Spotlight: Anna Prideaux
Each month, we at Love Design Studio like to shine a light on those that make our organisation what it is: our team.
Throughout our interview series, we like to get to know our team a little better, understand what motivates them in this industry, and learn more about their professional backgrounds.
In our sixth instalment, we sat down with Anna Prideaux, Sustainability Consultant here at LDS, to find out more about the amazing work she contributes.
Let’s welcome Anna!
1. Let’s start with a fun one. What do you like to do most when you’re not in work? What are your hobbies and interests?
I love nature and being outdoors. I’m passionate about sports, so combining the two is a perfect combination, running with the dog, cycling with friends, and going on family walks.
Having three teenage children keep me on my toes too. Family life is at the heart of everything for me, whether it’s playing sports together, hanging out and watching movies, or supporting and enjoying their many interests. These days, the tables are turning - from teaching them, I’m now the one being taught!
2. You started working with us at Love Design Studio back in April, as a sustainability consultant. Could you describe your professional background and what led you to join us here?
I trained as a lawyer and worked in the City for 10 years, specialising in property finance. After children, I found the work-life balance challenging, so I decided to take a career break to focus on my family.
That break didn’t last long! I picked up a camera to capture magical moments with our children, and it quickly turned into a photography business. I specialised in children’s portraits, ran photography courses, and taught at a sixth form college. All great fun while the kids were growing up.
Buildings have always fascinated me, their form, structure, style, heritage, and changing social purposes. Friends were a little surprised when I said I was going back to university to take a degree in Architecture and Environmental Design, but it seems like a natural progression for me, both my husband and I often joked we were frustrated architects after years spent designing and project-managing the homes we’ve lived in.
When I graduated, I was thrilled to join Love Design Studio, a vibrant, and forward-thinking company. It’s a team full of passionate and informed people eager to make a meaningful impact on how the built environment performs and contributes to a more sustainable future. The "Environmental" aspects of our work consist of evaluating how a company performs as a steward of nature. This includes its efforts to reduce carbon emissions, manage waste, conserve energy, and utilise sustainable resources.
3. As a sustainability consultant, you specialise in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and ESG strategies for our clients. For those that don’t know, could you explain what we mean by ESG and how it relates to the built environment? How does ESG work towards a net zero mission?
Of course, there are so many acronyms in this business! ESG, stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance, (“ESG”) ESG provides a structured framework for companies to identify risks and opportunities relating to climate change, environmental and social impact. ESG encompasses a range of criteria that companies can use to assess their performance and impact in these three critical areas.
The "Environmental" aspect evaluates how a company performs as a steward of nature. This includes its efforts to reduce carbon emissions, manage waste, conserve energy, and utilise sustainable resources.
The "Social" dimension focuses on the company’s relationships with employees, supply chains, customers, and the communities where it operates.
The "Governance" component looks at sustainable leadership, accountability, and shareholder rights. It includes aspects such as board diversity, and transparency in corporate practices.
In the built environment ESG reporting and sustainable strategies have never been more important. The construction industry accounts for 40% of global emissions, including: building materials, transportation, demolition, construction and operational energy consumption. The built environment can make one of the most significant impacts on global warming, this is an amazing opportunity, but the industry needs to act now with radical forward-thinking approaches and strategies.
By 2050 all UK companies must be carbon neutral, this is part of the UK governments legally binding net zero emission target. We have a lot of work to do and 2050 is not as far away as it sounds. The environmental aspect of ESG includes a company's carbon emission. An effective ESG strategy encompassing a carbon reduction plan measuring carbon emission, setting science-based net zero targets, prioritising energy consumption in buildings and the use of sustainable material.
We provide expert guidance on best practices and strategies to help companies align with ESG targets and carbon reduction pathways. Our goal is to assist companies in creating a more sustainable future while enhancing their operational efficiency, reputation.
4. Could you explain what your main roles and responsibilities in this capacity are? What keeps you busy on a day-to-day basis?
As a sustainability consultant, I work with clients across every stage of their sustainability journey. For companies at the start of this process, my role isn’t purely advisory but has an educational component too through workshops we help support and advise companies, helping them understand how they can help adopt more sustainable business practices and a make significant difference in combating global warming and building a more just and equitable society.
For those clients who already have sustainability ingrained in their culture, we provide more targeted assistance, such as helping them evaluate and develop pathways to net zero alongside wo effective and realistic sustainability targets.
The most exciting part of the job is working collaboratively with businesses, inspiring them, and helping them achieve their sustainability goals. The world is changing and doing so rapidly, and I find it so rewarding to be able to work alongside companies to support them in adapting and future-proofing their businesses.
5. With regards to the ESG strategies implemented alongside development projects, what would you say is usually missing amongst plans? As in what you would like to see most frequently to boost sustainability?
Collaboration and consultation among all stakeholders from the very start of a project are essential to designing, building, and operating truly sustainable buildings and helping companies reduce their carbon footprint and align with ESG goals. While it may seem obvious, in practice, specialists like us are often brought in too late, when buildings are nearing completion or already operational. This approach limits the potential for integrating sustainable principles.
Sustainable buildings require intentional design, emphasising green energy solutions and natural ventilation systems to reduce heating costs and enhance thermal comfort. Thoughtful design should prioritise shading and natural airflow to minimise reliance on mechanical systems that have much higher operational costs.
Is the demolition of a building necessary or is the reuse of existing structures and materials a better option that could significantly reduce waste, carbon emissions, and costs. Strategies such as material passports, appointing waste manager, and whole-life carbon assessments are critical to reducing a project's environmental footprint and managing on-site waste efficiently.
Operational energy efficiency is another cornerstone of sustainable development. Leveraging smart meters, integrating green energy solutions, and educating stakeholders about energy-efficient operations can dramatically lower heating bills and improve thermal comfort for occupants.
Bringing all stakeholders together at the very beginning of a project ensures that sustainability practices and design are embedded in the project. This collaborative approach ensures ESG carbon reduction measures can be achieved, boosting sustainability and benefiting occupants, owners, and the wider community.
6. Throughout your time here, are there any projects that you would say are very representative of the role you perform at this organisation? Please provide details of the project specifications and how you tackled it.
It’s incredibly rewarding to guide a client through their sustainability journey from the very beginning, helping them navigate the challenges and celebrate the successes along the way. One recent project perfectly illustrates this. A client specialising in office fit outs approached us seeking help with an ESG strategy. The client wasn’t entirely sure what ESG was all about or how their company could achieve any meaningful sustainable changes.
We started with a series of workshops and discussion groups to get to know the client’s business and understand its environmental impact. Through a collaborative process, we identified where sustainable practices could be adopted and implemented. These included: internal governance procedures, implementing best practice supply chain accountability, and engaging key stakeholders. A standout commitment the company was keen to adopt was a radical waste reduction plan and commitment to Whole Life Carbon Assessments (WLCA) for future fit-out projects.
However, the client needed more than just an ESG strategy, they needed practical support to understand how they could implement such a strategy and achieve their sustainability goals. We developed a tailored manual to accompany their ESG strategy, providing step-by-step guidance to help them navigate their journey.
We continue to support and advise this client, and it’s very fulfilling to see their progress and how they are achieving their sustainable goals.
7. What exciting new projects and initiatives are on the horizon for you?
I am thrilled to have the opportunity to expand my ESG initiatives into the education sector. In this role, I will collaborate with educational institutions to develop and implement effective climate action plans and strategies to help them achieve net-zero carbon emissions.
The education sector faces significant climate-related challenges that impact its infrastructure, operations, and student well-being. Many buildings are outdated, with poor insulation, inefficient heating and cooling, and high energy consumption and bills. Increasingly extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and flooding, disrupt learning and pose safety risks. Air pollution from transport and a lack of green spaces further exacerbate sustainability concerns.
Recognising the challenges of climate change, the Department for Education requires education settings to implement a climate action plan by 2025. These plans are crucial in addressing the climate crisis, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and advancing net-zero targets.
At Love Design Studio, our goal is to partner with schools and universities to develop and implement effective sustainability strategies. Developing a comprehensive climate action plan is a great place to start, and it can serve as a strong foundation for institutions to identify key opportunities and develop effective net-zero carbon strategies. These initiatives will create lasting positive change by reducing emissions, generating energy savings, and improving overall comfort and well-being.
Next month, I am excited to participate in the World of Work Careers workshop at Highgate Hill. This event will provide valuable insights into the challenges schools face and offer an opportunity to explain our sustainability work. I look forward to inspiring students to take an active role in building a more sustainable future.
8. With regards to your work at Love Design Studio, in boosting the resilience of the UK’s built infrastructure in the face of a growing climate crisis, how would you adapt the overall approach to ESG generally, in the policy and regulatory landscape, to ensure developments incorporate and adhere to ESG?
Change is urgently needed to address the growing climate crisis, and the pace of change must accelerate. The best intentions will only drive rapid transformation if there is a clear, mandatory legal requirement to do so. While large companies in the UK are required to report on ESG matters, the current regulations don’t go far enough, particularly when it comes to Scope 3 emissions, something that European legislation already addresses.
UK reporting requirements need to be expanded to cover a broader range of businesses and make compliance a legal obligation. Businesses need more comprehensive support on their ESG journeys. Clear guidance, practical advice, and resources must be made available to help them implement effective strategies.
Without stronger policy frameworks, clearer regulations, and more accessible support, we risk falling short of our sustainability targets. A shift toward mandatory, far-reaching policies is the only way to ensure that development projects incorporate and adhere to ESG principles while contributing meaningfully to a sustainable, resilient future.
9. So, for instance, if you were made Mayor of London tomorrow, what would the key policy changes you would make be? (Let’s have a serious one and a fun one).
If I were made Mayor of London tomorrow, my top priority would be addressing the housing crisis. It’s unacceptable that 85,000 schoolchildren are living in temporary housing, with families frequently uprooted, disrupting education and causing ongoing instability. This lack of a secure home deeply affects children’s health, education, and overall well-being.
Relying on temporary housing is financially unsustainable. London boroughs collectively spend an astonishing £114 million each month on temporary accommodation. We need urgent investment in affordable sustainable housing projects that bring communities together, providing energy efficient homes designed to prioritise the social and economic well-being of families and the wider community. By focusing on more long-term solutions, we can create a brighter, more secure future for our children.
A fun one! Go green! Plants and trees have countless social and environmental benefits. They improve air quality, provide shade, store carbon, help insulate buildings, improve mental wellbeing, and increase biodiversity. We need to plant more trees, introduce more living walls, green roofs, rooftop gardens on buildings and our homes, expand community projects like tree-planting days and community gardens. Let’s enjoy and embrace nature and take advantage of all its wonderful social and environmental health benefits.
Thank you for all your insights today Anna, it’s been great speaking with you! Any plans for the weekend?
You too!
This weekend, I will be visiting my mum and sister up in my hometown of Elloughton, East Yorkshire. I can’t wait!