News / climate action
‘Regular construction should be sustainable’
The built environment makes up almost fifty per cent of global carbon emissions.
And according to the Royal Academy of Engineering, the construction sector represents approximate forty per cent of the UK’s carbon emissions.
As a result, experts are now calling for ‘transformative action’ within the industry and a Bristol-based company may have the answers.
is needed now More than ever
Founded by Chris Hawker and David Copeland in 2016, Hawkland Construction is pushing beyond the current regulatory standards in the construction industry, to ensure sustainability is at the core of every building.
The pair are rethinking the way we build new homes, prioritising existing homes through a system called “energy retrofitting”, which aims to improve the performance of existing houses.
“It made sense to improve our already existing houses, it makes sense to reduce energy use in our homes, which in time just reduces the overall emissions,” Chris said.
Hempcrete is a hemp-based material, which has a more sustainable end-of-life process than other traditionally used building materials – photo: Hawkland
But, what’s the difference between ‘sustainable’ construction practices and regular ones?
“There shouldn’t be a difference, regular construction should be sustainable” David said.
Nevertheless, there are distinctions, and these lay in the basics: the materials, the methods used to build, and most importantly, how a building operates.
“Improving the life cycle analysis of the material should be a top priority. Another important step is waste management, asking how could we utilise all the small residue that you can’t sell or return, and how can they be repurposed?”
“We look at detailing and calculating our materials as best as we can. That’s a simple way in any business you can reduce your waste going into landfill,” explained David.
The pair use more sustainable materials like hemp and line, sourced from plants and with a better end-of-life for the product.
Present and future of sustainable construction
Hawkland recently came into an accelerated growth phase, which included the hiring of a new director, Ben Nother, who came on board with the architectural knowledge to improve and broaden the company’s sustainable impact.
The firm has also been part of the NatWest Accelerator, based at Trinity Quay, a free programme that encourages and accompanies entrepreneurs to take their businesses further.
“Having access to other people in the programme, has been one of the highlights. The sense of accountability is also really valuable,” said David.
“That way we make sure to deliver a good design that goes in hand with function, making energy use more efficient,” David explained.
This piece of independent journalism is supported by NatWest and the Bristol24/7 public and business membership
Main photo: Hawkland
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