ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

Sustainable Designs

Cowan Architects’ recognise that our designs will have far more environmental impact than our own operation therefore we are committed to employing the principals of sustainable design in all our design work in such a way as to minimise environmental impact in so far as this is possible within the instructions received from our Clients.

We are committed:

To raise the awareness of Clients about sustainability and environmental protection and help the members of the design team to develop a shared vision of environmental aspirations.
To encourage our Clients to undertake a sustainability assessment for each project.
To strive to attain the highest achievable accreditation for any assessment method selected.
To encourage where possible, the protection and enhancement of existing biodiversity on site.
To make best use of orientation and shape to reduce the need for artificial forms of conditioning.
To minimise the use of construction materials and specify materials and components with the optimum balance between environmental impact, performance and value in use.
To ensure that all timber we specify is sustainably sourced.
To encourage the use of building services that are inherently efficient and controllable and are metered to encourage monitoring and management of resource use.
To ensure that buildings are commissioned fully before handover, and that full operating manuals are provided.

Conform to applicable legislative, regulatory and compliance obligations.
Continually improve our environmental management system and to enhance environmental performance.

Our Workplace

Cowan Architects’ are committed to provide a quality, safe and healthy workplace for our employees and visitors and minimises our potential impact on the environment. We will strive to use pollution prevention and environmental best practices in all we do.

We will:

Integrate the consideration of environmental concerns and impacts into all of our decision making and activities.
Promote environmental awareness among our employees and encourage them to work in an environmentally responsible manner, such as by working electronically wherever it is safe and secure to do so while ensuring that all key information is fully and securely backed up.
Reduce waste through re-use and recycling and by purchasing recycled, recyclable or refurbished equipment, products and materials where these alternatives are available, economical and suitable.
Ensure responsible disposal of remaining unavoidable waste.
Promote efficient use of space heating/lighting, equipment, materials and resources including water, electricity, raw materials and other resources, particularly those that are non-renewable.
Purchase and use environmentally responsible products accordingly.
Include energy efficiency as one of the selection criteria when purchasing new equipment.
Avoid unnecessary use of hazardous materials and products, seek substitutions when feasible, and take all reasonable steps to protect human health and the environment when such materials must be used, stored and disposed of.
Strive to continually improve our environmental performance and minimise the social impact and damage of activities by periodically reviewing our environmental policy in light of our current and planned future activities by reducing our carbon footprint by 2% per annum
Use public transport in preference to travel by car wherever it is possible and effective to do so

It is Cowan Architects’ policy to seek to operate to these standards continuously and to implement and operate fully the ISO 14001 standards through registration and annual review.

We have produced environmental objectives which relate to this policy and they can be found within our Environmental Objectives within our policy

This policy is communicated to all our colleagues and other interested parties (including clients and other consultants) and available to the wider community through publication on our website and company handbook.