Buro Happold advances carbon measurement by integrating digital tools into infrastructure design and delivery workflows globally.
Buro Happold has announced a partnership with ORIS Materials Intelligence to expand carbon measurement capabilities across its global infrastructure portfolio. The collaboration marks a step forward in embedding carbon intelligence directly into engineering design processes, enabling project teams to make data-informed decisions from the outset.
For five decades, Buro Happold has focused on translating climate targets into deliverable infrastructure outcomes across complex international programmes. This partnership reinforces its commitment to low-carbon infrastructure delivery while strengthening its alignment with PAS 2080 carbon management principles. By integrating advanced digital tools, the organisation aims to support clients in achieving measurable carbon reduction outcomes across large-scale developments.
Digital carbon measurement in infrastructure engineering
The ORIS platform introduces infrastructure carbon modelling supported by automation and artificial intelligence, addressing inefficiencies in traditional carbon assessment methods. Historically, carbon calculations have relied on manual data inputs and fragmented workflows, often delaying insights until later design stages.
Through ORIS, key project data including quantities, materials, and supply chain inputs can be automatically extracted and analysed. This significantly reduces the time and effort required for embodied carbon calculations while improving accuracy and consistency.
By enabling rapid scenario analysis, engineering teams can assess multiple design and procurement options in minutes rather than days. This capability supports early-stage decision-making, where the potential for reducing carbon impact is highest. As a result, digital carbon measurement becomes embedded within infrastructure design workflows rather than treated as a compliance exercise.
Integrating carbon intelligence into engineering workflows
Across the digital construction sector, there is increasing demand for real-time carbon data to inform engineering decisions. However, many organisations continue to rely on external studies or spreadsheet-based approaches that limit integration with design processes.
Buro Happold’s deployment of ORIS aims to address these challenges by embedding carbon intelligence directly into project delivery. This approach enables engineering teams to:
- Measure embodied carbon across infrastructure assets in line with 2030 climate commitments
- Identify carbon reduction opportunities during concept and detailed design stages
- Support compliance with PAS 2080, the UK framework for infrastructure carbon management
The phased rollout will begin across key infrastructure projects in the United Kingdom and the Middle East, with further expansion planned across international offices.
Simon Pilkington, UK Executive Director for Cities and Infrastructure at Buro Happold, stated: “Buro Happold prides itself on being at the forefront of sustainable design in our cities and infrastructure, and we are committed to reducing the carbon impact of our projects. It’s great to have the ORIS tool as part of our armoury to help us understand and implement informed carbon emission reductions for public realm and infrastructure elements. We look forward to working with ORIS to expand the use of this tool across our project portfolio, closing the loop on our thinking and tracking of actual performance.”
Supporting net-zero infrastructure goals through digital innovation
The partnership aligns with Buro Happold’s wider climate strategy, including its Net Zero Routemap introduced in 2019. The organisation has committed to designing all new-build projects to achieve net-zero carbon in operation by 2030, alongside a 50% reduction in embodied carbon intensity compared to a 2020 baseline.
Scaling digital carbon assessment tools across infrastructure programmes is critical to achieving these targets. By integrating ORIS into engineering workflows, Buro Happold is advancing its ability to quantify environmental impact and drive carbon reduction at scale.
Nicolas Miravalls, CEO of ORIS Materials Intelligence, commented: “We are thrilled to join forces with Buro Happold to drive market transformation in infrastructure engineering by scaling up carbon assessments. Enabling a significant shift toward low-carbon infrastructure requires the ability to evaluate environmental impact during the design phase, a capability made possible by integrating ORIS into the design workflow.”
This partnership demonstrates how digital carbon tools enable measurable reductions, support PAS 2080 compliance, and embed sustainability into infrastructure delivery, advancing data-driven decision-making across global engineering projects.
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