Buildings are estimated to account for over 70% of the average city’s greenhouse gas emissions, making them one of the major contributors to climate change. Decreasing their environmental impact is central to the argument of the future of building design which will require radical transformation in the ways buildings are planned, built and operated. For BDS, the ongoing environmental crisis is the forefront of a new industrial revolution that urges change in design thinking and advancement of appropriate technologies towards a sustainable future.
Our practice is dedicated to the creation of new concepts for a sustainably built environment. We apply a holistic, integrated design approach that relies on a symbiotic relationship with the natural environment. With this approach, taking into account the relevant site characteristics, its geothermal properties and potential to generate wind and solar power, building orientation, day lighting, we conduct a meticulous design process in which building form facilitates performance. It is based on the fact that everything within the built and natural environment is interconnected and any building design should grow understanding its role in that context. We aim to push the boundaries of sustainable and low energy design through this pluralistic approach enhancing the interaction among building systems as well as between those systems and the natural environment, thus reducing their overall negative impact. For this reason, it is of paramount importance for us to work closely with our clients and project teams from the very initial stages of design to establish the objectives and regulatory requirements for sustainable development.
At the beginning of every project we provide our clients with creative and viable strategies underpinned by pragmatic, manageable and deliverable objectives that enable them procure environmentally responsible buildings that can be:
We achieve this by undertaking robust design review workshops with the client and project teams at key stages of the design process ensuring our aims are implemented.
BDS professionals in sustainable design are experienced in advising and assisting clients gain the essential sustainable building accreditation for new and existing buildings.
BDS has a team of in-house BREEAM assessors that offer guidance on a wide range of projects, including school, offices, housing and mixed use complexes, and more.