Collated guidance for reducing carbon in buildings

Problem Addressed
The decarbonisation of our buildings and cities is a priority, but planning this through the building life cycle is complex with an overwhelming range of reports, documents and guidance available. The responsibility of decarbonisation of our buildings and understanding whole life carbon is equally complex, and clients, investors, project teams and the supply chain need a way to effectively come together to identify and manage actions across building stages and different sectors for a better outcome focused workflow.
Case Study
The new civil engineering building for the University of Cambridge is a world-class research space, and home to the Department of Engineering’s civil engineering division and the newly established National Research Facility for Infrastructure. The building is the first phase of the Grimshaw-designed new engineering campus which, when complete, will consolidate the entire department into a single site, providing 100,000 sqm of research, teaching and collaboration space.
The guidance and stepwise approach provided by Minoro was instrumental in enabling the comprehensive sustainability outcomes of the Engineering Building across RIBA stages 0–7, from definition to in-use. The team leveraged the guidance within the Minoro platform which, organised across the RIBA stages for this UK project, created a team comprising the University, Grimshaw, Max Fordham, Smith & Wallwork, Turkington Martin, and Montressor LLP— that was linked by the shared objectives for the building.
The Minoro activities and guidance included:
Minoro Stage + Guidance | Strategies + Outcomes |
Leadership & Governance Minoro Stage 0-01 and 0-03 | An energy group was established during the project’s briefing stage to govern decision-making in relation to the energy and carbon performance of different materials and systems. |
During design development, the team identified operational and embodied carbon hotspots, informed by actions 2-05 and 2-10. This analysis led to significant carbon reductions. When considered alongside the guidance provided in actions 2-02 and 3-02 around evaluating and refining the environmental strategies and systems deployed, the project was able to carry out the following. | |
Optimise In-Use Energy Minoro Stage 2-02, 2-04 and 2-05 | Integrated zero-combustion technologies, installed on-site renewables and adopted a ground source heat pump array to achieve a 66% reduction in annual energy use against the university’s baseline for labs. The building was operationally net-zero carbon-ready upon completion. |
Optimise Embodied Carbon Minoro Stage 2-08, 2-09, 2-10 | Achieved a 50% reduction in embodied carbon of the cement used to form the sub-structure. |
Procurement Minoro Stage 8-01 | Circular design principles adopted, enabling 90% of the steel frame used to be recoverable at end-of-life. |
Measure & Manage Minoro Stage 1-05, 2-11 | To optimise whole-life energy and carbon while maintaining cost efficiency, the project adopted the Energy Cost Metric, a comparative analysis tool developed in collaboration with the university’s engineers. |
Monitor, Report & Verify Minoro Stage 2-06, 5-04 | An extended two-year commissioning and handover phase facilitated through the adoption of the UK governments soft landings framework. |
Facts and Figures
This page presents data, evidence, and solutions that are provided by our partners and members and should therefore not be attributed to UKGBC. While we showcase these solutions for inspiration, to build consensus, and create momentum for climate action, UKGBC does not offer commercial endorsement of individual solutions. If you would like to quote something from this page, or more information, please contact our Communications team at media@ukgbc.org.
Related members
Related
Methodology for designing mass timber buildings

Co-production and community engagement for nature based solutions

Model to give away space when space is bought

Community led approach to building affordable housing on micro-sites
