Event Information

“We couldn’t find a carbon tool that worked for small practices. So, we built one ourselves.”

How can architects and designers measure and reduce the embodied carbon of their projects without expensive software, complex processes or specialist in-house expertise?

Join Studio Bark for this practical, two-hour online training session introducing SmallCarbon — an embodied and whole-life carbon assessment tool developed specifically to make carbon measurement more accessible to smaller architectural practices and SMEs.

Developed by Studio Bark in collaboration with technology company Looper and environmental engineers Etude, SmallCarbon was initially supported by Innovate UK grant funding. The platform aims to simplify carbon assessment, helping design teams understand the environmental impact of their decisions and identify opportunities to reduce carbon throughout the design process.

Why does embodied carbon matter?

From material selection and structural systems to construction methods and whole-life performance, design decisions have a significant influence on a building’s carbon footprint. Yet many practices still face barriers to carrying out their own carbon assessments, including limited time, cost, software complexity and a lack of specialist knowledge.

As clients increasingly request carbon data and expectations around measuring, reporting and reducing emissions grow, understanding embodied carbon is becoming an increasingly important part of contemporary architectural practice.

What will you learn?

Whether you are taking your first steps into embodied carbon or already have experience of carbon assessment, this session will explore:

• Getting started with carbon measurement: Understanding embodied and whole-life carbon and why they matter to design decisions.
• Introducing SmallCarbon: How the tool works and how it can support carbon assessment within everyday practice.
• Identifying opportunities to reduce carbon: Using carbon data to inform material choices, design options and lower-carbon solutions.
• Making carbon assessment more accessible: Exploring how smaller practices can integrate carbon measurement into their workflows without unnecessary complexity.
• Understanding the bigger picture: Why carbon measurement is becoming increasingly relevant to clients, project teams and the wider construction industry.

Who should attend?

This session is particularly relevant to architects, architectural technologists, designers and built environment professionals working in small and medium-sized practices who want to understand, measure and reduce the carbon impact of their projects.

You don’t need to be a carbon specialist to get started. Discover how a more accessible approach to carbon assessment can help you make informed design decisions and take practical steps towards lower-carbon buildings.

About the speakers

Hannah Towler - Associate Director

Hannah joined Studio Bark in 2019, and is demonstrably passionate about low-impact environmental design. With a talent for distilling complex ideas into engaging visual and narrative content, she has played a pivotal role in the studio’s innovative
practice. Her expertise includes working with natural materials, such as straw bale and earth construction in the UK and Portugal. In addition, she was involved in the pioneering student-build Nest House project, which showcased the innovative U-Build system.

Tom Bennett - Director

Tom is an architect and director at Studio Bark with an environmental focus. He has spearheaded initiatives to develop in-house energy modelling, retrofit assessments and lifecycle / whole-life carbon accounting processes. Tom is also engaged in making change beyond the work place, pushing for more rapid transition to a post-carbon society. In 2019 he helped to found ACAN (Architects Climate Action Network) where he currently serves on the steering group; and also periodically gives talks and guest lectures on the intersection between architecture and climate activism.