Amber Luscombe our Head of Sustainability, has recently launched Oxygen’s own seminar series to foster a more dynamic and inclusive dialogue, that is often lacking in events that are organised by some of our sectors more established organisations.
With a clear focus on how the industry should be exploring the pressing issues that face us all, by bringing fresh ideas and diverse voices to the conversation, Oxygen hosted a panel discussion on the 2nd October, titled “Cradle to Cradle: Redefining Sustainability in Offices.” The event brought together leading voices in the industry, including Adam Strudwick, Principal of Perkins&Wills Architects; Nicola Forest, Senior Sustainability Manager for The Crown Estate; Nikhil Dhumma, EMEA CRE Design and Programme Director at JLL and Steve Wright, Global Director of Design and Change Management at GSK.
“Think about the end at the beginning,” opened Adam Strudwick, setting the tone for a lively and thought-provoking discussion that was truly cradle-to-cradle, covering the full spectrum from a material’s beginning to reinvention and reuse.
Tracking Materials and Urban Mining
Material passporting was a key discussion point throughout the panel and, as stated by Adam Strudwick, “waste is a material without an identity.” By reframing waste as an opportunity, the panel explored how materials could be given new value through the perspective of existing buildings as ‘urban mines’, with relevant data attached via ‘material passports’. This was exemplified by Steve Wright, who drew upon his experience at GSK, and how they were able to ‘urban mine’ from their previous office when building their new one. This led the discussion into the role that Facilities Management teams have in ensuring materials and products are able to retain their identity, enabling both accurate mapping and measurement of what is available, and where repairs and replacement of parts can best occur.
Facilities Management
It was clear from everyone’s experience in cradle-to-cradle thinking that Facilities Management (FM) teams play a crucial role in the long-term impact of buildings. Upskilling FM professionals and rethinking pay structures to reward quality and value could significantly improve how buildings are operated, leading not only to reduced operational carbon over the lifetime of the building, but also reduced embodied carbon, where materials and products are able to be replaced and repaired rather than created new – as is often the case when the original product information is not available. One takeaway was the idea of introducing O&M manuals that include disassembly sections, detailing how components can be reused and who to contact for further information. This was highlighted as an easy-win that could be actioned straightaway.
Time, Cost, Carbon, and Experience
The conversation moved to a recurring theme in this space – the need to balance four key metrics: cost, programme, carbon footprint, and user experience. Taxing carbon footprints was discussed as a potential lever to shift mindsets toward prioritising further reuse of existing materials. This is something that British Land do with their internal Carbon Levy [1] – what would the impact be if this model was adopted and scaled by others?
Shifting client mindset
However, whether it is internal taxes or embracing reuse, shifting of mindsets is something that all parties need to be genuinely invested in. Clients play a pivotal role in embracing sustainability. The panel emphasised the importance of moving away from an obsession with ‘new’, and perceived efficiency, towards a mindset of valuing quality reused materials which have additional benefits beyond the lower embodied carbon, such as embedded character and story. As pointed out, only 50% of clients need to buy into this idea of reuse to create meaningful change, as the ripple effect would be enough to shift industry norms.
Therefore the question was posed: are we moving into the age of a ‘new beauty’ in the built environment? A value that celebrates tangible elements of sustainability over abstract data. This shift requires redefining what makes a project desirable, focusing on environmental impact, brand alignment, and authentic character, rather than superficial aesthetics.
Contractor Employer’s Requirements (ERs)
Lastly, all agreed that clear sustainability targets in the Contractor ERs can influence every stage of a project. Panellists discussed how these requirements could drive circular outcomes in an industry where Contractors are increasingly asked to look at innovation and reuse, but still tasked with achieving ambitious programmes and staying within budget constraints. It was clear that building in more time and cost was key to allowing innovation to happen, by the people who are most qualified to understand how buildings come apart and can be put back together again. Until we allow for this time, we are unlikely to see major progress in this area.
Conclusion
Scaling circular economy and cradle-to-cradle thinking will require genuine effort, time and money to get to where we need to be, which is to significantly reduce the waste our construction sites in the UK produce. As reported in the UK Construction Industry Waste Report [2] , the construction industry in the UK reuses less than 2% of its materials.
That is why we brought together a panel of people who, together, are pushing the agenda, rather than waiting for people to tell them why it won’t work, inspiring us with multiple lived experiences, inspiration and ideas, that we can all take away to implement on our own projects and in our own companies.
Following the panel, Oxygen have embarked on a journey of identifying how we can embed the time for cradle-to-cradle innovation into our tenders and contracts. We will be speaking to suppliers and contractors to put systems in place that promote reuse of the existing material already there, and any future kit that will be installed.
[1]: https://www.britishland.com/sustainability/environment/
[2]: https://www.qualisflow.com/uk-construction-waste-report-2023/