the chosen procurement strategy of course. At this stage, the design team should ensure the construction information are aligned with the required Net Zero Carbon outcomes and plan of use strategy, alongside:

Then at Stage 5, the key responsibilities namely remain with the Contractor with some input from the Design team which are required to ensure construction quality is reviewed against targets. At this stage:

The Design Team also has a number of tasks to undertake during this stage including: 

Then at Stage 6, the Client Team is reintroduced alongside the Design Team and Contractor whereby a plan for aftercare and handover is prepared. At this stage:

And then lastly at Stage 7, the Client team fully takes over the building and operating it in line with the agreed strategy and applying lessons learnt from the Post Occupancy Evaluation. At this stage:

These key steps at each RIBA Stage highlight that client leadership is required from the very beginning of a project as the client’s influence is the greatest. The successful delivery of a net zero project, and operation of a building at Net Zero Carbon requires Clients to set the brief right, and then to consistently monitor the project’s, and the team’s progress throughout that project’s life.

To sum up what I discussed today: