Blog / 20 Sep 2019

Architect's Declare Climate and Biodiversity Emergency

Today’s climate change events mark an historic shift in the public’s response to climate change. Many of us at 7N Architects are participating in events and workshops intended to raise awareness, and to use our professional skills to advocate meaningful change in response to the current climate emergency.

In May, 7N signed the Architect’s Declare open letter which has been signed by over 625 architectural practices. Signing the Architect’s Declare letter involves endorsing eleven ‘pledges’ which range from advocacy and raising awareness of climate and biodiversity emergencies, to significant changes in working practices around carbon modelling, resource use and knowledge sharing.

Like many others, we have turned the lens on the operations of our practice and our projects to better understand where we can make a real difference and how meaningful changes can be advocated and realised. Our research will be shared in a sustainability focused blog series to document this journey, but to mark today’s day of climate action we’re offering some initial findings along with links to information others may find useful and interesting.

Our Studio

The 7N studio’s day-to-day carbon footprint has been our starting point to help us understand where the significant inroads can be made, using guidance from the Carbon Trust. This has already produced some surprising results.

Although, like many businesses, our practice’s focus in recent years has been on minimising the impact of how we travel and consumables such as paper, coffee and packaging, the most striking finding was that the energy used to heat and power our 165 year old rented studio was in the region of 20 tonnes. This is, by far, the biggest contributor to our overall footprint figure of 26 tonnes at around 77%. Although we knew it would be a major component of our overall footprint the magnitude of the proportion was still surprising. Most of this lies with the landlord’s gas boiler and the fabric of the single glazed Listed Building that we inhabit.

Whilst the range of measures that we have introduced to reduce the impact of our business travel and consumables remain important the biggest gains will be in how our rented premises are heated, which is what we have least control over. This really highlights the enormous impact of heating the older buildings we live and work in.

Our Work

In addition to looking at our own carbon footprint we have been working to better understand the hard data that can help make the case to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future on our projects.

Following recent high level political commitments it is already possible to identify an emerging sea change in regulations which will be critical in delivering substantial change. The Scottish Government has already announced a ‘fundamental overhaul’ of Scottish Building Regulations to ensure all new homes use renewable or low-carbon heating by 2024. This welcome move means that individual gas boilers will be extinct in all new housing in the next five years. This will help to generate a significant shift, particularly in housing, and is already causing the industry to embark on a rapid search for alternative solutions.

With an emerging market of competing low-carbon technologies those commissioning new housing must make crystal ball decisions in a rapidly evolving statutory and economic environment.

District heating from renewables such as ground source heat pumps offers many benefits but rarely gets off the ground due to the high level of upfront capital investment. All electric from renewable sources can have a low capital cost but would increase energy bills for occupiers, in the short term, unless it is coupled with heat recovery technologies. If the price of low-carbon electricity does not decrease as anticipated, opting for all-electric heating now could increase the risk of fuel poverty in the future. The impact of pushing through rapid adoption of new modes of heating must therefore be understood against complex economic and societal factors.

Beyond the significant increases in insulation requirements in the Building Regulations, there is still potential further improve the fabric performance of buildings to significantly reduce requirement for energy use from space heating. This requires both designers and contractors to upskill and target more onerous on-site requirements, such as air tightness, in a relatively short period of time. This also adds to the construction cost which will present particular challenges in affordable housing unless additional funding is available.

It is also important to recognise that current Building Regulations focus on operational carbon emissions (heating, cooling etc.) but are still all but silent on the embodied carbon emissions of constructing, maintaining and demolishing buildings. The UK Green Building Council’s ‘Net Zero Carbon Buildings: A Framework Definition’ was published in April 2019 and places a heavy emphasis on Whole Life Carbon Assessment which is an emerging methodology of carbon assessment not currently a common requirement on mainstream projects. More detail on this is covered by the RIBA’s ‘Embodied and whole life carbon assessment for Architects’.

The UK Green Building Council puts embodied carbon at between 65% and 70% of a building’s whole-life carbon footprint and this percentage is likely to increase as operational efficiency is improved, and energy supplies are decarbonised. To reach a true definition of net zero-carbon buildings, the inevitable embodied emissions need to be offset – and this is likely to take the form of a financial offset contribution. This could have a considerable impact on project budgets if offset payments were mandated, and all carbon emissions accounted for.

What Next?

The climate impact of the built environment is complex and a difficult area to change quickly but it is a hugely significant component of our carbon footprint. We see our role as Architects as being advocates for faster and clearer changes to the way we design, deliver and manage the built environment. The way our practice can make the biggest difference is by helping to shift the direction of the development mainstream on our larger scale projects. This will need hard data and the preparation of tangible cases that address the cost and revenue challenges facing our clients in order to deliver meaningful change.

To achieve this, it is essential that any efforts to reduce emissions are fully analysed, and that carbon assessments are closely linked to an intelligent systems of financial modelling and life-cycle costing so that clients can make informed decisions. If low carbon design can be implemented through this engagement in the real-world of project constraints and decision making then architects, contractors and clients can make a meaningful difference to the mainstream. This is what is required for the construction industry to play its part in transitioning to a low-carbon future.

Touching Lightly on the Ground Offering a diverse range of detached villas and terraced townhouses, our Edmonstone Woods development presents a harmonious blend of family-friendly living spaces. Each home type is characterised by a palette of natural and durable materials that echo the tones and textures of the surrounding landscape. The mix of housing has been developed with a focus on family living, with all proposed houses providing four bedrooms. Living areas are strategically positioned to maximise views into surrounding woodland, or across Little France Park and towards Arthur’s Seat. Every home benefits from private gardens and access to high-quality shared amenity spaces The team have really enjoyed working on these proposals and we look forward to seeing progress over the next stages and into 2025. Scott Hobbs Planning Limited @lucinsider @atelier_ten Will Rudd @rettieandco Visualisations by @7n.architects

Living in the Woodland 7N’s proposal for 27 family homes within Edmonstone Woods thoughtfully integrates the residences into the natural landscape, offering a distinct living experience. Each home is designed to harmonise with the woodland surroundings, ensuring high standards of quality, comfort, and accessibility in an immersive, nature-focused setting The complex array of constraints necessitated careful planning to avoid disturbance to mature trees, ancient woodland, as well as the footprint of the historic Edmonstone House and remnants of its stables. As a result, the proposed homes are sensitively integrated into the woodland, arranged along two pedestrian-focused streets and offering extensive views of the surrounding trees. Vehicle movements are carefully controlled around the perimeter of the site, minimizing disruption to the natural setting and prioritizing active travel options for residents. Scott Hobbs Planning Limited @lucinsider @atelier_ten Will Rudd @rettieandco Drawings & photograph by @7n.architects

Edmonstone Woods – Sensitive Housing within a Unique Setting 7N Architects have submitted fresh proposals for Phase 5 of the Edmonstone Masterplan in South West Edinburgh on behalf of a private investor client, which will create 27 family homes within the distinctive woodland setting of Edmonstone Woods. The proposals have been developed in response to changing market demands, from an earlier apartment-led scheme, to one with a lighter touch within this unique site. The approach sensitively nestles the new homes within the woodland environment to create a forest community that is woven into the existing network of woodland trails. The layout of the site and the landscape design, developed with LUC, addresses a complex array of existing conditions, which required careful responses to mature trees, ancient woodland, an interpretation of the footprint of the historic Edmonstone House, as well as the remnants of its former stables buildings. Scott Hobbs Planning @lucinsider @atelier_ten Will Rudd Visualisations by @daakostudio

Making it easy to live sustainably Rowanbank Gardens’ architectural form re-establishes the street edge, using high-quality materials and robust detailing to create a strong civic presence. This perimeter backdrop frames a central landscaped courtyard, fostering a sense of community and tranquillity within the development. A variety of roof forms accentuate the residential character and respond thoughtfully to the site’s diverse surroundings. Central to the project’s vision of placemaking is a pragmatic and accessible approach to sustainable living. By prioritising passive design strategies, the development thoughtfully anticipates future lifestyles through considerations of how people will work, move, socialize, and manage energy in years to come. This is exemplified in the way the building responds to energy use, the encouragement of green transport means, the creation of social green spaces in an urban context, and low energy solutions. The project was one of the first large scale residential projects in Scotland to utilise internal Electric Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP) within apartments. These individual ASHP’s provide individual control over energy use for residents, reducing heat density demand, extensive pipe runs, and the associated heat loss that is typically associated with centralized heating networks. The development achieves an average 50% reduction in energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions compared to the Target Emission Rates set by the Scottish Technical Standards, a success that makes us enormously proud. Main Contractor: @crudenhomes Project management: Axiom Project Services Structural engineer: Quattro Consult M&E engineer: @atelier_ten Landscape Architect: @rankinfraserlandscapearch Drawings: @7n.architects Architects

How do we create sustainable communities? A desire to create a sense of community was the heart of our brief for Rowanbank Gardens from @artisan_real_estate. As a client, they recognised the importance of creating a place where people not just want to live, but can also make it feel truly their own. This approach aligned with 7N’s view that a development is most sustainable when the occupants to have an emotional attachment to their home. Emotive notions such as ‘a sense of place’ emerge strongest when social activities are actively encouraged and people are allowed to define their spaces, rather than be defined by them. The south-facing courtyard garden at Rowanbank Gardens has quickly become a hub for daily interactions, where residents share experiences and form connections. In a short time, we have witnessed the emergence of social groups and the blossoming of a vibrant local community. The project’s ‘tenure-blind’ design has further enhanced its quality, with private and affordable apartments finished to the same high standard. This inclusive approach has enhanced the reception of the development across a wide range of residents, from social housing, through mid-market, first-time buyers, families, and down-sizers. For us, this validates our approach to placing community at the heart of placemaking and the value that this brings to any development. Main Contractor: @crudenhomes Project management: Axiom Project Services Structural engineer: Quattro Consult M&E engineer: @atelier_ten Landscape Architect: @rankinfraserlandscapearch Photograph 1: @davidbarbour Site Plan: 7N Architects Photograph 3: @leoparedesphoto

Rowanbank Gardens - A new community centred on sustainable living Our Rowanbank Gardens project reached completion this summer, a significant achievement and one that we were delighted to celebrate with our client Artisan Real Estate. This brownfield project was designed with a comprehensive focus on environmental, economic, and social sustainability, and has garnered notable recognition, winning awards such as RICS ‘Scottish Residential Development of the Year’ and the Scottish Home Awards ‘Apartment Development of the Year.’ Rowanbank Gardens features 126 new mixed-tenure homes, including a high proportion of family accommodation, around a vibrant residents’ courtyard garden. This shared landscape serves as the natural heart of the community, complete with communal growing beds and fruit trees that have become key amenities for new residents. The homes incorporate an industry leading all-electric and fabric-first approach, paired with sustainable systems such as heat recovery to minimise energy use. As a result, Rowanbank Gardens achieves carbon dioxide emission rates well below current regulatory requirements. Seeing this pioneering low-carbon development come to life and set a new benchmark for Edinburgh has been immensely rewarding. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the project over the years, especially our client, @artisan_real_estate, and our design team. Main Contractor: @crudenhomes Project management: Axiom Project Services Structural engineer: Quattro Consult M&E engineer: @atelier_ten Landscape Architect: @rankinfraserlandscapearch Photograph 1: @leoparedesphoto Photographs 2 & 3: @davidbarbour

Our autumn newsletter is out! Check out our latest update for a window into some of the exciting things that have been keeping us busy and inspired. This edition: masterplans from Shetland to Seafield, an update on our transformative project at Fraser Avenue in Fife, and celebating new qualifications for our team members. See the link in our profile.

Newly qualified architects! We’re really pleased to start our week with the news that three of our team have recently completed their Part Three exams and are now fully qualified Architects. Please join us in congratulating Alex Angus, Magda Wloczka, and Gabriella Togni! Alex, a passionate advocate for civic design and sustainable construction, has been a valuable member of the 7N team since 2021. With previous experience in Copenhagen, she has made significant contributions to our workplace projects in recent years. Magda joined 7N in 2022, bringing a wealth of technical expertise to our team. Having previously worked in Birmingham, she completed her studies at the Mackintosh School of Architecture. Since joining 7N, Magda has been heavily involved in the delivery of several of our recent residential projects. Gabriella is particularly interested in the intersection between design, sustainability, and supporting more ethical and healthy ways of living. As chair of the Sustainability Working Group since joining the team in 2021, Gabriella has led our research into innovative sustainable strategies. We’re excited to see what the future holds for these talented architects and are proud to have them as part of the 7N team.

Rowanbank Gardens continues to make an impact with awards and has recently been nominated for the Chartered Institute of Housing ‘Scotland Housing Awards 2024’. A finalist in the ‘Excellence in regeneration and sustainability’ category, this nomination recognises the importance of the project in helping to revitalise communities with sustainable designs that make a real difference in people’s lives. We’re also pleased to share that we have received some wonderful completion shots from @davidbarbour and we’ll be publishing more of these in the coming weeks. With thanks to the project team: @artisan_real_estate Wheatley Homes East @rankinfraserlandscapearch @atelier_ten @crudenhomes Axiom Project Services Quattro Consult

“Fundamental human needs to engage with others have not changed greatly over the centuries. This understanding is at the heart of the development of 7N’s masterplan at West Town, creating a placemaking framework for a new 20 minute neighbourhood that future residents can make their own.” As part of the latest RIAS Quarterly publication on urban housing, 7N’s Lisa Blyth and Amy Drabble were invited to contribute with an article exploring the themes that influenced the design of our West Town project. The masterplan for the Drum Property Group, for 68 hectares of land on the western edge of the City of Edinburgh, will contribute 7,000 homes and associated mixed-uses to help address Edinburgh’s acute housing needs. In scale alone, West Town represents one of the most significant urban expansions of any Scottish city in decades and one of the largest urban developments currently in planning in the UK. Lisa and Amy describe in the article how our team’s experience and placemaking approach, enabled us to tackle a project of this scale in a manner that keeps people at the heart of the all decisions — a people first approach to create pleasant streets and spaces that facilitate walking and the spontaneous play and social interaction that comes with having a walkable neighbourhood. The result is a place where a parent would feel comfortable letting their 7-year-old walk, wheel or cycle to school. We’d like to thank the RIAS Quarterly editorial team for including this feature in their publication and we hope you enjoy reading it. @riasmembership

What does it mean to be part of our team? The collaborative culture of 7N is the cornerstone of our success. The respect and trust with which we treat each other fosters an environment where all of our team can thrive creatively. This allows us to deliver the complex and innovative projects that have become integral to 7N’s reputation and to the best of our shared abilities. Last Friday we gathered for our first Practice Annual Meeting since 7N’s transition into an employee-owned trust. This was a valuable opportunity to step back from our desks, celebrate our achievements, and to reaffirm that we are striving to meet the ambitions of our EOT Purpose Statement. It led to a lively day, full of fruitful discussion and stimulating workshops about how our new structure can help us achieve our ambitions for the coming year and beyond. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the team for contributing whole-heartedly to the conversations and for helping to shape the direction of 7N. Thanks also must go to some of our favourite local suppliers for keeping us fuelled throughout the day: Daneli’s Deli, @twelvetriangles, @civerinos_official, and @joelato_gelato

7N’s masterplan to transform Seafield approved by City of Edinburgh Council for further consultation. Councillors this week approved the next stage of our masterplan development, with further consultation to take place in the coming weeks. Look out for more information on the plans to transform this north-east area of Edinburgh into a new climate resilient coastal neighbourhood. Visualisation by @daakostudio

View More on Instagram