Submission by Scott Brownrigg.
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.
We have a clearly defined purpose aligned with the planetary emergency: “To enrich lives through the built environment and create a better world,” underpinned by responsibility to people and planet. This is reinforced by our vision to transform the industry and deliver positive environmental and social change. As signatories to the UN Global Compact, we commit to publicly reporting progress against the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including governance, human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.
Our purpose is translated into measurable action through carbon footprint tracking, lifecycle assessments and alignment with the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard. Continuous internal sustainability reviews and benchmarking ensure accountability and ongoing improvement.
We demonstrate tangible impact through project outcomes, such as achieving a 60% reduction in façade embodied carbon on our 2000 Discovery Drive scheme. Overall, our purpose is clearly articulated and embedded in practice, guiding both strategic direction and day-to-day decision-making.
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 the oldest practice with continuous ownership, our commitment to legacy and succession was highlighted by our 115th anniversary in 2025. Ownership and participation are central to our strategy. Since becoming an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) in 2021, we have embedded collective stewardship through elected employee trustees and profit-sharing.
Our 115 year milestone was celebrated with the publication of a book exploring our evolution, design philosophy, and landmark projects, alongside a book launch with friends of the practice and an exhibition at the Building Centre.
Succession is strengthened through structured career pathways, leadership development, mentoring, and our Future Talent Programme, which nurtures the next generation of designers and leaders. By combining heritage with a forward-looking strategy, we ensure continuity and relevance. Clear progression routes and meaningful participation opportunities support a sustainable model that safeguards our legacy while enabling future growth and innovation.
3. Do you share research and knowledge for the benefit of society and the wider world?
Our Design Research Unit drives research-led innovation, supported by collaborations with academia and industry that extend the reach and impact of our work. Knowledge is shared through digital platforms and iA: Intelligent Architecture publications. In 2025, we launched the iA podcast, expanding access to insights on the future of the built environment, including episodes such as “What does it mean to be an architect today?” with RIBA President Chris Williamson.
We also support external research, committing £10,000 to the RIBA Scott Brownrigg Award for Sustainable Development, now in its third iteration, advancing work aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Learning is embedded in practice through our Knowledge Management strategy, including Post-Occupancy Evaluations that generate performance insights to inform future projects and best practice. Together, these initiatives demonstrate our strong commitment to advancing knowledge and sharing it for wider societal benefit.
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?
Our concept-vision and sustainability workshops test environmental performance, adaptability, and robustness across a project’s life. Our retrofit‑first approach prioritises reuse of existing assets to reduce embodied carbon and extending design life.
This approach is demonstrated by The Spark at Southampton Solent University. With high levels of stakeholder engagement impacting upon the design, we intelligently made best use of existing buildings, including the reuse of the site’s existing ramped structure, and underground carpark, which served to accommodate large lecture theatres below the main entrance level, creating efficiency and flexibility. More than a decade after completion, POE confirms it remains highly adaptable, well used, and effective, with change accommodated through flexible layouts rather than structural alteration.
Long‑term value for our projects is further enhanced through our use of digital technologies that support operational efficiency and circular economy principles, ensuring, projects deliver sustained environmental and functional benefits beyond completion.
2. Does your work take account of the future climate and the need for resilience?
We encourage staff to think long term, including workshops such as Rob Hopkins’ “Falling in Love with the Future,” based on his book, which prompt reflection beyond day-to-day work and consider the wider impact of our actions.
Our projects address future climate conditions and resilience by embedding flexibility and adaptability from the outset. Approaches such as flexLAB for Life Sciences and the Adaptable Basebuild Concept for offices use modular grids, demountable walls and reconfigurable finishes, enabling buildings to respond to changing uses, tenancy needs and evolving technologies.
Interior schemes follow a circular, “plug-and-play” fit-out strategy, supporting adaptation, disassembly and reduced waste while lowering embodied carbon. This is reinforced by a retrofit-first approach that prioritises upgrading existing assets over replacement.
BIM-enabled iterative design and Digital Twin technologies support continuous testing and modelling of future scenarios, improving performance and responsiveness, and creating adaptable, future-ready buildings resilient to climate change.
3. Does the majority of your work go beyond mitigating negatives and towards optimising positives?
Climate action is a strategic objective, embedding a science-led response to the climate emergency across all projects. KPIs within our Business Plan, are tracked by our Operations Board, reporting against the Net Zero Building Standard and RIBA Sustainability Outcomes Guide. We assess projects against six core sustainability themes, encouraging a holistic, regenerative approach from the outset.
Solutions are tailored to maximise the potential of every project. Early-stage Design–Concept–Vision workshops embed sustainability into the project story, while clear metrics and iterative testing track performance throughout.
Continuous improvement is central to our approach, supported by specialist resources, internal assessment tools and cross-project learning. A recent benchmarking study established a practice-wide baseline across sectors and building types, enabling us to measure and track progress effectively.in terms of our goal to add environmental, social and economic value through our projects.
Co-evolving with nature
Practice
1. Do you use biophilia within your premises and/or do you regularly gather in natural settings?
Biophilic principles and connection with nature are promoted both within the studio environment and through external activities. Studios with planting are designed to be healthy, inspiring spaces, supported by measures such as air quality monitoring, WELL Building assessments, and a long-term strategy to deliver low-carbon, wellbeing-focused workplaces. These initiatives prioritise occupant health and environmental quality, aligning with biophilic design principles.
Staff wellbeing is supported through regular activities organised by the Wellbeing, Activities and Charity Committee (WAC), including outdoor nature walks, sketching, runs and yoga sessions on the terrace. The practice also engages with natural settings through our Community Involvement Programme – where initiatives include volunteering outdoor spaces such as the Rosamund Community Garden in Guildford and Stockbridge Primary School in Edinburgh.
Together, these approaches foster a strong connection to nature, supporting mental wellbeing, promoting social engagement, and embedding the benefits of biophilia into both everyday work environments and wider practice culture.
2. Can you share examples of where you have considered nature in decision making?
We formally recognise nature as a stakeholder within our management system, supported by a dedicated ecology and biodiversity group that actively influences projects and promotes eco-centric thinking. Participation in industry initiatives such as the UKGBC Biodiversity Forum further strengthens this approach and ensures alignment with best practice.
We reflect natural systems by celebrating seasons and cultural events across the year in internal news posts and events. We acknowledge the importance of balance, rest, and cycles in people’s capacity through flexible and remote working policies that allow individuals to respond to their own rhythms and our wellbeing and birthday leave allowances encourage individuals to take regular breaks across the year. This approach promotes long-term resilience.
Our organisational culture integrates nature both in project outcomes and in how people work, fostering a more sustainable and balanced way of operating.
3. Are you supporting nature locally and nationally?
We actively support nature at local and national levels through community action, research and advocacy. Locally, our Community Involvement Programme enables all staff to participate in initiatives such as school garden maintenance, tree planting and green space improvements. In 2025, teams delivered over 450 volunteer hours across projects including Rosamund Community Garden, Bute Park and Stockbridge Primary School, creating measurable environmental benefits.
Nationally, we have undertaken research for Natural England and the Department for Education on how school grounds can offer community access to green space, addressing inequality while supporting biodiversity, health, climate resilience and community cohesion. This work informs programmes such as the National Education Nature Park.
Our research into Vertical Nature Restoration explores how buildings can actively support biodiversity, establishing a framework for integrating ecological systems into urban environments. Together, these initiatives demonstrate a clear commitment to protecting nature and supporting long-term systemic change.
Project
1. Can you demonstrate work that strives to match the performance of a mature ecosystem?
Biodiversity and ecology are embedded as a key theme within our sustainability objectives and review process, supported by a dedicated internal group, with an ambition to surpass Biodiversity Net Gain targets on all projects.
A strong example is the Island School in Limassol, Cyprus, shortlisted for WAF Future Education award. This 60,000 sq m education hub is conceived as a “village within a village,” integrating architecture with the natural hillside to preserve and enhance local ecosystems. The design fosters a symbiotic relationship between learning and nature, with outdoor courtyards, biodiverse landscapes, and indigenous planting woven throughout.
Green roofs, natural materials, and passive water management strategies further strengthen ecological performance, while promoting habitat creation and resilience. By blurring indoor and outdoor environments and prioritising ecosystem preservation, the project demonstrates a holistic, measurable commitment to biodiversity net gain.
2. Are you working on material stewardship?
We advance material stewardship through both project delivery and research. Internal Construction Collage Workshops encourage staff to understand the full environmental and social impacts of material choices. We also financially supported the RIBA Scott Brownrigg Award-winning study, “Unlocking Indigenous Stone Construction in the UK,” which promotes low-carbon, locally sourced materials. In addition, we supported the Don’t Waste Buildings’ report – “The Reuse Dividend,” which explores “Why is the reuse of existing buildings still financially harder than demolition and rebuild – even when the environmental and social case is clear?
On the refurbishment of Thames Court, extensive material reuse—including 5,460m² of raised access flooring saved approximately 236 tonnes of CO₂e and diverted 15 tonnes of waste from landfill. The salvage and reuse of sandstone, limestone and pewter elements further illustrate our circular approach.
3. Does the majority of your work demonstrate the use of biologically-inspired approaches such as Bioregionalism, Biophilia or Biomimicry?
No.
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?
We have a progressive EDI policy embedded as a strategic objective, with KPIs in our business plan, monitored by the Operations Board and reported in our Corporate Purpose Report. We foster an inclusive culture where diversity is valued, evidenced by 43% female staff and 36% women in management. Although not required, we track our Gender Pay Gap, reducing it from 22% to 10% over three years.
EDI is led by a dedicated EDI+B Group with Strategic Board accountability and supported through external collaboration, including founding membership of the RIBA EDI Leaders Group.
We promote fair recruitment, flexible working, and strong work–life balance. Our Future Talent Programme broadens access through paid internships, apprenticeships, mentoring, and partnerships with organisations such as Blueprint for All and the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation. Last year we had 62 work experience placements, 6 apprentices, 8 internships and 450 hours of volunteering to support this area.
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 are committed to fair working conditions, underpinned by a proactive “no overtime” culture and a Living Wage for staff at all levels. Overtime is closely monitored as a KPI by the Operations Board, with measures in place to prevent it. Recognising the demands of project work, we support wellbeing through an additional four days of annual wellbeing leave.
Salaries are benchmarked by our Remuneration Committee to ensure fairness and consistency. We voluntarily track our Gender Pay Gap, reducing it from 22% to 10% over the last three years. All employees also benefit from profit‑share distributions through our Employee Ownership Trust, reinforcing an inclusive approach to reward.
Flexible and hybrid working, alongside strong wellbeing support, help maintain a healthy work–life balance and create an equitable, supportive environment for all.
3. Do you support charities, community groups, social enterprises, action groups and others through pro-bono work, charitable giving or in-kind donations?
We demonstrate a sustained long-term commitment to supporting charities and community groups through pro-bono work and active community engagement. Our approach is built on lasting partnerships, supported by fundraising, in-kind contributions, and the donation of professional skills.
This commitment is embedded through our Community Involvement Programme, which provides every employee with a paid day each year to volunteer. In 2025, our teams contributed over 450 hours to initiatives including community gardens, school projects, biodiversity activities, and inclusive play spaces, alongside mentoring and coaching activities, with ongoing support for organisations such as The Yard in Edinburgh.
Pro-bono design forms a key part of our contribution. Our partnership with FareShare has delivered design improvements to multiple sites, enhancing spaces for staff, volunteers, and communities. We are also supporting the Coronation Food Hub Project, helping tackle food waste and educate future generations.
4. Do you use an ethical framework to assess opportunities and/or supply chain partners and is them team consulted on these decisions?
We take a clear and public stance on ethical working, underpinned by our commitment to the UN Global Compact. As the first UK architecture practice participant among over 25,000 global signatories, the practice aligns all business decisions with the Compact’s Ten Principles, covering human rights, labour standards, environmental responsibility, and anti-corruption.
These commitments are actively enforced through a robust go/no go project review process, part of our opportunities and bids gateway, which assesses all potential projects and clients against ethical criteria. We have demonstrated our progress and commitment in this area by expanding upon the ethical questions within this that relate to Labour, Human Rights and Environmental Impact.
Projects that do not align with these principles can be challenged or declined, ensuring consistency with the practice’s values. Annual public reporting as part of the UN Global Compact reinforces transparency and accountability, demonstrating our structured and proactive approach to ethical decision-making.
Project
1. Does your work demonstrate deep engagement with local stakeholders and end users?
We embed stakeholder and community engagement as a continuous, co‑design process from the earliest stages, enabling users to shape outcomes and influence key design decisions.
At Three Rivers School, the brief and design were co‑developed with staff, pupils, and specialists through workshops, creating a genuinely user‑led environment. Whilst at a science campus development, community input directly informed design interventions, including new walking routes, safer cycle infrastructure, accessible green spaces, and community facilities. Initiatives such as the “Learning Lab” were co‑created with local schools to strengthen educational links.
Across projects, engagement extends beyond consultation to active collaboration. By listening and responding to stakeholder priorities such as safety, accessibility, and biodiversity we deliver meaningful social value and foster long‑term community ownership, demonstrating a clear commitment to co‑design.
2. Does your work create connected and resilient communities which positively contribute to neighbourhoods and allow equality of access?
Social value is embedded from the outset of our projects, with a focus on creating inclusive, welcoming environments that break down physical and social barriers and strengthen connections beyond the site boundary. This is reinforced by having a dedicated Social Value Lead within our Sustainability team.
The Spark at Southampton Solent University exemplifies this approach. More than ten years after completion, it continues to deliver long-term value for both the University and the wider community. Designed as a civic hub offering a welcoming and accessible point of connection between campus and community, and supporting engagement with local residents, businesses, voluntary groups and the city council. Collaboration with the city council has enhanced public realm connections, prioritising pedestrian movement, biodiversity, and accessibility. Internally, flexible spaces support a wide range of community, cultural and economic activities, reinforcing the building’s role as a catalyst for social interaction, local opportunity, and inclusive growth.
3. Does the majority of your work promote equity in society, and consider all people, not only building inhabitants
Equity and social value are embedded as core sustainability principles, shaping project evaluation, design and delivery through continuous review and stakeholder engagement. Our authorship of CDM 2015: A Practical Guide for Architects for RIBA Publishing – still a key industry reference over a decade later, demonstrates our long-standing commitment to safe, fair and responsible practice. This is reinforced by our specialist Safety Design Unit, which ensures best practice, regulatory compliance and equitable outcomes for all involved.
As an RIBA Chartered Practice, all staff follow a strict code of conduct and receive ongoing training to identify and mitigate ethical risks in supply chains, ensuring responsible specification of materials and products.
We take proactive measures to address modern slavery through our anti-slavery and human trafficking policy, embedded in supplier onboarding, competency assessments and project delivery, alongside a robust gateway process that evaluates human rights, labour and environmental risks before projects proceed.