Our Commitment to Sustainable Design

We recognise the challenges our industry faces in reducing carbon emissions and waste. In our design approach, we carefully balance designing buildings which are crafted for the comfort of those who will inhabit them and are optimised for their use or uses, with responsible and innovative approaches to energy efficiency, carbon emissions, and ecological conservation. Sustainability guides our hand in everything we design.

Committing to Net Zero

We are proud signatories to the Irish Green Building Council and endorse the Roadmap to decarbonise Ireland’s Built Environment, as its recommendations fully align with our principles. We have also signed up for the RIAI 2030 Climate Challenge, committing to work towards its science-based targets for operational energy, embodied carbon, potable water use, internal environment quality and biodiversity. Our net zero carbon emissions target date is 2050.

Our design principles

In response to the growing environmental sustainability demands on new buildings, STW has developed an integrated and iterative design process for all projects. We lock in energy-efficient design principles before the planning stage by making sustainability-oriented decisions early in the design process. This is achieved by employing BIM in early concept design and working to the principals listed below:

Fabric-First Design

We prioritise a fabric-first approach using passive design principles, maximising the energy performance of the building envelope from the outset before efficient services and renewable energy solutions are considered.

Design that performs for people and the planet

A thoughtfully designed built environment that prioritises the protection and enhancement of biodiversity can offer numerous societal benefits and help address climate change. We strongly support exploring green infrastructure solutions that mitigate flooding and overheating risks while improving people's health and wellbeing. The integration of landscape design and building form presents an effective method for solar control and lowering energy consumption while fostering meaningful engagement with nature. Achieving this goal necessitates a collaborative effort involving the entire project team and building occupants, an approach we have considerable experience with.

Whole-Life Cycle Carbon

Our dedication to whole-life carbon reduction begins with integrated design team workshops led by our Sustainability Group and continues well beyond the completion of construction. We are dedicated to continuous improvement and strongly advocate for post-occupation evaluation, which enables a comprehensive performance review and feedback and allows us to deliver high-quality, sustainable buildings to our clients. We are committed to measuring whole-life cycle carbon for all our projects, which is crucial for making effective decisions that reduce emissions. We use tools such as OneClick LCA and adhere to EU standard EN15978, but managing operational and embodied carbon includes much more. We understand the impact of design decisions, setting targets, and tracking them throughout the design process. We integrate the principles of Circular Economy and continuously research better technologies, materials, and products. Certifications play a significant role in a sustainable design brief by demonstrating commitment and validating performance. We offer support for a variety of assessment methods, such as BREEAM, LEED, WELL, and Passivhaus.

Our full carbon footprint report can be found here.

Meet Patrycja Kochaniuk – Head of Sustainability at STW