Interview Atkins CEO
Atkins
Atkins says it promotes > of other industry bodies including CIBSE, which is Accounting for a project’s carbon footprint, however,
sustainable building through
working with BIFM on developing tools and guidance seems to be just one side of the CCD coin. The other is
its own projects, such as the
for operational carbon management of buildings as the fundamental change that is needed in the design
Bahrain World Trade Centre,
far top and right, and the
part of the CCD initiative. Clarke admits that a great process.
company’s own Bristol, UK,
deal more needs to be done to develop the idea. But he Says Clarke: “The traditional design team brings
office, above believes that it requires the introduction of a process of in M&E [mechanical and electrical] engineers far
carbon accountancy, under which the client is allocated too late in the process. If we’re serious about carbon
a carbon budget that they have to stick to. reduction, the whole mechanics of the building need to
“CCD is about saying, we’re introducing a be conceptualised with real knowledge, which means
professionally difficult rationing of a new currency,” bringing in M&E expertise at the beginning.
he argues. “It’s not just a case of, ‘I want the property “Good integrated design teams have traditionally
to be more efficient, I want better lighting, etc, etc’. We done a bit of this. What I’m talking about is doing this
still want all that, we still want a good social agenda but with knobs on, doing it aggressively. This means a
[in building]. lot more technical input before you know the answer
“But we must also say that the client not only has [to design questions].”
X amount of money and Y weeks of time, he also has Will carbon usage become rationed in this way?
only Z tonnes of carbon – the client can ‘spend’ all Clarke believes that it will eventually, although it
this carbon allocation on making the building, while might take another decade. But he’s adamant that the
spending nothing over its life, or spend none of it on building services profession must not sit and wait for
the building but all of it over the lifespan.” However, rationing to be introduced – it needs to work now on
Carbon-critical
concedes Clarke, this raises complex questions putting truly integrated design teams in place.
design is about of definition and boundaries when it comes to a This means getting more technical people who can
introducing a
building’s carbon footprint: “What is the building’s life, deal with conceptual issues involved in influencing the
where do you draw the parameters for calculating the design at an earlier stage. Overall, says Clarke, a lot
difficult process
budget, and where is the edge of that piece of carbon more work needs to be done at the beginning of the
of accounting. accountancy?”
project, and less in the middle and at the end. This >
32 CIBSE Journal June 2009
www.cibsejournal.com
CIBSEjun09 pp30-32,34 interview.indd 32 28/5/09 16:22:48
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