B Corp with Oliver Hall
A key member of our "Bee-keeper" team that stewarded the practice through the B Corp certification process, architect and leader of our in-house sustainability team Oliver Hall explored Make's performance in each of the five impact areas of B Corp. He encouraged all participants to reimagine what Make could do within these five areas in the future, challenging everyone to think outside the box and share their ideas. B Corp accreditation not only showcases our commitment to environmental, social and governance responsibilities but also demonstrates how we collectively contribute to Make's role as industry leaders in driving positive change.
During Oliver’s workshop, Makers proposed numerous initiatives to advance Make’s social and environmental focus, including strategies to engage with communities during projects, simple changes we could make to our materials selection process, and the potential to use our studio courtyard space for food cultivation and wellbeing. This exercise yielded valuable insights and potential strategies to embed into the practice, reaffirming Make’s commitment to employees, clients and the communities we work with.
Greenwashing Unpacked with Kate Fleming and Sara Veale
Kate Fleming and Sara Veale from Make’s Communications team delved into the various ways greenwashing is used in different aspects of our lives, from fashion to politics to architecture. We learned not only how to spot greenwashing in action but also how to communicate our design decisions and practices more clearly, responsibly and accurately. Kate and Sara also shared Make's commitment to the Bennetts Associates "Tell the Truth" campaign, which advocates for honest marketing and communications across our industry.
In the realm of sustainability, there’s rarely a single, definitive approach but rather a sliding scale of interventions that we can employ to reduce the environmental impacts of our projects, depending on the context and suitability. Through providing context and evidence to support our claims, we can provide a better explanation of our work and accurately convey our sustainability efforts, from the benefits we bring to the local community to our materials choices and carbon-related design decisions. Kate and Sara’s workshop served as a collective reminder that authentic change is founded on evidence-based decisions, motivating us all to actively champion this approach.
Carbon Accounting with Peter Greaves
Make Neutral Day concluded with an update on our annual studio carbon footprint with architect Peter Greaves. Peter highlighted the progress we've already made in our ongoing mission to reduce the carbon impact of our studios – spanning scope 1 to 3. From reducing our energy use to addressing challenges with refrigerants, along with our Sydney studio’s power supply becoming fossil-fuel-free, it was evident that we’re heading in the right direction, making substantial strides towards reducing our global carbon footprint. However, as Peter noted, there is still more we can do. As we wrapped up the day, it was evident that ethical and empathetic design within the realm of sustainable architecture is an ongoing process. From B Corp to truthful communications and our studio's carbon footprint, each of the topics discussed plays a pivotal role in the broader puzzle of building a better future. Sustainability is not a mere checkbox but a mindset that should inform every decision we make.