This ethos runs through every stage of our projects, guiding material selection, construction methods, operational strategies, and end-of-life planning. 

At its core, Whole Life Cycle Design means evaluating a building not just by its immediate performance, but by its total environmental footprint over time—including embodied carbon, operational carbon, and the circular potential of all components involved.

To quantify and monitor these impacts, we integrate calculation software tools throughout the design process. From early-stage concept models to detailed specifications, we use digital platforms to calculate embodied carbon—the emissions associated with material extraction, processing, transport and assembly—and operational carbon, the emissions resulting from energy use during the building’s life. These insights allow us to make informed decisions, often balancing competing impacts. For instance, a high-performance insulation material might reduce operational carbon but come with a high embodied cost; our tools help us assess which combination delivers the lowest overall environmental impact over the building’s lifetime.

A key element of our approach is the prioritisation of natural, regenerative, and biodegradable or reusable materials. We carefully source products that not only perform well during use, but also return safely to the environment at end-of-life or can be reclaimed for future construction. A notable example is our promotion of natural cork used as floor finishes in many projects and as external and internal wall cladding at Hackney Bay House. Cork is a renewable, carbon-negative material that is fully recyclable and biodegradable, while also offering outstanding thermal performance and durability in harsh coastal conditions.

We actively promote the use of reclaimed materials in our projects, seeking out timber, brick, steel and other components from demolition yards or circular supply chains. By integrating these into new buildings, we reduce demand for virgin resources and cut embedded emissions. Equally, our projects are designed with future disassembly and reuse in mind. This principle of “design for deconstruction” is seen in our use of modular components, which can be repositioned, reused, or remanufactured. At Sustainable Workspaces, for instance, we employed modular timber partitions designed for complete disassembly, enabling future adaptability without material loss or waste.

This modular thinking extends to fixings, joints, and finishes—minimising glues, composites and irreversible connections in favour of screws, bolts and reversible detailing. Every component is considered in terms of how it enters and leaves the building—supporting a circular economy and eliminating the concept of waste.

Whole Life Cycle Design is not just a strategy for us—it’s a design philosophy and ethical imperative. Our goal is to create architecture that actively contributes to environmental regeneration, not degradation. Through the combined use of data-driven tools, low-impact materials, and modular construction, Material Works delivers buildings that are not only efficient and beautiful, but truly sustainable across generations.