INTERVIEW | PIERS HEATH Global architect Foster+Partners now has fully integrated environmental engineering in its design studios to optimise building performance. Piers Heath tells Alex Smith how scientific first principles are embedded in designs and shares plans to incorporate soft landings in every project PIERS REVIEW F Structure integrated with HVAC services and lighting at an Apple Store in Westlake, Ohio (top); Piers Heath is keen to encourage young engineers (above) oster + Partners is one of the most prolific architectural practices and, over the past eight years or so, has quietly extended its design capabilities to become a fully multidisciplinary powerhouse. The London-based practice now undertakes key engineering functions inhouse, having acquired the environmental engineering firm of PHA Consult in 2011, to carry out services design. In the same year, Roger Ridsdill Smith left Arup for Foster + Partners to head up structural engineering. Piers Heath who founded PHA Consult in 2005 with his then colleague Edward Garrod joined Foster + Partners as a senior partner and head of environmental engineering. His team is now around 75-strong and offers a full gamut of services, including mechanical, electrical, public health and fire-protection engineering. This is enhanced by a very strong team of experts covering environmental sciences and sustainability, and architectural lighting all of which are a passion for Heath. The environmental engineering team plays a central part in ensuring Foster + Partners moves towards its commitments to reduce energy and resource use. For example, Heath is looking at how soft landings and postoccupancy evaluation can be incorporated into future contracts. The practices position as a global architect gives it great leverage over clients based beyond the UK. Foster + Partners has signed the World Green Building Councils net-zero carbon buildings commitment to make the operation of all its buildings carbon neutral by 2030. It is also a signatory of Architects Declare and Structural and Building Services Engineers Declare, which pledge to design buildings with a more positive impact on the environment. PHAs full integration came after a long courtship, as Heath explains. Foster + Partners interest in broadening its capability and gaining a greater understanding of environmental sciences including passive design elements such as shading, natural ventilation, thermal mass, and so on had been a driving force for many years. However, it took some time before their interests extended to a full in-house engineering offer. Heath first spoke to Norman Foster in 2008, but it took two more years and several meetings with senior figures before the practice decided it wanted to offer inhouse architecture and engineering (AE). When asked if PHA would be interested to participate in this venture, I was excited by the unique opportunity it presented, says Heath. I always felt the prospect had to include MEP engineering after all, this is arguably the most measurable aspect of a buildings performance. It was while he was at consultant Battle McCarthy that Heath first worked with 40 September 2019 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Sep19 pp40-42 Piers Heath.indd 40 23/08/2019 15:15