The Role of Interiors in the Quest for Net Zero Carbon

This challenge was overcome through leveraging the client’s internal design team to create a carbon neutral space designed less to facilitate private work and  more so to encourage gathering and collaboration, both for 225 locals and  800+ global staff and stakeholders. The client/designer is a global, privately held A&E company with integrated Architecture, MEP/Structural  Engineering, Sustainability, and Interiors, meaning all disciplines could be  aligned towards a single goal, which could also showcase their creativity, sustainability credibility, and integration – a rare opportunity! By working  collaboratively across disciplines, each step of the process was guided  through the lens of cost, environmental impact, and design philosophy alignment with the company’s core values (Integrated Thinking, Inspired Design), and by focusing on travel patterns, emissions reduction, cost, product availability and attributes, industry partnerships, and needs enabled  by hybrid work and rethinking the purpose of what a physical presence can and  should be, the team solved the challenge in a manner unique to them, aligned  with their decarbonization goals and right-sized, with room to grow, for  their flagship address. Particularly regarding sustainability, extensive modeling (energy, embodied carbon, and daylighting) were leveraged to select  an address, inform programming and pace planning, and to verify all carbon  reduction and net-zero claims, which were awarded Ready designation by the  Living Futures’ Zero Carbon Certification program in August 2027 – with final  certification targeted for August 2027, per the requirement to collect and  offset 12 months, minimum, operational emissions plus a one-time (completed)  embodied carbon offset after meeting stringent design/construction criteria.

The  solution developed reduced the space needed for the same headcount (225), by  ~80% from the prior space. This, plus moving into a decarbonizing building  and better-served walk, bike, and transit location became opportunities when hunting spaces, once it was decided to relocate. Prior, the team looked  extensively at options within the existing building, which they  designed/completed in 1988. Moving became the better option, and by having a smaller footprint – as determined by multiple user group meetings – they found a greater variety of spaces, arriving on the 32nd floor of 2 Bloor East  in a fully shelled space with amble north, east, and southerly views. Once  the site was determined, the program was right sized into the space, and the decision to pursue Living Futures Zero Carbon Certification was made. By establishing this early, it informed thinking about spaces, buildings, and landlords to consider, and once this all came together, the team did what  they do best: working collaboratively across disciplines to facilitate design  and construction decisions that factored, tracked, reported, and worked within carbon budgets to achieve the functional, programmatic, and aesthetic  needs of the space/client. Mostly, projects are complete, unto themselves;  here, it needed to fit into a larger discussion about the client’s  sustainability ethos/alignment with their net-zero by 2050 target. Through  working at the scales of the project and long-term vision, on budget and schedule, the project achieved net-zero status, while curbing 28% of the company’s global GHG footprint, perpetually.