The conclusion may be drawn that although there is alignment between Company A and the Dweller, with affordability matching the lower returns; the great-place-to-live matching the social change agenda; and the habitability matching the reputation, there are some discrepancies with the Developer.

If, however, they incorporate it at the start, they can make it part of their building design and it can be a lot more effective and a lot more cost effective as well.. IP: How does the focus on sustainability manifest at Bryden Wood?.HH: Sustainability is a broad term and I think you can separate it up quite a lot.

In terms of what we do here at Bryden Wood, we’re mostly focused on the environmental side of sustainability.We have a focus on building physics, with the aim of reducing energy costs for occupiers, as well as reducing carbon emissions.We’re also particularly committed to looking at the whole life of a building, so this also encompasses the embodied carbon within materials — from construction methods all the way through to how that material operates.

It’s very much a cradle to grave approach.We tend to not necessarily go for environmental ratings, so we can offer BREEAM, but it doesn’t have to be applied to every project.

It’s more about listening to the client, understanding what their drivers are, and then applying the best part of different ratings or standards in sustainable design so that the client actually gets what they need, rather than what a certificate says that they might want.. IP: What makes Bryden Wood unique when it comes to sustainable design?.

HH: I think the unique thing is that we sit amongst both architects and engineers, so we are fundamentally set up to deliver an integrated approach.There’s a balancing act required.

However, he says that people are genuinely looking for ways to de-risk programs of work and make additional profit.He also notes that programs and build times are coming down, and that people are looking for ways to modularize and make things work.

All of this requires proper digital coordination.The tier one contractors are trying to drive innovation in a different way, he says, and the smaller players are looking for a point of difference..