Environmental policy

We recognise that as an employer and provider of services to the community, our business has a tangible effect on the environment. We constantly strive towards achieving a more sustainable future by seeking to minimise any adverse environmental impact in the way we run our business and in the projects we deliver. Sustainability has been a key feature of many of our recent projects including commissions for educational establishments and private housing.

Principles adopted as Architects & Designers:

  • Consider siting and orientation.
  • Consider microclimate and ecology factors.
  • Where possible avoid over specific buildings which limit life time flexibility.
  • Design for simplicity of operation, allowing building users to understand and have greater control over their environment.
  • Design for long life, as buildings are often around longer than we are.
  • Embrace new technology and best practice with clear environmental benefits.
  • Evaluate environmental impact of the building on the local and global scale.
  • Maximise access to daylight and natural ventilation.
  • Maximise energy efficiency.
  • Minimise water consumption.
  • Minimise noise and light pollution from the building and potential impact on building users.
  • Avoid specification of known hazardous materials.
  • Consider maintenance and how easily elements can be replaced or upgraded over the building’s life.
  • Avoid specification of large and heavy components where possible.
  • Research materials and components which use the least energy in their production.
  • Make use of recyclable materials wherever possible.
  • Specify materials and components with low environmental impact in their production, use and disposal.
  • Specify timber only from certified sustainable sources wherever possible.
  • Adopt good thermal and acoustic insulation standards.

Energy Efficiency features exhibited in our buildings:

  • Good thermal insulation, exceeding current regulations.
  • Good floor area to external envelope ratio.
  • Use of thermal mass in conjunction with night time passive cooling.
  • Extensive use of natural light including atria, rooflights and sunpipes.
  • Solar shading to cut out unwanted heat gain in summer but allow positive solar gain in the winter.
  • Use of displacement ventilation, and induced stack ventilation.
  • Use of geothermal energy.
  • Use of 80% efficient double heat plate heat exchangers.
  • Use of Combined Heat and Power.
  • Studies on the viability of photo-voltaic technology.
  • The use of specialist glasses to reduce glare, solar gain and improve thermal resistance.
  • Intelligent controls to monitor and adjust systems for optimum energy efficiency.
  • Personal control over the internal environment to allow for individual comfort conditions, which will limit end user wastage.
  • Windcatchers.
  • Rainwater harvesting.
  • SUDS.

Our office procedures:

In addition to designing sustainable and energy efficient buildings we operate our own environmental policy within the office including;

  • Avoidance of printing.
  • Recycling.
  • Energy efficient building with good insulation values.
  • Use trains instead of cars to site and other meetings where practical.
  • Good housekeeping including turning off lights and keeping doors closed in winter etc.

Hollins - Environmental Policy