22nd Apr 2024

Celebrating Earth Day at Broadgate

To celebrate Earth Day, our sustainability experts, along with representatives from client British Land and partners and construction companies, William Hare, Morrisoe, and Cementation Skanska talk about sustainability on the Broadgate development.

Earth Day is a reminder of the importance of environmental conservation and sustainability, encouraging us to come together and take action for a healthier planet and brighter future.

The Broadgate framework stands as a beacon of commitment to sustainability, with a clear vision set by our client and partners.

Today, in support of Earth Day, we caught up with Sir Robert McAlpine's sustainability managers, Kathryn Weatherburn and William Townsend, who share insights into the team’s unwavering focus on sustainability at the Broadgate campus in the City of London.

Charles Horne, Project Director at British Land, Matthew Nesbit, Group Board Director at William Hare Group, Chris Roberts, Project Manager at Cementation Skanska, and Lee Henry MCIOB, Project Manager at Morrisroe also add their perspective and reflect on the collaborative approach towards achieving those ambitious sustainability goals, the progress we've made and the challenges that lie ahead.

Celebrating Earth Day at Broadgate

The Broadgate framework is really  special in terms of sustainability, 
owing to the client that we have and their  commitment to the drivers around sustainability.
We want to create a sustainable campus that people want to work in. That is our goal.  
A lot has changed in terms of sustainability and global  
warming since 2016. So, our initial brief was very, very light touch. Since then,  
British Land have issued their sustainability policy, which  
sets some pretty stretching targets for 2030. That is now our ambition.
That is how we're delivering  our projects at Broadgate.
So, it's really exciting to  work on projects like this 
where the client holds  sustainability at such a high level.
So, we rarely see projects that have green  building certification such as the highest 
level of BREAM and WELL. We  also have new and emerging 
certifications such as NABERS, which looks at the operational 
carbon side of things and we also  have whole life carbon assessments 
on the project as well. We work  with our supply chain from 
really early in the process so we can  start embedding this at the first stage 
of delivery. They're looking to  use our delivery in the project 
and long-term tenant engagement  to deliver lasting nature
benefit within the city of London. The  key steps for being able to deliver 
the outcomes that we have on  the two projects that we we're 
involved with here in the  Broadgate framework is essentially
been early engagement. Being able  to be involved in the design
process at an early stage allows us to put  forward all of the different levers that are 
available to a project of this scale in  order to achieve ambitious outcomes on 
the carbon reduction. By being engaged  early, we have an input into the design 
process that allows our ideas and the full  suite of opportunities to be explored.
Not all of them can necessarily be  utilised, but the principles of 
lean design, the implementation  of reused steel.
We've been engaged with Sir Robert McAlpine from an  early standpoint to develop
the mixes in line with the structure  engineer and reinforcement requirements
for the project. Morrisroe have been  working in conjunction with
Sir Robert McAlpine to work on  concrete mixes and lower carbon
options of reinforcement to provide  a better sustainability impact.
So my favourite part about  working on these Broadgate projects
is that sustainability is really at the  top of the agenda. So, I myself have been
part of conversations with  programme and cost. So, it really
is one of the three most  important items on the agenda
here and that allows us to really open  conversations about innovative materials,
looking at how we can reduce  the carbon in construction with
the supply chain. Everyone  has to be bought into it.
So you're having really new and exciting  conversations that not only push the
project team but also the industry  as a whole as well. In Cementation
we've been experimenting with replacing cement and concrete with
a product called GGBS, which is  ground granulated blast slag.
That's a by product from Steel  Fabrication. So it's much more sustainable
material to use than cement. So,  we've been up to 95% replacement
of cement on this project, averaging  about 65% replacement across
the entire job. If we look at 2 Finsbury Avenue as an example of
how we've tried to improve  our sustainability credentials,
we have invested in XCarb steel, which  is extruded steel from electric art
furnaces. That is a really good  example of a massive saving
in embodied carbon. So, in terms of  low carbon materials, in our guide
walls in our temporary works, we've used  basalt reinforcement in place of steel.
So, that's rebar and mesh fabricated from pure basalt rock.
So, it's a lot less carbon intensive than  fabricating steel rebar, particularly
in temporary works its been  proven to have up to 60% reduction
in carbon emissions across the  entire material lifespan. We've used
HVO, which is hydrotreated vegetable oil  that's a more sustainable alternative to red diesel.
So, it's enabled us to be fossil  fuel free on the project.
Early on into the project during the darker winter months
we've been using electric lighting towers as opposed to diesel powered.
So another sustainable Initiative for the Deep foundations we utilised
a polymer support fluid this is a much more sustainable solution to
traditional support fluids such as Bentonite.
Reuse of the plant and materials negates the need for more deliveries coming in
and going out of the project.
That framework has  been hugely successful.
Fundamentally because we have an ethos of trust, honesty, and collaboration,
and that collaboration piece  is what makes it so successful.
There is no doubt in my mind that  Sir Robert McAlpine are leading the field
in terms of their sustainability team.
Sir Robert McAlpine here on these projects are really upskilled in sustainability,
it starts at the procurement level so the procurement teams have to have
a good understanding of what the sustainability risks are to the project,
but also the opportunities for the client as well. Then once the project
is in construction stage, the project management team have to have
a good understanding of what targets we have and how we deliver those,
as well as the commercial teams, the design teams, to ensure that
if anything changes during construction, they are captured and we can assess
those against the sustainability obligations.
We're involved in all sorts of things across the project and we need to
make sure that sustainability is a part of every conversation that's held.
That means we're engaged in all sorts of things from design change meetings,
procurement meetings, subcontractor meetings and out on site collecting
evidence to help our submissions at the end of the project. This means that we're
tracking how we're performing and meeting the requirements
of the client on a day-to-day basis.
We are committed and have been for a considerable amount of time to a carbon reduced future 
and we look forward to working with more clients like British Land
and Sir Robert McAlpine to achieve these ambitious outcomes.

The journey towards sustainability within the Broadgate framework began with a vision – to create a campus where people not only work but thrive in harmony with the environment. As global awareness of climate change heightened, so did the ambitions of the project.

“A lot has changed in terms of sustainability and global warming since 2016. So, our initial brief was very light touch. Since then, British Land have issued their sustainability policy, which set some pretty stretching targets for 2030. That is now our ambition. That is how we're delivering our projects at Broadgate.” Charles Horne, Project Director at British Land.

One of the cornerstone principles of the Broadgate framework is early engagement. By involving stakeholders from the outset, the project harnesses a wealth of ideas and opportunities to minimise carbon footprint and maximise efficiency. From design conceptualisation to supply chain management and construction project management, every aspect is carefully planned to align with the overarching sustainability goals. 

At the forefront of this endeavour is a collaborative spirit that permeates every level of the project. Suppliers, contractors, and stakeholders are unified by a common commitment to sustainability. From exploring innovative materials to implementing groundbreaking techniques, every decision is guided by the principles of environmental responsibility.

A shining example of this commitment is the pioneering use of sustainable materials. From ground granulated blast slag (GGBS) to basalt reinforcement in place of steel, the Broadgate framework embraces alternatives that significantly reduce carbon emissions. By replacing traditional materials with eco-friendly alternatives, the project not only mitigates its environmental impact but also paves the way for a greener future.

“The Sir Robert McAlpine Team here on these projects are really upskilled in sustainability. It starts at the procurement level. The procurement teams have to have a good understanding of what the sustainability risks are to the project, but also the opportunities for the client as well. Then once the project is in construction stage, the project management team have to have a good understanding of what targets we have and how we deliver those,” Kathryn Weatherburn, Senior Sustainability Manager at Sir Robert McAlpine.

As we celebrate Earth Day, let us draw inspiration from initiatives like the Broadgate framework. By embracing sustainability as a guiding principle, we can pave the way for a brighter, greener future. Sir Robert McAlpine's sustainability commitment means we are continually looking to the future, working with clients, construction companies and communities as we construct a better world for future generations.

Happy Earth Day!

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