In 2022, HOK’s initiatives achieved a 63.6% discount in power use depth (EUI) in comparison with the baseline degree, placing the agency on observe to achieve a carbon-neutral portfolio forward of the 2030 deadline.

Over a decade in the past, HOK was among the many first design companies to hitch the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) 2030 Dedication, which requires all new buildings and renovations to function with out fossil-fuel derived power by 2030.

“What might have appeared like a frightening problem in 2010 immediately appears very achievable,” stated Anica Landreneau, HOK’s director of sustainable design.

The AIA 2030 Dedication units a difficult commonplace for design companies, significantly these like HOK specializing in large-scale, advanced initiatives reminiscent of hospitals, laboratories, airports, stadiums and main renovations. The EUI baseline degree is derived from information offered by the U.S. Power Info Administration’s Business Constructing Power Consumption Survey and different power benchmarking databases and business information.

Final 12 months, HOK’s initiatives achieved a 63.6% discount in power use depth (EUI) in comparison with the baseline degree, surpassing the AIA common of fifty% and placing the agency on observe to achieve a carbon-neutral portfolio forward of the 2030 deadline. The high-performance design interprets to an avoidance of 85,369.5 metric tons (94,105 U.S. tons) of carbon dioxide emissions yearly for annually these initiatives are in service.

Landreneau notes that HOK has persistently diminished power use throughout its complete challenge portfolio by specializing in constructing efficiency, with out considerably counting on grid decarbonization, constructing electrification or renewable power sources. By leveraging these quickly rising developments in clear power coverage and know-how, the agency is positioned to succeed in carbon neutrality earlier than the 2030 goal.

As an all-electric, net-zero power and net-zero carbon emissions facility, the HOK-designed tenth and O Road State Workplace Constructing in Sacramento is main California towards a net-zero future and has achieved LEED-NC Platinum certification.

Moreover, HOK and different companies have broadened their dedication to carbon neutrality past the design section, actively monitoring initiatives all through the development course of. This extra rigorous method units the bar even increased, guaranteeing that each design and building practices adhere to the very best environmental requirements.

Landreneau attributed HOK’s progress to a “relentless and complete dedication to sustainability that’s woven into each side of our observe. As a multidisciplinary design agency, we will tackle environmental points in a holistic, integrative manner, from power effectivity and decarbonization to constructing materials chemistry, regenerative design, and human well being and fairness.”

At Stanford College’s Heart for Educational Drugs, the constructing’s annual EUI represents an 85% power financial savings from baseline.

Landreneau additionally acknowledged the unwavering management of Invoice Hellmuth, HOK’s former CEO, who handed away earlier this month. “I sat subsequent to Invoice within the D.C. studio, and he insisted that sustainable design couldn’t be mere lip service,” she stated. “He continually reminded us that sustainability was an integral a part of our DNA and identification. I’d typically hear him decide up the telephone and problem our design leaders to do higher. He envisioned HOK as an business chief, setting an instance for different companies to comply with in addressing the local weather disaster by delivering stunning, resilient, climate-responsive design.”

Different Steps Towards Zero Carbon

As a part of its dedication to addressing the complete life cycle of its designs, HOK is pursuing a number of different methods for reaching carbon neutrality in its work and operations. These embody:

• The agency is actively monitoring embodied carbon in about 25% of its initiatives, with a objective of reaching 100% throughout the subsequent two years. A custom-developed Life Cycle Evaluation Dashboard supplies detailed information on embodied carbon use in every challenge, enabling design groups to observe progress and determine areas for decreasing the carbon footprint of future designs.
• Christine Vandover, a senior challenge designer in HOK’s New York studio, is advancing the inside design occupation’s dedication to sustainability by collaborating with the Worldwide Inside Design Affiliation (IIDA) and American Society of Inside Designers (ASID) to replace their skilled code of ethics to include carbon discount targets.
• HOK’s wholesome and sustainable supplies monitoring program goes past the Lighting Energy Density (LPD) discount methods which are key to reaching the power discount targets of the AIA 2030 Dedication. The agency’s product choice framework now considers embodied carbon, inexperienced chemistry, sustainable sourcing and circularity. Efforts to deal with the environmental affect of fabric decisions embody incorporating Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) necessities and World Warming Potential (GWP) limits in metal and concrete specs.
• HOK has pledged to fulfill enterprise-wide, science-based targets to scale back greenhouse gasoline (GHG) emissions in accordance with the Science Primarily based Targets initiative (SBTi). The agency is gathering information and establishing formidable targets for Scope 1 (direct emissions from HOK’s operations), Scope 2 (emissions from power HOK consumes however is generated by others) and Scope 3 (emissions from all different actions outdoors HOK’s operations) emissions.
• HOK has dedicated to the American Society of Panorama Architects’ (ASLA) targets for reaching zero carbon emissions in initiatives by 2040. Alongside ASLA 2040 and AIA 2030, HOK has beforehand pledged to fulfill MEP 2040 and Structural Engineering (SE) 2050 targets for 100% emission reductions.

At Honeywell’s new headquarters in Charlotte, good constructing applied sciences mix with sustainable, energy-saving options to create a wholesome, LEED Gold inside atmosphere.

Landreneau is inspired by the rising alignment between state, county and metropolis constructing codes, efficiency requirements and the design occupation’s goals to curb power consumption. She additionally highlights the significance of assembly formidable sustainability targets for enterprise functions. “Environmental, social and governance (ESG) information is more and more important for traders, lenders, insurers and authorities businesses. HOK’s dedication to sustainability serves as danger administration for our purchasers,” she stated.

“Our complete occupation is recognizing the immense potential of know-how and, extra importantly, glorious design, to assist,” added Landreneau. “HOK is uniquely positioned to affect each side of the constructed atmosphere resulting from our interdisciplinary providers and international attain. Whereas we’re making nice strides, we should proceed to push ourselves, collaborate with teams just like the AIA’s Massive Agency Spherical Desk and be taught from different companies to assist one another. In the end, we’re all on this collectively, and we gained’t achieve addressing the local weather disaster except all of us excel. The world round us serves as a relentless reminder. Fort Lauderdale lately skilled greater than 25 inches of rain in 24 hours. We want all fingers on deck, on a regular basis. We are able to’t presumably do sufficient.”