Sustainable & Regenerative Design

Doing our part to lessen global emissions.

We take our commitment to sustainable design seriously and view regenerative design as the next step in advancing sustainability. Together with our clients, we’re working to create solutions that not only reduce impact but help restore balance to our environment.

Students working in a greenhouse

Soccer fans walking around near concessions at Lower.com Field

Our Commitment

We pledge to lead regenerative and innovative design for a brighter, cleaner future. Our sustainability mission is to adopt a regenerative mindset across our operations and design practice, creating solutions that restore, renew, and replenish sources of energy and materials while benefiting people, clients, and communities.

 

As a proud signatory of  The MEP 2040 Commitment and as a part of our Henderson 2040 Climate Pledge, we are committed to achieving net zero carbon on all projects by 2040. It’s an ambitious journey, but one we’re committed to taking together, one meaningful step at a time.

 

To sustain our culture of innovation and environmental responsibility, we are intentional in developing Team Henderson to design with a sustainable and regenerative mindset.

Coworkers talking in the office bistro.

“

All system engineers shall advocate for and achieve net zero carbon
in their projects: operational carbon by 2030 and embodied carbon
by 2040.

The MEP 2040 Challenge

Climate positive buildings

Our process is built on maintaining a focus on quality and the foundations of good design. Whether we’re designing a net positive energy project or a zero carbon facility, we begin by analyzing site energy and resource flows, followed by fundamental load reduction, passive system integration, efficiency, energy recovery, and optimization between architectural and engineering elements. Together with Henderson Building Solutions, we’re helping clients and organizations meet their climate goals through zero carbon master planning and infrastructure transitioning strategies.

Exterior of Sacramento Kings Golden 1 Center and Practice facility at night

BUILDING ELECTRIFICATION

A zero-emissions future depends on delivering buildings with fully electric heating, cooling, cooking, and water heating systems. Building electrification is a critical first step towards carbon negative buildings. Reducing energy costs and carbon emissions can be achieved simultaneously by optimizing the intersection of building efficiency, energy storage, renewable energy generation, and smart controls that respond to periods of low-carbon intensity on the grid. Ensuring uninterrupted power when the grid fails is essential for resiliency in the built environment. Microgrids provide local, intelligent, and self-sufficient energy systems that, when paired with renewable energy generation and storage, support decarbonization goals while enhancing reliability.

Learn more

Solar panels on a roof overlooking mountains

ZERO CARBON

Our sustainability strategy is to deliver carbon-negative buildings where operational activities and materials used contribute to net negative CO2 emissions. We achieve this through net positive renewable energy production, design for disassembly and reuse, and grid-integrated building design. From the earliest design stages through final drawings, our energy modeling process helps teams make informed decisions, comparing strategies and understanding how each choice impacts energy use, carbon footprint, and long-term costs. The result is buildings that perform better, last longer, and support our clients’ climate goals.

Learn more

Coworkers holding a LEED Gold award for Kansas City International Airport

HEALTHY BUILDINGS

Spending time indoors should not mean compromising physical or mental health. Our design process focuses on delivering health-positive indoor environments by carefully considering the materials we specify and modeling building characteristics to optimize natural daylight, views, acoustics, and clean air delivery, supporting occupant wellness at every step. Our base specifications align with the healthy material requirements of LEED, WELL, and Living Building Challenge rating systems, reflecting our commitment to creating spaces where healthy indoor environments are a fundamental, not optional, design priority.

Learn more

Water system used in daylighting analysis on a roof

REGENERATIVE WATER SYSTEMS

We design water systems that emulate natural ecological systems, creating continuous cycles of water use and treatment that eliminate the concept of waste. Effective water system design is rooted in efficiency, reuse, and delivering high-quality water for both occupants and building systems, whether through optimizing cooling tower design, designing a rainwater catchment system, or water treatment and reuse strategies. Water and energy are innately linked, meaning water has its own carbon footprint. Our design process includes tools that translate water use into lifecycle carbon emissions, supporting net zero carbon initiatives.

Learn more

Refrigerators in a grocery store

REFRIGERANT DRAWDOWN

New regulations are driving the industry to explore alternatives to the traditional high global warming potential (GWP) refrigeration systems. Sustainable refrigerant design will be crucial for grocery stores seeking to reduce their carbon footprint, as refrigerants are a key lever for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Our work in low GWP refrigerant systems, including CO2 and ammonia solutions, combined with advanced leakage control and recovery practices, is helping deliver meaningful reductions in global emissions.

Learn more

SUSTAINABILITY INSIGHTS

We’re an organization of smart thinkers and passionate creatives, and we love to share what we know. Scroll our thought leadership library for technical expertise, design discoveries, educational takeaways, and more from the brains behind the buildings.

Article
Built for What’s Next: Future Proofing Your Building
Article
How to Meet Sustainability and Energy Cost Goals Despite Increasing Prices
Article
Inside Docking State Office Building: Energy-Smart HVAC
Article
Designing Retail Banking Adaptably and Sustainably
Article
Healthcare Consulting: Patient-Focused Engineering
VIEW MORE SUSTAINABILITY INSIGHTS
Brian Alessi

Sustainability Director | Principal

Connect
Daric Adair

Energy Modeling Technical Manager | Energy Analyst | Associate

Connect

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS, DELIVERED.

Join our email list to get the latest design innovations, technical content, new projects, and research from Henderson’s experts delivered straight to your inbox.