I had the pleasure of attending FOOTPRINT+ . A conference focused on the reduction of carbon in property. There were some great talks with real insight into how fellow industry leaders are changing the way they work. We also stumbled across the beautiful homeless shelter we designed for Shelter from the Storm on a billboard which was a nice surprise.

Here are a few of my takeaways;

- Stone Bricks are a real carbon reduction option to the traditional clay brick – busting great myths around cost vs carbon as well as some great upsides, including creative specials, pattern making and no efflorescence. Thank you Albion Stone plc

- There are now great alternatives to polyurethane foam and standard fire retardants that are high in carbon and VOCs – Compacted wool with natural latex is being used to drive a new aesthetic in furniture. Thank you SCP Ltd

- Moving a floor plate to add an additional floor using hydraulic rams is a real alternative to dismantling an existing floor plate and rebuilding in low carbon materials in a new place. Clever insight to maximise development potential whilst saving carbon and money by Elliot Wood in the City of London. Thank you Elliott Wood

- We need to change societal structures to really make a big change – for example, as long as furniture is seen as something to keep on the balance sheet and not on the opex, we will always have to throw cultures around commercial furniture. Thank you SDC - Sustainable Design Collective

Looking forward to next year to see how far we can move the dial in the next 12 months!

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By Jonathan Harvey 

Holland Harvey