The London studio of global architecture and interior design firm Perkins&Will has been appointed by the Energy & Environment Alliance (EEA) to provide expertise on sustainable design practices for the interiors and architectural elements for the hospitality industry.
The EEA, founded by Ufi Ibrahim, is a not-for-profit organisation made up of hospitality sector leaders partnered with renowned experts to achieve this vision in a rigorous, profitable, and timely manner. Perkins&Will will provide expertise on sustainable design in the hospitality space.
The built environment is responsible for approximately 40% of the UK’s carbon emissions, and the hospitality industry is responsible for 1% of all global carbon emissions. In the hospitality sector, where so much emphasis and importance is placed on aesthetics, the regular refurbishment and the fit-out of hotels and restaurants is a large carbon expenditure that needs addressing.
Hotels experience soft refurbishments every five to seven years, while the renovation cycle for food & beverage spaces is typically even shorter. Fit out from virgin resources contributes to 30% of the carbon footprint of a commercial building over its entire life.
The EEA’s mission is to develop the first universal sustainability standard for the hospitality industry, including buildings. It will be achievable through collaboration with Perkins&Will alongside other partners and BREEAM, the most reputable sustainability assessment method for the built environment. The new BREEAM in Use Hospitality standard, which will be known as BiUH, will ensure the hospitality industry is putting its best foot forward regarding its contribution to mitigating climate change.
Perkins&Will understand that it is imperative to make real change through design, utilising science, creativity and new approaches to ensure net-zero can be achieved. By 2030, all Perkins&Will projects, from conception to completion, will have a pathway to be fully circular, considering whole life carbon.
Perkins&Will assesses the whole-life carbon and embodied carbon of a design and creates a holistic assessment of the carbon impact of buildings. They are determined to reduce drastically the carbon required from the industry at a national level; and are committed to regenerative design.
Neil Andrew, head of hospitality, Perkins&Will London, said: “Creating a standard in collaboration with the hospitality industry is what we need to do to see our industry move in the right direction. BiUH will be an absolute game-changer for the industry, and the team at Perkins&Will feel we are in great company with people looking to positively change the way we do things.”
Ufi Ibrahim, founder and CEO of the Energy & Environment Alliance, said: “Perkins&Will is a great example of the kind of high-calibre expertise we require, and we are proud to have them as a partner. The EEA believes working with BREEAM to create BiUH, an assessment tailored to the hospitality industry, is the most pragmatic and effective way forward. Initiatives that are going to make a difference in achieving net-zero need to be scientifically robust and commercially sustainable. In bringing together experts from the industry, we have created a group that will tailor our approach to net-zero with the level of nuance and detail that is required to be successful.”
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