TIMBER frame windows and doors manufacturer NorDan UK’s sustainability achievements were recognised at this year’s CIBSE Building Performance Awards in London.
The business picked up the Embodied Carbon Award for Manufacturers & Suppliers, recognising the company’s commitment to minimising embodied carbon in its products.
NorDan UK’s Tom O’Sullivan, Lou Johnson, Mike Stevenson, and Craig Greenwood were present to accept the accolade. The company explained that its carbon-neutral products are crafted from sustainably grown and harvested timber. By incorporating techniques such as including a thin layer of aluminium, the window frames are said to provide ‘remarkable’ insulation capabilities and boast a lifespan of 60 years.
The majority of NorDan’s products now possess third-party validated Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), which provide architects and specifiers with transparent data on both the embodied and operational carbon.
The CIBSE Building Performance Awards commended NorDan UK for its holistic approach to building design, particularly its focus on envelope elements. The judges recognised that the company had taken into account the entire life cycle impact of its products, from manufacturing and operation to maintenance and end of life. The inclusion of high-quality data in NorDan’s award entry was also lauded.
Alex Brown, MD of UK, attributed the award to years of ‘sound decision-making, innovation, and hard work’. This triumph follows NorDan’s growth in the UK throughout 2022.
The business is actively working on an embodied carbon calculator that will enable the publication of third-party accredited project-specific EPDs for every project undertaken.
NorDan added that the increasing adoption of EPDs by manufacturers, coupled with a growing consideration for the entire life cycle impact of products, was a prominent trend among this year’s award entries. Innovative use of bio-based and fossil fuel-free materials also garnered attention from the judges.
