Capita Symonds has unveiled its ‘DNA of Good Design’
campaign on the first day of this year’s Ecobuild on 02
March.
The campaign was launched at an evening reception at the Capita
Symonds-sponsored Cityscape centerpiece at Ecobuild.
The DNA campaign, which explores the fundamental elements of
good design and how sustainability can be woven through the genetic
blueprint of every project, is part of the company’s Sustainable
Design Lab (SDL) which has been created to experiment, play,
challenge and breed new solutions to an old problem – how to
generate truly sustainable designs.
The Lab is a virtual centre for excellence, a hub for sharing
expertise and best practice throughout the business. It also acts
as a platform for research and development through a series of
time-limited, action focused task groups with partners from a
variety of disciplines, industries and sectors.
Since its launch in 2009, The Lab’s initiatives have included
the development of the Classroom Design Assistant, an environmental
design assist tool for use in education projects which identifies
ideal daylighting and ventilation ratios for improved energy
efficiency and enhanced learning.
In 2010 it will be launching two task groups to gather evidence
on the post occupancy health and well-being benefits of buildings
and a study to compare the benefits of mechanical ventilation
versus natural ventilation.
Colin Campbell, Head of Sustainable Design, Capita Symonds,
says: “We are working hard to ensure that sustainable design is at
the core of the Capita Symonds business. The SDL has created this
DNA chain of good design to explore the challenges of making
sustainability integral to our design process. Overlaying the DNA
blueprint onto a project helps us to deliver truly sustainable
designs for our clients.”
“This holistic approach ensures that sustainability is not an
expensive add-on but an embedded and integrated service that
maximises the commercial, social and environmental potential of
every project. Whether our clients need to reduce energy use or
increase the use of renewables, measure the social impact of a
design by educational attainment in a school, or add value through
increased footfall in a retail space, we believe this DNA chain can
help us to deliver a true, beginning to end sustainable design
appropriate to the needs of every client,” he adds.
Ecobuild is the world’s biggest conference for sustainable
design, construction and the built environment and Capita Symonds
will be hosting a series of events to explore how the design and
infrastructure industry can provide some much needed impetus in
reviving and driving the sustainability agenda.
Download our
DNA chain of Good Design
For more details about becoming an SDL partner and to get
involved please email: sdl@capita.co.uk
