Case studies

Arup’s bespoke Integrated Resource Management (IRM) approach can be employed to support the development of, and evaluate, growth and design options for the project in terms of defined indicators and targets developed as part of the sustainability framework. The IRM model is essentially a systems analysis tool that adopts a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach and applies this to regional or town/city masterplans, or at the project-specific development level.

The application of the IRM to support the design, development and evaluation of masterplans, growth studies, etc has provided numerous benefits. The tool was developed in response to Arup’s recognition of the complexities of coordinating and integrating multidisciplinary inputs.

This case study introduces the concept of developing manufacturing facilities, organisational procedures and company responsibilities through an approach to sustainable development. The approach is centred on a case study of Kingspan Insulation Ltd, one of the construction industry’s main suppliers of insulation products.

British Land is a major UK listed property company which creates value by actively managing, financing and developing prime commercial property. It has a current portfolio of £16.9 billion.

British Land adopts an integrated approach to embedding sustainability into the heart of its business. It focuses on developing sustainable properties which aim to conserve the world’s resources and reduce company costs as well as those incurred by its occupiers.

Over the past ten years Carillion has implemented an organisation-wide framework on sustainability including their Strategy and Sustainability Excellence Models which have been developed to embed sustainability considerations into all aspects of its business operations.

Critical to the model are the strategic key performance indicators (KPI’s) which have been set across a range of environmental, community and economic issues, following initial work to identify the key areas of impact of the construction industry.

Through a series of hospital developments, Carillion has made a transition to greater use of linoleum flooring versus alternatives. It considered the sustainability of a wide range of flooring materials as a part of this process – including linoleum, rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and chlorine free vinyl.

Crest Nicholson has recognised the need to reduce construction waste as part of its on going Sustainable Development Strategy. It has implemented a national waste management system for waste segregation and recycling following Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and Envirowise guidance, which is supported by a specific Site Waste Management Policy designed to explain the plan and supporting procedures.

The Duchy of Cornwall is a well-managed private estate which funds the public, charitable and private activities of the Prince of Wales and his family.  The Duchy consists of around 54,648 hectares of land in 23 countries, a large proportion of which is in the south west of England.

Birmingham Eastside is an area of 130 hectares, located on the eastern side of
Birmingham’s City Centre. The area is being regenerated over a 10 year time period
and is being financed through public and private finance estimated at £6 billion. A key
aspiration for the Eastside development is for it to be ‘sustainable’. The following case
studies explore how sustainability is (or is not) being incorporated within the decisionmaking processes for Eastside by key players along the construction value chain.

Gazeley has been working to improve the sustainability of its product since 2001, reviewing international best practice, understanding the environmental impact baseline, and identifying cost effective ways to improve the sustainability of its design. It now offers all of its Customers a more sustainable solution at no extra cost and it provides clear options for further enhancing environmental performance and operational cost savings should its Customer wish to coinvest.

InterfaceFLOR uses a closing the loop approach to the manufacturing of its products. This is just one of seven angles from which it’s tackling sustainability and it has seen many benefits arise from the implementation of its overall sustainability programme. 

• Waste from manufacturing processes that goes to landfill has been reduced by 70%
• Water intake per unit of modular carpet decreased by 80%
• Net greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by 60%
• The total energy consumed per unit of output from the carpet facilities is down 41%

Through its drive towards sustainability and the associated reductions, InterfaceFLOR saved $336 million between 1996 and 2006.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has pre-let a ten storey, 45,000m2 (GIA) proposed office building, the latest in the More London Development, located on the River Thames, adjacent to the Mayor’s Office.

More London Development are developers of the site, with More London Estate Development as managers.The developers team in conjunction with the GLA Energy Team are working with PwC, the tenant and its project team including the Carbon Trust, on the design specification to ensure the lowest energy statement for the building whilst maintaining the highest quality in office design.

Croydon Gateway is a nine acre site adjoining East Croydon Station, which has remained under-utilised and almost derelict for approximately 40 years. Historically it was a railway siding and goods yard.

Business has a fundamental role to play in delivering sustainable development – the process needed to achieve a sustainable society. Sustainable development is becoming increasingly recognised as a critical issue for the oil and gas industry to address and act upon. This paper outlines a practical tool, The Sustainability Assessment Model (SAM), which has been developed to analyse, compare and rank sustainability performance.

The SAM assesses the social, environmental, economic, and resource usage impacts of a project over its full life cycle including product use. It also helps address the remediation and restoration options. This model monetises all the impacts so that they can be compared on a like-for-like basis and also allows the impacts to be combined into a single measure which reflects the overall sustainable development performance of a project.

This paper will show how SAM has been used to assess the performance of several energy projects. A project focus was initially adopted in the belief that greater control over impacts can be influenced and achieved at this level. However this paper will also show how the tool has
been used to: 

• aid specific design decisions such as concept selection; and  
• assess the overall holistic sustainability performance of an industry sector.