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Q&A with sustainability champion, Holly Hodgson

Holly is a sustainability consultant, part of the sustainability team within our London studio. Holly has a strong dedication to and understanding of sustainability, developed through her studies in BSc Environmental Science and MSc Climate Change and work experience in sustainability. She believes the momentum around sustainable and environmental considerations will drive real change in the built environment and is keen to highlight innovative ways of integrating sustainability within the design process.

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What does sustainability mean to you and your role at BDP?

I’ve always wanted to use my Environmental Science BSc and Climate Change MSc to pursue a career in sustainability. My role as a sustainability consultant allows me to use my environmental knowledge and experience in a meaningful, practical way – I find it rewarding to physically see changes such as biodiversity on green roofs/walls, and I also enjoy focusing on BDP’s policy and strategy which integrates sustainability from the start of the design process.

How is your company/profession positively contributing to the carbon reduction challenge?

The sustainability team are setting ambitious targets, implementing new processes, and increasing data collection and analysis to ensure BDP is contributing to the carbon reduction challenge. We are also developing and integrating minimum environmental performance standards for embodied carbon and operational carbon for our projects.

What is your approach to sustainability when embarking on a new project?

Sustainability is an integral part of all projects. In the past, it used to be an ‘added extra’ but now it is firmly rooted as an essential consideration of any project – something which all stakeholders are aware of and place value on.

What do you see as the biggest challenge to delivering sustainable design within your role? How do you overcome challenges faced?

Challenges in sustainable design arise when sustainability is not considered in the initial design and construction stage. It is easier to design with sustainable considerations than to increase sustainability of an already-existing design. We have ways of doing both, and we like a challenge, but ultimately ensuring the sustainability credentials are identified and targeted from the start will deliver a sustainable outcome. 

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