Our Commitment To Being Sustainable

3 min read | Matt Goff | April 2022

At Thurston Group, we are passionate about the environment, and we are constantly striving to be more sustainable in everything we do. We are proud of our reputation as one of the UK’s leading modular building manufacturers,

We work closely with our clients to create sustainable, affordable and energy-efficient solutions. All of our sustainable modular buildings are designed to be energy-efficient, low-waste and high-performance and comply with the very highest environmental regulations.

Sustainable building solutions

As the carbon footprint of traditional building methods becomes clear, many clients are looking for a more eco-friendly and less wasteful solution if they need temporary or permanent buildings. Our building process is far quicker, with 90% of the build completed off-site so we can make sure it adheres to our environmental standards. Many of our clients in industries from education to manufacturing are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and adopt more sustainable principles. If your business prides itself on its eco-credentials, our bespoke modular buildings are the ideal solution.

There are many sustainability benefits to modular construction, making it ideal for green businesses looking to expand. By producing buildings in a controlled setting, we can monitor energy usage and streamline the construction process. Our offsite construction method is more sustainable than the traditional building method, with our solutions designed to last for decades and made using a range of durable and high-quality materials.

We also acknowledge that every kWh of energy that a building consumes needs to be generated. This traditionally has involved the combustion of fossil fuels, which in turn produces CO2. Our approach to this environmental challenge is to design and build structures that consume as little energy as possible whilst generating as much as possible from a clean, renewable source, helping to reduce your carbon footprint.

Where possible, we also minimise deliveries by delivering in bulk, rather than individually to separate sites, as well as reducing our vehicle movements. There are up to 90% fewer vehicle movements to site, further reducing disruption, congestion and carbon emissions.

50 years of innovation

Over the last 50 years, we have continued to invest in new ways to create high-quality and efficient buildings using a range of advanced technologies. From LED light fittings which reduce energy use to recycled materials that divert waste from landfills, we incorporate a range of sustainable features into our buildings and production methods. We are passionate about innovation and continue to use the latest technologies to make sure our projects are designed and built for a better future.

However, it isn’t just the technology used in the modular buildings that is sustainable. As much as possible, we reduce the amount of waste that is produced. During the manufacturing process, waste is almost completely eliminated, and wood off-cuts are used as biomass fuel to provide space heating in our manufacturing facility. These are some of the reasons why we are ISO 14001 certified, and shows our commitment to being a sustainable business with an effective environmental management system.

BREEAM

As a business, we also strive to ensure all of our modular solutions are BREEAM approved. We are committed to providing all clients with sustainable modular buildings that will stand the test of time and meet social and economic sustainability regulations. This includes during the design, construction, intended use and future of the buildings.

Our fabric first approach

We also use a fabric first approach that is designed to reduce waste at every stage of the process. This approach means we maximise the performance of the materials and components of our builds before we even start, to ensure an efficient construction process. Because our buildings are built to exact measurements there is no need for excess materials to be ordered and transported. In fact, research has shown that the modular building process can reduce construction waste by up to 52%.

Self-sufficient modular homes

Many of our sustainable modular buildings have a range of energy-saving and power-generating features to increase self-sufficiency. All of our builds maximize airtightness to reduce heat loss and we use the most efficient insulation to reduce energy loss too. We use a range of sustainable principles, such as encouraging natural ventilation, maximising solar gain and installing high-performance insulation to create modular buildings which are self-sufficient and energy-efficient. From classrooms to construction offices to defence buildings, all of our projects are designed to provide a high-quality sustainable alternative.

Contact us today for more information on how we can produce sustainable modular buildings.

With new fire regulations coming into effect in January 2025, our head of technical, Marc Johnson discusses how Thurston is putting in the groundwork to ensure our products are, not only, exceeding fire regulations but providing clear evidence of performance.


With new fire regulations coming into effect in January 2025, our head of technical, Marc Johnson discusses how Thurston is putting in the groundwork to ensure our products are, not only, exceeding fire regulations but providing clear evidence of performance.