Approach
At Hale we strive to deliver commercial development that generates a positive environmental, social and economic impact – meeting or exceeding our clients’ ESG requirements alongside maximising their returns. With buildings and construction accounting for nearly 40% of the UK’s carbon emissions and significantly impacting natural habitats, as well as social and economic outcomes; the ethical imperative for embedding sustainability into architecture and design is indisputable.
We seek to continually improve our sustainability performance and minimise our impact, both within the practice and across the projects we deliver. Our internal Sustainability Policy is reviewed regularly and we are signatories to the RIBA Climate Challenge 2030.
We work to achieve the standards set by BREEAM - the leading global sustainability assessment method for masterplanning projects, buildings and infrastructure. This framework enables Hale to manage and mitigate risk through demonstrating sustainability performance throughout the project life-cycle, from inception to completion and beyond.
Commitment
We consistently review our long-term Sustainability Strategy in alignment with RIBA guidance and our clients’ ESG requirements. This includes refining our objectives to:
- +Further reduce Hale’s carbon footprint,
- +Actively contribute to achieving net zero emissions targets, and
- +Fulfil our corporate social responsibility in the communities we work in.
Experience
We have a strong track record of using innovative technologies to improve energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint of our schemes and we consistently achieve BREEAM ratings of Outstanding, Excellent and Very Good on our projects. Recent examples include:
Master Planning
Client: Federated Hermes
Project(s): Federated Hermes are global leaders in active, responsible investing. Following their ‘9 Pillars’ framework for exemplary ESG investments, Hale is proud to work as their partner in creating assets with the highest sustainability credentials.
Farnborough Business Park is a 26.2-acre site with five office buildings totalling 350,000 sqft of development space. This award-winning project has been entirely pre-let and includes:
- +extensive carbon neutral initiatives, WiredScore, and platinum rating for air quality
- +electric vehicle charging facilities, cycle stores, and fibre infrastructure
- +two new cafés, a gym, communal spaces and new landscaping site-wide
- +enhanced amenity and security with a dedicated site-based management team.
BREEAM rating: Excellent/ Outstanding
Industrial + Logistics
Client: AIMCo (Alberta Investment Management Corporation)
Project(s): The Faraday Road multi-unit warehouse development provides 290,000 square feet of new build, light industrial and logistics facilities in Swindon, Wiltshire - helping to revive this established industrial site as a commercial centre and generate job opportunities for the local community.
Hale designed the warehouse development with efficiency in mind, achieving significant energy and C02 reductions using a number of passive design solutions and low and zero carbon (LZC) technologies, including:
- +enhanced building fabric insulation standards
- +air source heat pumps for heating and cooling
- +1,410m2 photovoltaic (PV) solar panels
- +superior air leakage performance.
BREEAM rating: Excellent
Data Centres
Client: Ark Data Centres
Project(s): As part of the design team, Hale work closely with Ark to deliver data centres which lead the market in social responsibility. As members of the European Green Deal Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact (CNDCP), Ark commit to being carbon neutral data centre operators by 2030.
Through using a host of innovative sustainable design technologies and promoting biodiversity across Ark’s sites, we create energy efficient buildings which benefit local ecosystems and contribute to the wellbeing of the people using them. Initiatives include:
- +sites serviced by local ecoparks generating electric power from waste
- +rainwater harvesting and water consumption reduction
- +modular build solutions
- +LZC technologies.
BREEAM rating: Very Good
Offices
Client: Federated Hermes
Project(s): Farnborough Ascent 2 is a repurposed, extended and modernised office building, reusing and adapting an existing structure. A new three storey glazed atrium adds light and encourages social connection within the building as well as with the public realm beyond.
Platinum air quality ratings, WiredScore, PV solar, and carbon neutral initiatives all form part of the new facility, as well as:
- +carbon reduction and climate resilience risk management across the site
- +design features for wellbeing which go beyond compliance and promote positive mental health
- +circular economy principles embedded into water management and consumption
- +landscaping which enriches the surrounding biodiversity.
BREEAM rating: Outstanding