Low energy design saves money and reduces carbon emissions. It anticipates the future: the inevitable end to our reliance on fossil fuels. Minimising energy use is a key element in the ideal of zero waste and the wise use of resources that add up to sustainable design.
The pioneering technologies of Penoyre & Prasad’s Millennium Centre (designed 1995), having minimised embodied carbon, have consistently delivered low operational carbon as predicted. Our carbon negative Crouch Hill Park development (2012) and Guy’s Tower energy efficient external retrofit (completion 2013) continue our pragmatic yet ambitious approach.
We are committed to helping our clients achieve their environmental aims affordably, whether through new buildings or the intelligent renewal of existing buildings. We focus on designing versatile and adaptable buildings with simple, robust and well-integrated services that meet current needs, whilst allowing for future ones, as yet unknown.
Our buildings achieve high scores in BREEAM, LEED and Code for Sustainable Homes but our starting point is in simple, precise and easily understood measurements, primarily of energy use and carbon emissions.
Post-completion, we work with our clients to fine-tune buildings, monitoring occupant behaviour to further minimise energy use.
CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS INCLUDE
- Technology Strategy Board (TSB) funded Building Performance Evaluation (BPE) in-use study of Crawley Library with Oxford Brookes University’s Institute for Sustainable Development (OISD), Low Carbon Building Group, 2011-2013.
- A TSB funded research project “Design for Future Climate (D4FC)” developing strategies to adapt UK buildings to climate change. Penoyre & Prasad are using the current QE11 hospital project as a ‘live’ case study working with Oxford Brooks University and the project design team. Completion in Spring 2013.
- Working alongside Oxford Brooke’s University to undertake regular (2004 – ongoing) post-occupancy evaluations of our projects, measuring the actual environmental performance of our buildings to bring a rigour to our intentions and process, and ensure that our design solutions continue to be pragmatic and efficient. The findings of this work are shared with the industry via the Carbon Buzz website.
Our projects are currently featured as case studies on industry websites including the UK Green Building Council, RIBA Sustainability Hub and Greener Business.
AFFILIATIONS
Penoyre & Prasad LLP:
- are members of the UK Green Building Council
- are regular contributors to Ecobuild
- are contributors, participants and sponsors of Green Sky Thinking
- are participants in the M4i demonstration projects with Constructing Excellence and
- are participants in the Carbon Buzz research studies.
Sunand Prasad:
- is a member of the Green Construction Board
- is a trustee of Cape Farewell
- is a member of the Mayor’s Design Advisory Group
- is a regular contributor to Ecobuild
- was listed in BD’s Top 50 Green Leaders, 2012
- was named one of Britain’s Top 100 environmentalists in the Independent on Sunday, 2008.
