Kosloff Architecture is carbon neutral

When we founded our practice in 2017, we knew that we wanted to be a B Corp – to make decisions that have a positive impact for our practice team, clients, suppliers, community, and the environment. Going carbon neutral was a high priority for us as part of that. In many ways this made it even easier to achieve carbon neutral certification because when we were setting up the office, that goal helped drive a number of decisions.Ìý

For our first premises, we chose a co-working space that was already a B Corp so we knew that they would be transparent about their carbon footprint. We sourced our energy from a supplier who would provide net-zero energy and we hired a cleaning company that used environmentally sound products – working towards carbon neutral helped guide us and has shaped an attitude in our studio that is less about dollar value and more about long-term impact. For us, being carbon neutral is about operating in a way that reflects our values.Ìý

The time and the effort involved is very small compared to the benefit of doing it.Ìý

There’s a lot of support out there to assist architects in taking their practice carbon neutral. Once we decided on which consultant we wanted to work with for offsetting, we had access to the tools that made the process very straightÌýforward. In terms of time, we’re currently calculating our carbon footprint for the last financial year and it’s something that most people in the team can do very efficiently.Ìý

We look at our environmental impact in the running of our business and in the work that we do with our clients. InÌýboth of theseÌýareas we’re mindful of making decisions that support environmental and social sustainability. Working primarily on public projects, a large partÌýof our role is advocating for the most responsible outcomes.

Our clients range from those with very high ESD standards to those who don’t yet have a framework in place. One of the first questions we ask clients is:ÌýWhat are your aspirations in terms of environmentally sustainable design?ÌýIn instances where they don’t have a clear answer, part of our roleÌýis to educate them on best practice and establish the value of achieving low carbon, or carbon zero buildings. It’sÌýreally importantÌýas architects that we can walk the talk. We can’t tell clients that we want them to achieve the highest possible standard if we aren’t doing all that we can in our own businesses.Ìý