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INSIGHTS
That means architects, clients and engineers can sit around a table and discuss carbon and cost implications right from the outset. And crucially, they can do it with robust data in hand. It makes conversations more collaborative, less hypothetical and more productive.
The traditional process might see a structural engineer take a couple of weeks to develop viable options, followed by reviews with quantity surveyors and sustainability consultants. That’s a lot of time spent before you even start making meaningful comparisons. The tool supports a variety of uses – from residential to healthcare, commercial to education.
A case study in impact
Designs for the new Queen Mary School of Business and Management in Mile End, London offers a unique case study for the impact of
Eco.Zero. The scheme for a new seven-storey campus building had previously progressed to RIBA Stage 4 before being paused. But when the project restarted in 2021, we had the opportunity to re-evaluate the structural design from a carbon perspective using
Eco.Zero as an integral part of that process. Using the earlier design as a baseline, we assessed 11 structural frame typologies with
Eco.Zero to identify the most effi cient solution in terms of embodied carbon, buildability and performance. We worked closely with the architect and facade engineer to optimise column grids and layouts, while
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early engagement with the wider design team helped ensure that decarbonisation was embedded from the outset of the project. Combined with improvements to the structural frame and foundations, targeted material specifi cation, and close coordination with the contractor’s piling specialists, the tool helped deliver a 35% reduction in embodied carbon compared to the original scheme.
This project has since been presented at AECOM’s global technical academy and continues to support our wider learning on how to embed decarbonisation into structural design workfl ows from the outset.
A platform for change
The construction industry has long worked within tight margins – for time, cost and carbon. With growing pressure to deliver on net zero, we need tools that enable faster, smarter decisions without compromising design quality or delivery timelines. Tools like
Eco.Zero aren’t a silver bullet, and won’t solve embodied carbon on their own. But it’s one example of how we can rethink our approach – how we can bring structural engineering, sustainability and cost management together at the moment it matters most: the beginning.
Jack Brunton is structural sustainability lead & Ioana Price is deputy structural sustainability lead at AECOM
ADF JUNE 2025
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