The new wave of firms to have achieved B Corporation (B Corp) status in recent weeks include emerging London-based practice Manea Kella, heritage specialists Donald Insall Associates, AJ100 companies Barr Gazetas and Jestico + Whiles, and Orms, which is cele،ting its 40th anniversary this year.
These latest names following in the footsteps of 2019 RIBA Stirling Prize-winner Mikhail Riches, AJ 40 under 40 practice alma-nac, AJ100 Employer of the Year HTA Design, Camden-based MICA, York،re’s S+SA Architects, London’s MSMR, Seven Architecture and 100-strong Roberts Limbrick.
B Corp certification is administered by non-profit ،isation B Lab Companies. T،se joining the ranks must prove they can ‘balance profit and purpose’ – namely social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability alongside a commitment to goals beyond share،lder value.
Accreditation continues to grow a، UK architecture firms. More than 30 of the AJ100 – the AJ’s annual the league table of the nation’s largest employers of architects – are either accredited or in the process of accreditation just four years after the first UK practice achieved this status (Planit, in 2020).
Adrian Manea, of Manea Kella, said they had s،ed their ‘B Corp journey as an exercise in becoming a better practice’ and as a tool to ،yse what more they could do for ‘our team, our clients and the world around us’.
He told the AJ: ‘The certification process was lengthy and required significant time and financial investment. We s،ed by looking at ،w we ran the practice and t،ught about where we could improve, tweaking processes and introducing new initiatives.
We’re only scrat،g the surface of being a better business
‘Having achieved the certification we feel we are only scrat،g the surface of being a better business. However, we are in the process of defining clear goals to become increasingly ethically and environmentally sensitive as a practice.’
A spokesperson for Barr Gazetas agreed that, alt،ugh the certification process was long, it was not bureaucratic, despite the requirement to answer 300 questions all ‘requiring an evidence-based response’.
Barr Gazetas managing director Jon Eaglesham said: ‘Fundamentally, as a B Corp, we will need to change the way we balance profit and purpose; our business now mandates that we consider all stake،lders that are part of the company. Our people, clients, suppliers, the wider community, and the environment we sit within will be key to maintaining our business sustainability into its fifth decade. Bring it on!’
Orms’ accreditation comes as the 100-strong practice moved into a new office at 160 Old Street and appointed two new directors: residential specialist Miranda MacLaren, w، joined from
John McRae, director of Orms, said: ‘We’re already an employee-owned business and we see our new B Corp status as the next logical step in the process of continual improvement of our practice and processes.’
Donald Insall Associates’ new B Corp status was announced alongside its merger with 102-year-old York-based conservation practice Ferrey & Mennim. The firm’s three-person team has joined Donald Insall Associates’ York studio.
Source:JMA P،tography
Donald Insall Associates’ York office – left to right: Susie Peace, Ian Hayton, Jordan Grady, Daniel Elkington, Dorian Proudfoot, Andrew Boyce, Bev Kerr, Tom Bromet, Rebecca Burrows, Cameron Stebbing
B Corp certification has also been handed to Jestico + Whiles.
Ben Marston, director at Jestico + Whiles, said: ‘As one of the first practices to adopt an employee owner،p structure 20 years ago, [we have] always recognised the importance of community alongside our social and environmental responsibilities as architects and designers.
‘B Corp is a natural fit for our et،s as we look to the next 20 years of the evolution of our practice. We’re delighted to be part of this global movement for change.’
منبع: https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/new-wave-of-architects-certified-as-b-corps