Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) - Reflect

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Sustainability

Law Architects is committed to environmentally sustainable design as an integrated aspect of the design process as important as any other aspect.
We have embarked on our own journey of Net Zero Carbon and are signatories to Architects Declare

This includes consideration of ‘reduce / re-use / recycle’ principles in design, construction, operation, maintenance and end-of-use.
We take a wholistic view to minimizing carbon and toxicity and maximizing human wellbeing and stewardship. We recognize actively managed systems and passive design elements must be tailored for user culture to deliver actual results upon implementation.

We consider various dimensions in our designs, including:

  • Thermal performance

  • Energy efficiency and renewable sources

  • Lighting efficiency and seasonal and daily change

  • Air quality and CO2 control

  • Sustainably procured, low toxicity and durable materials, finishes, furniture and equipment

  • Storm water and water body usage and treatment

  • Low needs landscaping (water, fertilizer, maintenance)

  • Waste management

  • Transport and accessibility (pedestrian, cyclist)

equal Opportunity

Our Equal Opportunity Policy specifies:

  • Committed to providing equal access to opportunity, regardless of gender, caring responsibilities, sexual orientation, physical characteristics or background.

  • We are consciousness of limits to our understanding of cross cultural, sub-cultural, physical and neurological difference and contexts of disadvantage, and actively seek to counter their effects, when:

    • recruiting,

    • assigning work

    • considering development opportunities, and,

    • considering flexible working arrangements.

  • Provide a work environment where people can safely and confidently be their true selves.

  • Interest only in character, skill, talent and potential.

  • Law Architects have written policies on harassment, bullying, victimisation and gossip.

  • Monitoring of recruitment and selection process by the Senior Management Team for representative recruitment pool.

  • Monitoring of work assignment being in alignment with development plans by the Senior Management Team.

  • KPI of a minimum of 40% of either Men or Women representation at all levels of seniority. (In a small business, sample size does not practicably permit a higher number.)

  • Current KPI performance: women staff are >50% at all levels of seniority.

  • KPI is monitored by Senior Management Team.

Modern Slavery & Labour Standards

Law Architects declares its policy and practice to take all reasonable steps, as a small to medium sized Architecture Practice, to ensure that labour standards are protected and that no modern slavery, as defined by the Modern Slavery Act 2018, exists with respect to:

  • Law Architects workers

  • Suppliers of goods and services

  • Building contractors whom we facilitate for engagement by our clients

  • Products and materials specified in the design process

Beyond the definition of Modern Slavery in the Act, Law Architects seeks to avoid directly or tacitly supporting any practices that harm workers through poor working conditions and pay.
Law Architects is not a reporting entity under the Modern Slavery Act, but is committed to address practices that use coercion, threats or deception to exploit and undermine the freedom of people across the globe to associate, organise, and collectively bargain or to work in conditions against their preference or will.
Law Architects understands that poor labour practices and practices that constitute modern slavery can involve:

  • human trafficking

  • slavery

  • servitude

  • forced / compulsory labour

  • debt bondage

  • forced marriage

  • child labour / minimum age

  • discrimination in respect of employment and occupation

  • unsafe and unhealthy working conditions

  • unfair and inequitable employment opportunity

  • restriction of association to organise and collectively bargain

Our processes to support this commitment include:

  • A standing ‘Working Group’ (Committee) that is responsible for the process of vetting and gate-keeping the set of materials, finishes and products that are available to our staff to be specified in our designs. This takes the form of both a Questionnaire and direct inquiries to suppliers, seeking information, possible certifications and a declaration regarding:

    • Safe and healthy working conditions (for example, we no longer specify reconstituted stone benchtops due to safety concerns)

    • Sustainability

    • Practices as they relate to Labour Standards and Modern Slavery

  • A requirement in our contractual documents that any substitutions or alternatives to products, materials, etc. that may be proposed by a building contractor meet the performance of the original, with specific reference to Labour Standards and Modern Slavery in the supply chain

  • Declarations from direct service providers (such as our cleaner) that they are providing respectful working conditions in adherence to regulatory or Award requirements and do not feature any aspects of Modern Slavery.