CHICAGO—Perkins&Will, globally recognized for its industry leadership in sustainability, equity, and human and ecological health, on Earth Day published its first ESG report, Building Momentum. The report, which tells the story of Perkins&Will’s sustainability journey, discloses the firm’s operational performance data across key metrics and assesses its strengths and opportunities.
“At Perkins&Will, we embrace the accountability that comes with taking a leadership position in sustainability, health, and well-being,” says Kathy Wardle, regional director of regenerative design and a key contributor to the ESG report.
“By putting the spotlight on our performance and sharing it with the world, we make it known that we’re serious about doing what’s right—not just for our business, but also for people and the planet. We’re also making it clear that we’ve got a lot more to learn.”
Building Momentum is based on 2022 data across 10 performance indicators as defined by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), an internationally recognized framework for ESG disclosure. These indicators include energy, emissions, diversity and inclusion, local community, and economic performance. Highlights of the report include:
- Decarbonization Policy
Perkins&Will introduced a firmwide policy in 2022 to transition its global operations off fossil fuels, conserve more energy, conduct embodied carbon assessments, integrate renewable energy technologies into the design of its new studios, and procure high-quality carbon offsets.
- Diversifying the Design Profession
Perkins&Will’s commitment to partnering with racially and ethnically diverse subconsultants at the earliest stages of design became an official part of the firm’s work process in 2022. The firm calls it “CoCreate.”
- Community Investment
In 2022, Perkins&Will teams around the world collectively donated more than 7,800 hours of professional design services and/or hands-on labor to nonprofit organizations that make a positive difference in their communities. The firm’s goal is to increase its annual pro bono community contributions to 20,000 hours by 2025.
- Diversity in Leadership
The combined makeup of Perkins&Will’s Board of Directors, Executive Committee, studio leadership, and advisory boards in 2022 was 31% women and 18% racially/ethnically diverse members. The firm’s goal is to achieve gender parity and greater representation of racially and ethnically diverse groups across these categories by 2030.
“Our ESG report is the fruit of the labor of many leaders in our organization, and a celebration of our firm’s commitments and undertakings that are foundational to who we are,” Wardle adds. “We look forward to sharing our 2023 and 2024 data in our next report.”
Read Building Momentum here.
New firmwide best practices raise the bar on decarbonization and materials
At nearly the same time it released the ESG report, Perkins&Will introduced to its internal design teams advanced best practices around energy use intensity (EUI), embodied carbon, and materials specification.
To do so, the firm established its own industry-leading thresholds for EUI performance and embodied carbon emissions, and developed a more stringent protocol for avoiding products and materials with known human and environmental health concerns. The new embodied carbon thresholds are the result of an intensive year-long study, led by Perkins&Will researchers, that benchmarked the embodied carbon performance of 97 projects across a diverse range of typologies.
“These initiatives are further proof of Perkins&Will’s leadership in the industry and will significantly improve the operating and embodied carbon impact of our global portfolio,” says Chief Sustainability Officer Jason F. McLennan. “The clear guidance we’re issuing to our teams also ensures we vet materials against more stringent requirements for health and environmental impacts, reinforcing our commitment to human and ecological health and well-being.”
The firm plans to release more information—including its complete embodied carbon benchmarking study—to clients and the industry-at-large this year, McLennan adds. “We look forward to inviting others to join us in deepening our environmental stewardship.”
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About Perkins&Will
Perkins&Will, an interdisciplinary, research-based architecture and design firm, was founded in 1935 on the belief that design has the power to transform lives. The firm is committed to creating a better, beautiful, more equitable world through Living Design, an approach that integrates environmental, social, and design considerations to advance ecological health and well-being. Architizer named Perkins&Will the world’s “Best Sustainable Firm” in 2023, and Metropolis named it “Firm of the Year” in 2022 for its industry leadership in advancing climate action and social justice. Fast Company named Perkins&Will one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies in Architecture three times, and in 2021, it added the firm to its list of Brands That Matter—making Perkins&Will the first architecture practice in the world to earn the distinction.
With an international team of more than 2,500 professionals, Perkins&Will has 32 studios worldwide, providing integrated services in architecture, interior design, branded environments, urban design, and landscape architecture. Partners include Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects; McLennan Design; Portland; Nelson\Nygaard; and Pierre-Yves Rochon (PYR). For more information, visit www.perkinswill.com.
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