Buro Happold, an international, integrated engineering consultancy creating solutions for buildings, campuses and cities, has announced a significant two-year investment in supporting the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), a growing global network dedicated to creating a sustainable, healthy future for all.

Buro Happold, which has committed to net-zero carbon business operations by next year and to all its new building projects achieving net-zero carbon for operations by 2030, is widely renowned as a leader in data-driven, successful sustainability solutions and the most advanced outcomes. With projects ranging from large-scale sustainability plans for municipalities and university campuses as well as a range of building types worldwide, Buro Happold will become an Angel Level sponsor for the International Living Future Institute beginning this year.

“We have long been avid supporters of the International Living Future Institute, and we are formalizing our partnership in advancing the Institute’s aims, which truly reflect our own beliefs and business direction in addressing the climate crisis and human wellbeing,” says David Herd, Managing Partner. “Buro Happold is focused on urgently tackling the climate crisis with our global client base, increasing our portfolio of work in the areas of regenerative design, and expanding strategic consulting in carbon, water, waste reduction and climate resilience.  

Long active with leadership organizations dedicated to high-value, low-impact building and regional solutions, Buro Happold has a unique profile with the International Living Future Institute. The firm’s work for the new Santa Monica City Services Building will help it become one of the first municipal facilities to meet the cutting-edge criteria for ILFI’s Living Building Challenge, among the world’s most rigorous building certifications. Buro Happold is also active in the use of ILFI’s Declare Labels for healthy building materials and, in 2016, the firm also earned a JUST Label – the ILFI designation for socially just and equitable organizations.

As part of its support for ILFI, Buro Happold will host a half-day “Zero Carbon” workshop in Los Angeles following the CarbonPositive'20 Conference next month, hosted by Architecture 2030 and ARCHITECT Magazine, and it will participate in the Paris Solutions Campaign initiative, for which Buro Happold will register 10 zero-carbon projects. The firm will also widely share best practices employed for the Santa Monica City Services Building, which meets ambitious targets for carbon neutrality, water self-sufficiency, and zero waste. 

Buro Happold sustainability leaders will also host an after-party and speak on cutting-edge design concepts as part of the Living Future unConference, to be held May 5-8 in Seattle. Experts on the program include Buro Happold’s Heidi Creighton, AIA, LEED Fellow, speaking about ILFI’s JUST Label, and Kathleen Hetrick, WELL AP, LEED AP, who will present on the topic, “The Living Building Challenge as a Tool for Equitable Empowerment.”

Buro Happold’s Angel Level ILFI sponsorship will also benefit at least five manufacturers working to secure Declare labels for their products. Buro Happold and ILFI will jointly make presentations at national events and publish their work together on healthy materials.

“Buro Happold is more than a visionary leader in the engineering marketplace, they are a visionary partner leading the way toward a regenerative future,” says James Connelly, vice president of Strategic Growth with the International Living Future Institute, noting that Buro Happold is the first engineering firm to sponsor the organization at the Angel level.

“Through this partnership, Buro Happold and ILFI will be able to advance our mutual commitment to advancing a very ambitious sustainability agenda that pushes the boundaries on what can be achieved through real-world technical solutions,” adds Herd, listing a number of key objectives for Buro Happold, including:

- Helping clients and the public understand the urgency of climate change and the possibilities of climate action to address the climate crisis.

- Supporting solutions for the issues facing the global energy, water, waste and products industry.

- Creating environments that promote health and wellness and enable organizations and communities to thrive.

- Continuously enabling and embedding practices that foster a just, diverse and inclusive culture.

Buro Happold has also led the United States and global markets with sophisticated abilities to model environmental, technical and economic forces to accurately quantify the performance of projects of all scales, which helps remove risk at the earliest stages of the design process. Using simulation software and research enables Buro Happold to analyze multiple design options, giving the client group wide choice in design while also ensuring environmental goals.

Says Neil Squibbs, Chief Executive Officer of Buro Happold, “As our principles set out, we value human wellbeing, we embrace mutual responsibility and we understand that a sustainable future is intrinsic to the economic and social impact of our work.”

About Buro Happold

Buro Happold is an international, integrated engineering consultancy operating in 24 locations worldwide, with 60 partners and over 1,900 employees including some of the world’s leading consultants and engineers. For over 40 years we’ve been building our reputation for delivering creative, value-led building and city solutions for an ever changing world.