Submission by Commonfuture.
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.
Chris: ‘We have had an environmental policy for decades, long before it was required, and our current version – revision 6 – puts into writing as succinctly as we can that we are dedicated to improving the environment, not just in our our designs, but in our own office and personal actions. Reflecting on the question though, we have avoided being too strident in what we promise to do and have taken the view that it is our actions, not so much our statements that matter. When ‘Architects Declare’ became a big deal, we didn’t sign up, because so many of the signatories clearly had little concern for the issues and were treating it as ‘greenwashing’ We wrote an article at the time bemoaning the primacy of statements over meaningful action and have tried to let our work be the vehicle. Its not as simple as that, but we certainly favour getting on with things quietly!’
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.
Chris: ‘We currently are in the middle of organisational and brand changes to translate the legacy of John Gilbert, who has now retired, into a organisation that reflects his and our own values in its organisation in perpetuity. We are all dedicated to working for the benefit of people and planet, and have chosen directors who share that ethos.
While we haven’t put in place the sort of structures the question intends, oddly, this is partly because it is easier to steer the ship as directors who are in control and who believe fully in what John was trying to do, than by sharing the leadership roles too widely with others.’
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.
Matt: ‘The practice has a dedicated Post Occupancy Evaluation service called Hab-lab, which monitors the as-built internal environment of mainly residential buildings and we regularly offer this service to clients. We are heavily engaged in public dialogue about the future of low energy housing and the integration of new performance standards into the building regulations. 6 or 7 of our staff members regularly give talks on a range of subjects within our field of expertise, from low energy design and retrofit, to conservation, amounting to over a hundred presentations a year between us. Much of our work has been made public in documents such as the Sustainable Retrofit Guide and the Tenement Handbook, please see our website for a list of our publications.
http://www.johngilbert.co.uk/?page_id=20
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?
Drew: ‘107 Niddrie Road is an innovative low-energy conservation project on the south side of Glasgow. With approximately 73,000 traditional sandstone tenements in Glasgow alone, how we adapt these culturally significant residential buildings is crucial given our rapidly changing climate. All eight flats and the communal close are owned by Southside Housing Association and had sat vacant for some time which gave us a unique opportunity to see how far the energy efficiency of these buildings could be improved while respecting their heritage
The use of traditional and natural materials (eg. stone, lime, timber, sheep’s wool) was juxtaposed with contemporary technologies such as MVHR, air source heat pumps and wastewater heat recovery to significantly improve the energy efficiency and occupant comfort. The heating demand of these flats has been reduced by 90% making fuel poverty almost impossible and the follow on research and monitoring project is collating data to prove it.
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.
Chris: ‘We have put considerable practice time into researching future climate change and the need for adaptation as well as mitigation. We now lecture regularly on the subject and have worked with organisations concerned about the management of their building stock, especially in relation to the various other benchmarks on energy efficiency, fuel poverty, maintenance and other compliance issues. We recently wrote a guide on domestic climate adaptation for Loco Home Retrofit in Glasgow. This can be read here. Several projects incorporate measures specifically to tackle flooding, overheating and increased risk of wind-driven rain, for example. My (Chris) research work before joining JGA was in overheating risk in Passivhaus buildings in Scotland, so we understand that aspect particularly well
We have incorporated flexible home working / adaptable units into co-housing schemes in the past to allow for changes in lifestyle and have written guidance on disassembly etc. – refer response to Question 2-2-2.’
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.
Matt: ‘We are pioneering the transition to the passivhaus standard construction in social housing in Scotland, including leading the consultation process on future building standards with the Scottish Government. The majority of the housing projects we currently have at design stage will be constructed to passivhaus standard. We are co-owners of the Sussed consultancy, which provides design guidance and construction monitoring of non-domestic passivhaus projects, and we are also involved in numerous private passivhaus projects.’ Almost half of the office, including 4 out of 5 directors are Passivhaus accredited.
We do not work directly to the RIBA 2030 Challenge but are very familiar with the various metrics it supports. We have also been instrumental in developing a broader awareness of embodied carbon in Scotland, with Scottish Government and as part of Sussed, have pioneered a range of carbon, water and other metric reporting as part of a wider sustainability agenda.’
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.
Chris: ‘We have had a number of team away weekends, focussing on strategy and practice development which we have located in the highlands of Scotland, in the Cairngorms and Lochaber, and these incorporated walks and other outdoor activities. The proximity of rural Scotland is felt as a great benefit to the practice generally. We do indeed have a lot of plants in the office all with associated care and watering rotas! We have employed biophilic principles to an extent in our projects as discussed elsewhere.’
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.
Matt: ‘The practice operates a ‘sunny day pass’ whereby people can get short notice leave if it’s nice weather – this is intended to enable people to get out into nature and enjoy the (relatively sparse) sunny days. Many of our employees are keen hillwalkers / outdoors types and the proximity of the beautiful Scottish highlands is an inspiration for most. We also have a team whatsapp where people post pictures of their adventures. The recent heightened occurrences of the northern lights were an office favourite. As an offshoot of our support for the Architect’s Benevolent Society we are exploring options within the office to promote good mental health, whether these are regular organised lunchtime walks or other activities.’
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.
Gillies: ‘I and some colleagues contacted Network Rail about a piece of vacant railway land that was adjacent to our previous office, and were granted a license to turn this into a garden. We won some funding to build raised beds and for some time this was a great way to spend a lunch hour, weeding and growing veg. etc. The Practice has since moved to city centre premises and the garden has been reclaimed by Network Rail, but we are always open minded to this kind of opportunity’
Chris: ‘We work on many rural projects and adopt a permaculture approach to both the buildings and surrounding landscapes where we can. On one current project we are working on the renovation of several abandoned farm buildings along with a community group who have just completed the largest land transfer to a community in the South of Scotland. Along with other consultants we are looking at biodiversity gain, rewilding and building and infrastructure remediation as the group aim to revitalise what was once a busy rural economy and ecology.’
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.
Gillies: ‘We are working with two separate private clients to develop the concept of the ‘smart clachan’ as a way of returning small but dense population clusters to the rural Scottish Highlands where previous small historical townships (Clachans) have been evicted by the 19th century clearances. Much of the highlands have since been denuded of biodiversity through the twin factors of monoculture forestry plantations and ‘sporting’ estates . As a means of creating sustainable livelihoods these clachan proposals are seamlessly embedded in Permaculture and re-wilding principals and propose ways in which not only the people but the biodiversity can return to the landscape. Through use of natural and local materials within low-energy constructions and the regenerative forces of food growing, waste composting and renewable energy we hope to create a replicable model of development that can help to revitalise the biodiversity of rural Scotland.’
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.
Davinder: ‘The new wall panels for the retrofit of an office building for Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST) are composites, and comprised of CLT produced with Scottish timber, hemp insulation (made from UK crops) filled between timber I-joists, and Scots pine timber cladding. Kenoteq bricks are specified at low level, these bricks are made from ~95% recycled content’
Chris: ‘We have designed buildings using straw bales, light earth (straw and earth), hemp, as well as timber frame buildings using a range of natural materials like sheepswool, wood fibre insulation, hemp and jute insulation, planted roofs, lime and clay plasters, natural timber finishes using wax and oil coatings etc.
We wrote the first guide on ‘design for deconstruction’, published in 2005 for Scottish Government and part of this guidance now forms a part of the Scottish Building Standards. This guidance was followed up within JGA when we wrote a re-vamped guide for Zero Waste Scotland called ‘Designing Out Waste’ which developed and improved upon the first publication.’
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?
Chris: ‘We have consciously adjusted much of our contemporary design and detailing to closer resemble traditional Scottish practice. Beyond traditional forms and proportions, in Scotland this means keeping details clipped to minimise potential wind damage and the use of local, natural materials. Our ‘Taigh Chearsabhagh’ Museum Extension and Arts Centre is a good example and featured in an exhibition looking at contemporary bioregional practice in Scotland. We have used natural materials a good deal and have tended in the past to increase the daylight levels in most spaces, although we have curbed that more recently in response to increasing concerns about overheating.
We have used renewables extensively in projects, including the use of geothermal for heating social housing, various forms of solar and wind power.’
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?
Barbara: ‘Over the past few years, we have made a concerted effort to improve our internal working culture, starting with a focus on gender equality and expanding to address all protected characteristics and socioeconomic backgrounds. Through ongoing workshops, the use of incident registers, and open team discussions, we have fostered a workplace culture that encourages self-awareness, empathy, and inclusive behaviours.
As part of this, we have:
- Promoted psychological safety and mental health conversations
- Developed inclusive design practices
- Encouraged cultural intelligence and recognition of privilege
- Hosted micro-aggressions workshops that aim to create systemic change rather than only addressing individual bias
- To support these efforts, we have formalised our strategy through comprehensive EDI policies, established an EDI working group, and created internal and external mental health support resources (e.g. via ABS, NHS).
Externally, we are proud to engage with wider communities, from giving talks in schools and universities to participating in events like Equality in Urbanism/Feminist City, etc.
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?
Heather: ‘overtime is permitted in extreme circumstances only and not routinely expected, the practice promotes a healthy work/life balance, meets the living wage and has a transparent salary scale which is annually adjusted for all levels of experience, this is embedded in our office working policy’
3. Does the practice support charities, community groups, social enterprises, action groups and others through pro-bono work, charitable giving or in-kind donations
Gillies: ‘We work regularly with three community engagement specialists and have a reduced daily rate for these projects. office supports the Architect’s Benevolent Society with annual involvement in the ‘time to sketch’ event and bake sales etc.
Various members of the practice are long-term members of the Scottish Ecological Design Association and numerous members have been involved in managing & organising scores of events at various times down the years. Seven members of the practice are regularly engaged in giving unpaid talks to local organisations on a variety of subjects involving conservation, retrofit and low-energy design.
Members of the practice have in the past been involved in Park(ing) day, an annual, more light hearted day of direct action aimed at drawing public attention to the excessive use of public space for car parking. We designed and constructed a portable, demountable park that fitted in a shopping trolley.
4. Does the practice publicly refuse to work with certain clients, suppliers or organisations on ethical grounds?
Matt: ‘We have turned down work in the past for ethical reasons, we would not hesitate to be public about this but we have had no call to consider doing so to date. We have had the good fortune to be able to establish a long working relationship with a number of housing associations, social organisations and community groups that broadly equal our own ethical policy. Our office culture is such that there would be no hesitation by members of staff to speak out about ethical questions.’
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.
Aden: ‘We have recently led a design workshop with a School in Barrhead. The workshops were more focused on getting the kids to think of what they like about their area and their homes. It finished with a ‘design your own home’ and there are more workshops to come – there was also talk of getting the kids out to see the project being built later down the line.’
Hugo: ‘We regularly work with community groups from the earliest project stages, in collaboration with other consultants, to help communities better understand their local built assets/heritage and how best to use them to create viable business models. In one case, completed this week, we were employed incrementally for 18 months to support them prior to a successful asset transfer. we gave them impartial building condition advice and contributed to their community engagement sessions. This background work helped guide the community’s brief for the building once in community ownership, which in turn has led to the first two phases of collaborative design work.
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?
Hugo: ‘For the regeneration of a vacant building in Newhaven our preparatory work with the community group gave them the confidence that they could use the space as intended as a multigenerational community centre providing attractive rooms for hire by local businesses and charitable groups. Most occupants/partners are artisans whose rent provides income and resilience for the maintenance of the asset, and as part of their lease they are required to dedicate some time to community projects. Many run affordable classes for the community, which supplement their own income.’
Gillies: ‘We have been involved in a number of council funded Townscape Heritage Initiative projects in Glasgow that aim to regenerate the streetscape of urban heritage areas where poorly designed or uncoordinated shopfront modifications have lead to a perceivable feeling of poor quality public realm. These projects usually involve removal of external steel roller shutters that can create an oppressive environment at night. These projects can have a large impact on the public perception of an area and improve footfall to the shops involved.’
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?
Yes.