Ridge and Partners LLP appoints sustainability leader Phil Kelly as Partner to head up its Net Zero Carbon and Circularity expertise. Established in 1946, Ridge is a multi-disciplinary consultancy serving the property and construction sectors – including purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA).
“Further strengthening our world-class expertise in sustainability and social value, we welcome Phil, another highly regarded industry professional who joins us from senior positions in Ramboll and Hoare Lea.
“Phil will lead integration with our multidisciplinary professionals so we can show the way to a holistic approach that delivers sustainable growth for our clients.”
Graham Blackburn, Partner at Ridge
Based in Birmingham, Phil will deliver a cross-discipline, cross-market Net Zero Carbon and Circularity offer for clients, working closely with design and engineering disciplines, sustainability teams, and social value specialists to maximise sustainable outcomes on projects.
“My focus is to ensure that schemes achieve operational energy targets, such as minimal heat loss and water consumption, without paying the penalty of increased embodied carbon through the full lifecycle of the building.
“For purpose built developments such as PBSA schemes, the operational cost is key. Tenants want low energy usage and bills, as well as high-quality internal spaces that promote health and wellbeing. Despite this, we need to ensure that we construct buildings in a carbon and material efficient way. For example, enhancing a building’s thermal performance beyond a certain level may only have marginal energy benefits at the expense of significant embodied carbon impacts over its lifetime. We can’t consider the occupation stage and the construction stage independently.
“This is one of the principles of circularity. Yes, we need to ensure buildings operate efficiently, but they also need to have good carbon credentials throughout their construction, maintenance, refurbishment and deconstruction lifecycle stages.”
Phil Kelly, Partner at Ridge
With over over 15 years’ experience in building services and sustainability, Phil is recognised internationally as a thought leader in sustainable design and strategies. He joins Ridge from Ramboll, where he launched its Sustainable Solutions department in 2020.
Phil has led the energy and sustainability strategies for some of the most innovative and complex projects across UK commercial, education, science and healthcare sectors. He has also led international research projects on decarbonisation and the circular economy.
“Ridge delivers market-leading sustainability strategies that touch every stage of a building’s design and operation. I’m excited to be working across the organisation to share knowledge, boost collaboration, and build a national team that will help clients meet present – and future – climate and legislative challenges.”
Phil Kelly, Partner at Ridge
