Wates Residential, part of leading privately owned construction, property services and development company Wates Group, has launched a new campaign to find innovative, sustainable technologies and materials that will help it build net zero homes and achieve its environmental targets.
Aiming to generate net zero carbon operationally and to halve energy consumption by 2025, the company has also pledged to achieve zero waste and to make a positive contribution to nature on all its projects. As a result, it is looking for suitable materials, products and processes for the development, design, construction and sale of low to high rise residential developments.
These could include resource efficient materials for the built environment with low embodied carbon content or those derived from natural resources. The company is also looking for suppliers that can help implement Modern Methods of Construction, as well as products that deliver significant biodiversity net gains, optimise building efficiency, help with the design and construction of zero carbon homes and save water.
Businesses keen to register their interest are being encouraged to visit www.wates.co.uk/win-portal and complete an application form. Suppliers will be screened by the company’s technical advisory panel of experts and successful suppliers will be piloted on Wates sites. Successful applicants will also be registered on the Wates Innovation Network (WIN) portal, a new online hub for suppliers of environmental technologies and services. Launched in March 2021 to boost the industry’s transition to net zero, the first of its kind and free to use network is designed to help businesses make connections and market their services across the construction industry.
Dr Zainab Dangana, head of sustainable technology for Wates Group, said: ‘Our search for innovation partners and the concept behind the WIN portal is to boost the industry’s move to zero carbon and support emerging green technologies. This campaign is a continuation of our search for new suppliers with a particular focus on the design and construction of low to high rise residential developments. There must be many businesses out there who would like to work with Wates, and we are keen to find them too.’
Shami Kaler, technical director for Wates Residential, commented: ‘Wates Residential is one of the UK’s leading developers, working with local authorities and registered providers across the South of England, London and Wales. We already use multiple technologies on site to improve environmental operations, build with Modern Methods of Construction and to Passivhaus standards, but we want to find new ways to build more sustainable homes to help us and our partners achieve our environmental ambitions.’
Several WIN technologies have already been implemented across the group to help meet net zero ambitions. An example of this is Propelair, which is an Innovation Partner that supplies water saving toilets. These have been installed at the Leatherhead headquarters to reduce water use by 87%, this has helped save carbon and provided cost savings at the same time too.