Submission by Hamilton Hay Van Jonker.
Being a good ancestor
Practice
1. Does the practice have a clearly stated purpose aligned with the planetary emergency? We are looking for a bold ambition here, and a practice culture which recognises the need for long-term thinking. For example, a strong mission, a theory of change, or a sustainability roadmap.
Hamilton Hay Van Jonker was founded in 2024 with the strategic aims of combining strong visioning and architectural design with in-house specialisms in conservation and environmental sustainability, recognising the imperative to optimise re-use of our existing built heritage and reduce emissions. Our aim is to help revitalise places, discover potential and conserve resources through developing a deep understanding of user needs and the sensitive contexts in which we work.
Our mission statement includes the following:
We are an integrated studio of architects, heritage consultants and sustainability specialists. Working with ambitious clients we develop inspirational projects which connect people to their environment, to their past, and to a shared sustainable future.
We are still in the first 12 months of operation, and as such our internal policies are still in development but are committed to developing practice guidance which will govern our approach going forward.
2. Does the practice have a clear succession plan, which passes on ownership and protects the values and legacy of those who built and contributed to the practice? For example is the practice an employee owned trust.
No.
3. Does the practice share research and knowledge for the benefit of society and the wider world? For example, you regularly carry out post occupancy evaluation and share information with others.
The practice has not yet produced any research publications or post occupancy evaluations, but the practice team is encouraged to contribute to research and knowledge sharing in a variety of ways, for example:
Team members regularly contribute to local working groups – these are cross pollination events which encourage practice-to-practice knowledge sharing, including hosting conversations on EDI and architectural conservation.
In our first year, the practice has contributed to numerous speaking engagements, journal articles and other media on range of topic. For example, we provided commentary on local policy issues on challenges and opportunities relating to adaptation of heritage buildings and on issues of climate justice.
Members of the team regularly contribute to education and career development – we have team members who teach at university and participate in Part 3 examination. We are organising a mentoring event for early career architects in June 2025.
Project
1. Does the practice advocate for long-term thinking at the outset of projects? Do you initiate projects with long-term thinking and challenge the client on design life? Also, can the practice demonstrate that this approach has worked – with a shorter or longer design life, or an innovative approach to financing or payback period?
Our practice has a heritage focus – a director holds Advanced Conservation Accreditation. Much of our work involves existing & listed buildings in sensitive historic contexts. We recognise the importance of these buildings to future generations and our role as custodians. Our approach to building conservation aims to ensure that buildings are sensitively altered to ensure they can remain culturally relevant.
We also recently completed a strategic review of estate-wide energy use for a client who operates 35 UK entertainment venues. We produced guidance on net-zero targets, industry best-practice and benchmarking. Bespoke metrics tailored to the entertainment venue typology were designed to identify target venues for further study. The ambition of the research was to provide the client with information & tools to assist them in maximising investment in interventions with tangible carbon reduction potential and development a holistic and a long-term roadmap for energy reduction estate wide.
2. Do your projects take account of the future climate and the need for resilience? For example, do the projects demonstrate flexibility, design for adaptation, design for disassembly, non-deterministic solutions, or demountable structures.
Yes, as much of our work involves the adaptation of existing buildings, we understand that our involvement is one chapter in the building’s history, and it is our intention to ensure we design in a way that facilitates future generations making changes to suit their own needs. We are working with clients to examine options for flexibility and adaptation given challenging constraints, for example, heritage and conservation issues and tight urban sites.
On a residential project, the client would like to carry-out much of the building work as a self-build. This has required an approach to detailing that is simple to construct and therefore alter and uses healthy building materials that they can install themselves.
3. Do the majority of your projects go beyond mitigating negatives and towards optimising positives? For example, are they meeting or exceeding the RIBA 2030 Challenge.
We tailor our approach to meet the needs of a variety of scales of projects, but in doing so always strive to optimise opportunities for low-carbon solutions.
Our King’s Theatre, Glasgow project is in the early-design stages, and a Whole Life Carbon assessment is being undertaken to assess the project’s potential, and benchmark energy use. The project is being tracked against the UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard’s metrics for embodied and operational energy.
On smaller projects, we have used comparisons of embodied energy in key design elements to inform design decision-making, for example comparing & presenting various wall build-ups with different impacts to a private residential client.
Wherever possible the practice aims to use natural building materials, and we encourage clients to consider re-used materials.
Co-evolving with nature
Practice
1. Does the practice use biophilia within the office or regularly host meetings and retreats in natural settings? For example do you have extensive planting within the office or rely on natural patterns and imagery for stress relief or quiet areas.
When choosing a location for the new office premises, the proximity of green space was an important deciding factor. Our office is situated next to the River Clyde in Glasgow, and 80 metres from the entrance to Glasgow Green, one of the city’s largest parks.
This offers staff a daily opportunity to experience the natural setting on our doorstep, as we recognise the importance of this on employee well-being. The proximity of this amenity also provides staff with the opportunity to make use of active travel networks along the river and through the park, providing a chance for wellbeing breaks and stress relief.
Our office hosts a weekly lunch made by colleagues every Wednesday, and we have regularly eaten this together as a picnic in the park, acknowledging the importance of the whole office taking breaks together and enjoying the outdoors.
2. Can the practice share examples where it has considered nature in decision making? For example by having a nature proxy to encourage eco-centric decision making, using natural systems as inspiration for the company structure, recognising the seasonal nature of people’s capacity and workload or celebrating equinoxes and solstices together.
No.
3. Is the practice supporting nature locally and nationally? For example, does the practice support local gardens, gardeners, planting programmes, rewilding programmes or advocate for changes in legislation to protect nature.
No.
Project
1. Can the practice demonstrate projects which strive to match the performance of a mature ecosystem? As a minimum this would mean achieving biodiversity net gain.
HHVJ is collaborating with a client in Caithness, Scotland to develop an experimental archaeology project exploring Iron Age building techniques, and a visitor attraction combining cultural heritage and traditional skills with nature stewardship and biodiversity enhancement initiatives.
The project is situated on a large site comprising a diverse mixture of nationally significant habitats, including peatland, a few kilometres from the UNESCO World Heritage Site designated “The Flow Country”. We are developing site strategies for the project supported by ecologist input, to locate visitor facilities on the site that avoid sensitive habitats.
The project also seeks to improve previously disturbed agricultural land, and achieve Biodiversity Net Gain in line with Highland Council’s “Biodiversity Enhancement Planning Guidance” through a range of techniques – including restoring key wetland and riparian habitats, and proposed technical interventions to promote suitable water vole habitat for example, which are a red-listed species.
2. Is the practice working on material stewardship? For example, evidence could be shown through repeated use of low carbon materials, extensive material libraries and research or publications supporting responsible use of materials and elimination of waste.
As a recently formed practice, we have not built up a library of materials or evidence of built projects, but as part of our company ethos it is our intention to promote responsible material use going forward. It is our long-term aspiration to avoid petrochemical based materials for applications where natural, circular or lower-impact alternatives exist.
For example, as part of the King’s Theatre Glasgow project, the consultant team is exploring the possibility of re-using down taken materials such as structural timber and brickwork on-site as part of the new construction elements. The project is at early design stages, but Whole Life Carbon Assessment we are undertaking will assess the potential viability and benefits of this to the client and wider stakeholders.
At a much smaller scale, our Muthill Garden Room project has incorporated stone from demolition of a small lean-to into the design of the new extension.
3. Do the majority of projects demonstrate the use of biologically-inspired approaches such as Bioregionalism, Biophilia, Biomimicry, Ecomimicry (also referred to as Ecosystems Thinking, Industrial Ecology or Industrial Symbiosis) or BioTRIZ?
As a new practice, we are not at a stage of answering for all our projects, but an example of a biophilic approach we have taken is on our Muthill Garden Room project, a residential extension to an existing sandstone villa.
The client’s house has a mature garden setting, but the house has limited connection the outdoors and lacks natural daylight.
The project brief was to open up the house to the garden via a new living space, and create opportunities for accessible indoor-outdoor living, to allow the client to enjoy the house and garden in later life. This generates greater opportunities for visual and non-visual connections with nature.
The project will minimise disturbance to the natural habitats found in the garden through lower impact construction (e.g eliminating ground-bearing slabs), and including bat and swift boxes in the new construction to encourage wildlife to inhabit the structure.
Creating a just space for people
Practice
1. Does the practice have a progressive EDI policy and can you evidence many forms of diversity, which are welcomed and acknowledged, within the practice?
Recruitment:
We use a ‘blind’ recruitment process, diverse interview panels, and offer support/adjustments during application and interview stages.
Advocacy and wider support:
One of our directors is a trustee of Open Plan Scotland – a volunteer led advocacy and support network for all who identify as LGBTQIA+ and study or work across architecture in Scotland.
HHVJ also offers active support for graduate recruitment, work experience, and paid internships for underrepresented groups. We plan events covering key areas such as Equality Diversity & Inclusion, Wellbeing, and Mentoring.
Other policies:
We are committed to The Maternity Pledge and the company is dedicated to supporting family transitions. We promote a mentally healthy workplace and our EDI policies cover Menopause, Returning to Work after maternity/adoption leave, and the ‘Equally Safe’ initiative.
2. Does the practice operate a no overtime culture, meet the living wage consistently, and stipulate a fair salary ratio between staff of all levels?
HHVJ is committed to addressing gender pay gaps, ensuring fair and equal pay through salary bandings. As a new practice we are still in the process of establishing formal recognition for this, but we are committed to evidencing this in practice and it is our intention to demonstrate this with application to Living Wage Scotland for accreditation.
We offer flexible working to all employees and can evidence this through the wide range of working patterns at all levels within the company.
3. Does the practice support charities, community groups, social enterprises, action groups and others through pro-bono work, charitable giving or in-kind donations?
The practice is a supporter of Architects Benevolent Society, a charity that provides a wide range of support to the architectural community and their families. One of our directors is an Ambassador of the ABS. In June 2025, the practice is organising a second “Speed Mentoring” event in Glasgow, following on from a successful inaugural event last year. The event aims to connect early career architects with a wide range of professionals from diverse backgrounds whilst fundraising for ABS.
The practice also supports an Associate with her role on the Architects Declare UK Steering Group in attending monthly meetings, contributing to Architects Declare’s programme of events and open-source literature and providing practice to practice knowledge exchange.
A Director provides voluntary support to Open Plan Scotland as a trustee, whilst another director is a trustee of Glasgow Building Preservation Trust.
4. Does the practice publicly refuse to work with certain clients, suppliers or organisations on ethical grounds?
No.
Project
1. Do the projects demonstrate deep engagement with local stakeholders and end users? For example, is there evidence that your project engagement goes beyond consultation towards co-design?
No.
2. Do your projects create connected and resilient places which positively contribute to their neighbourhoods and allow equality of access? For example, do your projects create economic opportunity, retain value locally and generate social value?
King’s Theatre is a lynchpin in the Glasgow entertainment economy, vital to the local context, and is a venue with a wide socio-economic reach. It is rife with accessibility issues for both visitors and performers, and resolving these to provide equality of access is paramount. The project resolves the venue’s technical issues to accommodate a wider variety of shows protecting the venue’s economic viability. Ensuring the venue can continue to run as a touring production house as originally designed maintains the cultural relevance of a nationally significant building for future generations.
We are working with St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh to improve the experience for approximately 1.2 million annual visitors. Space in the Cathedral is limited due to its prominent central location. Accessibility is also an issue; this project is looking to find a solution which can provide interpretation space for visitors as well as social space for the existing congregation.
3. Do the majority of your projects promote equity in society, and consider all people, not only the building inhabitants? For example, do your projects show due regard for workers within the supply chain and take active steps to avoid modern slavery?
HHVJ is committed to upholding ethical business practices and ensuring that modern slavery, human trafficking, and forced labour have no place in our operations or supply chains. We maintain a Modern Slavery Policy, which recognises our responsibility to ensure that as a small architectural practice, we work with other organisations to promote humane working conditions across the supply chain.
While our direct risk is low, we remain vigilant in assessing and mitigating any potential risks within our industry and supply chains. We strive to collaborate with reputable suppliers who adhere to fair labour practices and comply with all relevant legislation.
Hamilton Hay Van Jonker is dedicated to continuous improvement in this area. We encourage transparency, ethical sourcing, and accountability, and we remain committed to raising awareness and acting against modern slavery in all its forms.