Environmental Policy

At DCa we are committed to environmental best practice in all we do. We recognise the need to reduce the impact of our business activities on the environment and aim to achieve this through a policy of continual improvement in environmental performance. In all our projects, we strive to:

• Continually improve our environmental awareness
• Be environmentally responsible in the design and specification of our clients' buildings
• Raise the awareness of our clients to sustainability and environmental protection, and help the members of our design team develop a shared vision of environmental aspirations
• Assess sites for their ecological value and microclimate and ensure buildings make best use of the natural features of the site including sun, wind and landscape
• Make good use of natural lighting and ventilation wherever practicable
• Ascertain the potential for local power generation from renewable energy sources locally or on site
• Ensure that biodiversity on site is protected or enhanced
• Prevent pollution associated with our projects
• Re-use materials, use recycled materials and take into account future recycling
• Reduce waste during construction and consider waste and recycling strategies to minimise waste
• Minimise the use of construction materials and specify local materials and components where possible, with the optimum balance between environmental impact and performance in use
• Ensure that building services are inherently low energy, efficient and controllable, and that metering encourages monitoring and management of resource use;
• Achieve low carbon emissions
• Specify fittings to minimise water use and make provision for rainwater re-use
• Make provision for cycle and pedestrian routes and cycle storage wherever possible

In the workplace we strive to:

• Be environmentally responsible in the running of our Practice and office
• Prevent pollution
• Continually improve our environmental awareness
• Promote environmental awareness among our employees and encourage them to work in an environmentally responsible manner
• Reduce paper consumption including double sided printing and photocopying
• Reduce waste through re-use and recycling and by purchasing recycled, recyclable or refurbished equipment, products and materials where these alternatives are available, economical and suitable
• Ensure responsible disposal of remaining unavoidable waste
• Promote efficient use of space heating/lighting, equipment, materials and resources
• Purchase and use environmentally responsible products accordingly
• Include energy efficiency as one of the selection criteria when purchasing new equipment
• Avoid unnecessary use of hazardous materials and products
• Minimise the use of cars where practical and encourage the use of public transport and cycling in preference to travel by car wherever it is possible and effective to do so