As designers and consultants in the AEC industry, we rarely become involved in the purchase of building materials or other project-related resources, so our direct procurement activities tend to be limited to the purchase of office supplies. In cases where we can influence the selection of project materials, we apply our in-house specifications, policies, and sustainability expertise. We seek trusted partners who share our value of responsible procurement, and we educate clients and collaborators about sustainable options for their projects.
Building Materials
One pillar of our environmental policy is to find creative ways to reduce carbon in our projects. To help accomplish this, we developed the Beacon embodied-carbon assessment tool and embodied-carbon specifications for designers to apply when sourcing building materials like concrete, steel and timber. These specifications direct project teams to consider materials or adjustments to materials that are less carbon intensive than the standard options. Our sustainability consultants conduct life-cycle assessments to guide material choices for projects and help clients avoid toxic materials identified in the Living Building Challenge Red List.
When hiring subconsultants or specifying project materials, we follow our ethical sourcing policy, which outlines our commitment to using products that are sustainably sourced and those that are manufactured in fair and safe work environments. In pursuit of this vision, we’re collaborating with Grace Farms in a Design for Freedom supply-chain mapping initiative. The policy also encourages the hiring of small and minority-owned businesses or firms that have demonstrated a clear mission of promoting social equity.
Office Supplies
Our sustainable office guidelines recommend the purchase of office supplies with high recycled content and low toxicity in our 43 offices around the world. Our operations staff meet regularly to discuss options for sustainable purchasing and have continued to buy kitchen and office supplies from vendors committed to sustainability.
More than half our purchases from Amazon were certified Climate Pledge Friendly, a designation awarded to products that have received sustainability certifications deemed by Amazon to be “reputable, transparent, and have a focus on preserving the natural world.” We also urge our operations staff to purchase Emerald brand sustainable products, which are designed, manufactured and distributed by Paradigm Group.
Most of our offices provide reusable dishes and kitchen utensils and offer compostable or recyclable alternatives as backup. In 2019, we introduced a policy that limits our use of beverages in plastic bottles.
For our most recent Owners’ Week, an annual gathering of 200+ staff that takes place in our New York office, we purchased food from local woman- and minority-owned businesses. We look forward to continuing this practice into the foreseeable future.
By initiating a process for minimizing waste at the printer, we’ve significantly reduced the amount of paper we use, and we continue to use paper with recycled content and work with providers who adhere to sustainable forestry standards like those of the Forest Stewardship Council and PrintRelief Certified Reforested.