SUSTAINABILITY A1-A5 Upfront Embodied
B2+B3 Maintenance+Repair (Embodied)
B4 Replacement (Embodied)
Whole Life Carbon
B5 Refurbishment (Embodied)
B6 Operational A1-A5 Upfront Embodied
B2+B3 Maintenance+Repair (Embodied)
B4 Replacement (Embodied)
Whole Life Cost (£)
B5 Refurbishment (Embodied)
B6 Operational
DoNothing* (Opt 1)
Retrofit* (Opt 2)
RetrofitExtend* (Opt 3)
Newbuild* (Opt 4)
NewbuildFlex* (Opt 5)
Figure 7: Split between lifecycle modules (projected 60-year). The carbon impact of operational energy is much greater than the cost impact (represented by the yellow bars on the charts).
financially (likely soon through e.g., carbon taxes and other emissions disincentives) remains to be seen. The substantial upfront embodied carbon associated with the new-build options to improve quantitative clinical space standards (RetrofitExtend*, NewBuild*, and NewbuildFlex*) work against their ability to support the UK’s overall 2030 and 2035 carbon reduction targets vis-à-vis DoNothing* and Retrofit* with low upfront carbon emissions. Innovation must turn to how achieve
more (clinically) with less (spatially). Solutions will range from smart retrofit of existing buildings that spare the embodied carbon of new build, to healthcare innovations, moving activities to lower acuity settings (such as polyclinics or the home), smart timetabling, flexible zoning, providing slack space for space standard upgrades without the need for new-build, and technology improvements. We propose that new-build is only
used for high acuity clinical uses that cannot be accommodated in existing building stock, with or without retrofit. All other uses should, as far as possible, be provided in exisiting buildings, retrofitted as necessary.
Concluding thought Reducing carbon and improving clinical standards are two key priorities of a health Trust. Meeting the UK’s and the NHS’s emissions targets requires an earnest emphasis on building retrofit (Retrofit*, Option 2). Although building retrofit may currently not always be the preferred option to produce optimal clinical outcomes, urgent research and innovation is needed to ensure that future clinical and care improvements do not come at the cost of high carbon emissions.
References 1 Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service. NHS England, October 2020.
https://tinyurl.com/2p9bbw29
2 Part Z: A proposed amendment to UK Building Regulations 2010. 20 July 2021.
www.part-z.uk
34 Health Estate Journal March 2022
3 See: UK enshrines new target in law to slash emissions by 78% by 2035. Department for Bu8sness, Energy & Industrial Strategy press release, 20 April 2021.
4 The IPCC’s Special Report, Global Warming of 1.5 °C, 2021, assesses the potential impacts of an average global warming of 1.5 °C and 2 °C on climate, human, and eco-systems. Higher global temperatures increase the probability of these systems crossing ‘tipping points’, defined as ‘thresholds beyond which certain impacts can no longer be avoided even if temperatures are brought back down later on’.
www.ipcc.ch/sr/15/
5 Page 14 of Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service. NHS England, October 2020.
https://tinyurl.com/2p9bbw29
FCBS Carbon
FCBS Carbon is a tool which can be used to calculate a project’s whole life carbon. A free version of the tool is available at https://www.fcbstudios. com/fcbscarbon
Part Z
Part Z (
www.part-z.uk) is a proposed amendment to the Building Regulations, to mandate the reporting of whole life carbon and set limits for upfront embodied carbon. FCBStudios is a central supporter of this initiative.
Tim den Dekker
Tim den Dekker is an associate architect at FCBStudios, where he specialises in healthcare, education, masterplanning, circular economy, and resilience. He is co-author of Part Z, part of core research groups within LETI, and founder and coordinator of The Embodied Carbon Group, which advises government on achieving its emissions targets for the built environment.
Dr Joe Jack Williams
Dr Joe Jack Williams is an associate and researcher at FCBStudios, and, alongside Ian Taylor, leads its environmental research, identifying, developing, and enabling research across sectors and projects. He is a Certified Passivhaus Consultant. He led the development of FCBS Carbon, a tool which estimates the whole life carbon of a building to inform design decisions prior to detailed design, and is part of core research groups within Architects Declare, CIBSE, and LETI.
Ian Taylor
Ian Taylor is managing partner at FCBStudios, and leads its Research and Innovation group. He has been involved in the development of sustainable design guidance, Carbon Calculator tool FCBS Carbon, and post-occupancy evaluation methodologies. He has extensive experience in arts and culture, healthcare, low energy masterplanning, universities, schools, workplaces, and innovative housing projects.
DoNothing* (Opt 1)
Retrofit* (Opt 2)
RetrofitExtend* (Opt 3)
Newbuild* (Opt 4)
NewbuildFlex* (Opt 5)
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