Purpose
We use design as a weapon for good, and a tool to build a better future.
We design built environments from a holistic, sustainable perspective: each project reconciles ecological and social impacts within the current economic climate.
Breathe are change agents, advocating for the people in the cities where we live and work. We create spaces that are meaningful and accessible to everyone.
Our values
Ethical
We approach our work with integrity, humility, equitability and transparency. We work to our established values and moral compass.
Tenacious
We push through complexity to understand the issues behind the problem. We work to understand the needs of our stakeholders, how they live and work, how they aspire to operate, and how we can make their lives better through design.
Innovative
We never cease to question the status quo, create new systems, and overturn convention when convention isn’t good enough. We study what’s been done before and strive to do better. We inspire each other to broaden our positive impact.
Strategic
We always see the forest first, then the trees. We work smarter, not harder, build more with less, and always stop to ask the question, ‘Should we build anything at all?’
Accountable
We holistically evaluate environmental, cultural and financial sustainability in every task we undertake. We consider liveability, material life-cycle, carbon footprint and building performance to establish industry-leading projects.
Perfectly imperfect
We embrace honesty in ourselves and in our practice. Our designs expose structure and services, and use natural, raw, robust materials. We accept their heritage and sense of purpose and we celebrate their imperfections and individuality.
A practice with principles
A certified B Corp
Breathe has a long history of positive impact on the built environment. In late 2022, Breathe became a certified B Corp and thereby joined a global community of purpose-led businesses who meet high standards of sustainability and social responsibility. This affirms Breathe’s position as a force for good in the creation of spaces where people and the planet can thrive.
B Corp Certification means that Breathe has been verified as meeting B Lab’s high standards for social and environmental impact. These high standards span across five areas: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers. Breathe has made a legal commitment to stakeholder governance, and is demonstrating accountability and transparency by disclosing this record of performance in a public B Corp profile.
Becoming climate positive
While electrification of our building stock continues to take necessary precedence, it’s time we expand our focus toward higher performing and low resource dependent buildings, embodied carbon reduction, circularity and adaptation.
With this in mind, in late 2022 Breathe launched its Sustainability Action Plan. For all new projects, our pledge is to deliver net zero ready buildings. This includes: no new gas — no question; meeting industry leading energy performance targets; and tracking and tapering upfront carbon toward a climate positive 2040.
Early in 2023, Breathe also joined a cohort of industry leaders who are taking accelerated action to decarbonise the built environment and lead the way in advancing net zero through the World Green Building Councils Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment.
Carbon neutral
Breathe has been carbon neutral since 2018 (you can see the results of our latest annual carbon audit here) and as a founding signatory to Architects Declare, we helped lead the campaign to have Australian architects commit to carbon neutrality by 2030.
Our office is powered by 100% renewable energy, and operates in a building with a photovoltaic array and energy storage. We also purchase carbon credits to offset our business’ carbon footprint. Breathe targets zero waste, and offers composting and recycling facilities. All catering is vegan and cruelty-free.
In 2022, the total emissions offset is equivalent to...
- 73,884.28 litres of petrol
- 703,659.83 km off the road
- 27.32 laps around the Australian coastline
- 49 vehicles off the road
- 77.98 tonnes of coal avoided burning
Facing up to our history
Breathe are also committed to a reconciled, just and equitable Australia. We recognise the role we play in turning our intentions into clear actions through our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). We are in the early stages of our journey and have established a working committee to help create a workplace culture that understands, values and respects the true history of this country and the cultures and contributions of First Nations peoples, to develop respectful relationships and create meaningful opportunities with First Nations peoples.
