Submission by Phil Coffey Architects Ltd.
Being a good ancestor
Practice
1. Do you have a clearly stated purpose aligned with the planetary emergency? We’re looking for a bold ambition here, and a culture which recognises the need for long-term thinking.
Whilst we do not have a formal goal towards the planetary emergency, we do prioritise long-term thinking in the way we think, design and communicate. Our approach is built around designing places that connect people to their environment through the use of natural light and green spaces in all our projects. Where appropriate, we prioritise retrofit and adaptive reuse as a means of conserving embodied carbon, preserving cultural continuity and extending the useful life of existing buildings.
2. Do you have a clearly stated purpose aligned with the planetary emergency? We’re looking for a bold ambition here, and a culture which recognises the need for long-term thinking.
As a first-generation practice with a small-scale team, we have not yet established a succession plan but are keen on nurturing those within our organisation. Our values have remained the same over the last 20 years, and we hope to continue that legacy when the time comes. In the meantime, our goal remains to create buildings that not only meet the needs of their occupants but also enhance their connection to the natural world. Whilst we work towards a formal strategy we aim to develop a mentorship culture, knowledge transfer, staff development, distributed leadership and long-term stewardship of practice values illustrated by staff retention.
3. Do you share research and knowledge for the benefit of society and the wider world?
In previous years we were part of a peer review sustainability group to discuss methods and tools to better our approach to regenerative design. Additionally, we regularly research and share innovative, low-carbon or circular materials which make their way into our projects.
Project
1. Do you advocate for long-term thinking at the outset of work? Do you initiate work with long-term thinking and challenge clients? Also, can the organisation demonstrate that this approach has worked?
Many of our projects consider the overall design life early on and this is shared with our clients who also have long-term thinking and choose to work with us. This approach has worked for many of our projects such as 10 Exchange Square for British Land where Design for Disassembly was considered for the End of Trip facilities are accommodated in an internal pavilion which can be dismantled at the end of its life and structure/finishes used elsewhere. We typically design with future flexibility in mind. An example being our 22 Handyside Street project for Argent, where a steel frame structure and large flexible floorplates allow for future adaptability.
2. Does your work take account of the future climate and the need for resilience?
We believe that most, if not all our projects do take into account the need for resilience in some inherent way. This may be from minimum standards outlined by Building Regulations or mitigating certain challenges that come from sourcing materials, on-site construction or even at an early concept stage. in order to achieve these goals we adopt approaches such as passive design strategies, overheating mitigation, flood resilience, nature-based drainage/SuDS, water conservation and robust planting strategies for future climate conditions.
3. Does the majority of your work go beyond mitigating negatives and towards optimising positives?
We believe in going above a baseline standard and enhancing the character of the spaces we design. As RIBA 2030 Challenge signatories, we aim to reduce operational energy, embodied carbon and potable water in our projects of varying scales. Most commonly, we suggest the use of natural and locally sourced materials where possible, which sits comfortably within our design ethos. We carry out early-stage embodied carbon analysis, aim to incorporate circular material specifications and consider design for maintenance and repair in all of our projects.
Co-evolving with nature
Practice
1. Do you use biophilia within your premises and/or do you regularly gather in natural settings?
Biophilia is a large part of our work and naturally translates to the way we work and our surroundings. Within the office, we have recycled our 1:1 perforated screens used in our Science Museum Library to allow diffused light to create dynamic and dappled shadows which is reminiscent of nature. Additionally, the material palette of our furniture is quite restrained in the use of retrofitted birch plywood for shelves, tables and seating where possible. A range of diverse planting around the office contribute towards a connection to nature and add some life into our studio.
Lastly, we often encourage the team to hold outdoor social activities, whether it’s a walk within Clerkenwell to meet with suppliers, attend industry events or even re-visit our projects within London. Annually, we gather to play softball outdoors and are involved with volunteering activities on occasion.
2. Can you share examples of where you have considered nature in decision making?
Alongside the Jurassic Coast for our project Modern Barn, we considered the sloping landscape as a design tool rather than a constraint, building along rather than above. This informed the structural decisions that resulted in a series of forms that felt naturally placed.
Additionally, we aimed to divert and actively regenerate ecosystems from an existing stream around the structures we had defined. The stunning landscape called for a design that offers incredible views out but retains a level of privacy when looking in by designing with passive solar principles.
Nature is a key part of our design process from concept to delivery, and we aim to integrate this alongside biophilic principles to allow for an enjoyable experience.
3. Are you supporting nature locally and nationally?
Our team volunteers at Triangle Site, the sustainable community garden from Global Generation in King’s Cross. We believe that giving back to our local, outdoor community is an essential part of our work and this is a sustained belief that goes beyond our studio. On average 2-3 members of staff spend 2 hours at the site, equating annually to to over 100 hours of voluntary work.
Project
1. Can you demonstrate work that strives to match the performance of a mature ecosystem?
We often work with clients who are enthusiastic about going beyond sustainable achievements and have a regenerative design ambition. For our retrofit of two contemporary houses into a single-family home in Highbury, we developed a layered approach that creates distinct ecological conditions which support a variety of plant species in different zones.
Collaborating with landscape designers to establish this biophilic heart allowed us to connect principal rooms with daylight and shape ecologically sensitive and climate-resilient gardens.
2. Are you working on material stewardship?
Not at the moment, however, many of our team are interested in the research and development of material innovation and stewardship, so we may strive to delve into this in the future.
3. Does the majority of your work demonstrate the use of biologically-inspired approaches such as Bioregionalism, Biophilia or Biomimicry?
At the Science Museum Research Centre, the focal point is the double-height glass façade lined with a double-layered perforated screen. This ‘canopy’ is carefully cut with thousands of small, square openings to create a dappled lighting effect for the interior as the sun moves across the sky. In a different setting and sector, for our later-living residential scheme, Cobham Bowers, the addition of a walled garden not only strengthened a feeling of ownership, sanctuary and security, but also created a warm and inviting welcome that champions biophilic principles. Our Compton Avenue residential refurbishment project is arranged around a series of landscaped courtyards, or Biomes as the Client refers to them, where the planting reflects the particular environmental conditions in each area, varying from cool/rain forest in the main courtyard to hot/tropical in the rooftop greenhouse. We incorporate some form of biophilia within our projects across all scales and briefs.
Creating a just space for people
Practice
1. Do you have a progressive EDI policy and can you evidence many forms of diversity, which are welcomed and acknowledged, within your company/organisation?
Yes, when attracting new talent, EDI is at the forefront of studio conversation, and we understand that inclusivity begins at the invitation to apply. We have included consciously inclusive wording for job adverts, removing gendered language and incorporating specific wording around equal opportunity employment.
We partner with local educational institutions to invite students for practical, on-the-job experience. We work with Diamond Education Service and Yucan to offer work placement opportunities for students from various geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds, including young carers.
Finally, we have engaged with several mentoring initiatives that prioritise the growth of young people and those interested in a career in architecture who are from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
2. Do you operate a no overtime culture, meet the living wage consistently, and stipulate a fair salary ratio between staff of all levels?
We implement “no overtime culture” by setting clear boundaries on working hours to prioritise work-life balance and prevent burnout. We achieve this by setting clear goals and deadlines and regularly reviewing our programmes and team capacity to ensure that the workload isn’t overwhelming and that appropriate resources are available.
As well as being a Living Wage Employer, we maintain a fair salary ratio between staff at all levels which involves equitable compensation practices where salaries are determined based on factors like experience, qualifications, and job responsibilities rather than hierarchical status. We conduct regular salary reviews to address any disparities.
3. Do you support charities, community groups, social enterprises, action groups and others through pro-bono work, charitable giving or in-kind donations?
Yes, our team has experience volunteering their time and resource supporting/preparing job seekers for employment opportunities and in the past year contributed 70 hours to this initiative. We have worked with Blueprint for All and Built By Us FLUID Diversity Mentoring Programme.
In 2023 we supported the New Architecture Writers group with unlimited access to our studio and its resources. In 2022 we supported a residency for PATCH Collective to research, write, and curate, all with unlimited access to our studio and its resources.
4. Do you use an ethical framework to assess opportunities and/or supply chain partners and is them team consulted on these decisions?
Yes. Typically, the Directors discuss project opportunities and depend upon the nature of the project, for instance if it’s overseas in a country, we are not familiar with, or with a Client we have no prior knowledge of, then we would carry out due diligence to ensure the project is compatible. Once a decision has been made to take on the project, then details will be shared with the internal team. Should members of the team express a desire not to work on the project for personal reasons their concerns will be respected and the team reassembled accordingly.
Project
1. Does your work demonstrate deep engagement with local stakeholders and end users?
We firmly believe that the best projects come out of a comprehensive briefing process, including as much stakeholder engagement and end users at the earlier possible stage, as possible. Our post occupancy evaluations pay testament to that, where end users have expressed appreciation for the project built. An example would be our headquarters office building for Nexus where staff enjoy the new environment designed around their wishes. Residents of our housing projects, whether for the elderly at Moor’s Nook who delight in the dual aspect of their flats, or the private residents at our Rich Estate project who love the natural light and views. Lessons learned from post-occupancy evaluations are shared internally and inform future projects, creating an iterative learning process across the practice.
2. Does your work create connected and resilient communities which positively contribute to neighbourhoods and allow equality of access?
Yes, we believe that our projects go beyond the site boundary and have a responsibility towards the surrounding neighbourhoods and a diverse range of people. We always strive to consider the long-term social impact, community wellbeing, intergenerational living, accessibility and inclusivity beyond compliance and designing for social resilience.
3. Does the majority of your work promote equity in society, and consider all people, not only building inhabitants
We would like to think they do. We carefully consider the implications of the design beyond the site boundary, for instance its implications on neighbours.