5 Highlights from Our 2022 Impact Report
Written By AD&V®
ABOUT THE AUTHOR | AD&V® is dedicated to advanced and energy-efficient sustainable architecture & interior design that enhances people’s experience of the world and improves their lives.
IN 2022 WE CONTINUED TO BE A FORCE FOR GOOD IN THE WORLD BY POSITIVELY IMPACTING PEOPLE’S LIVES.
In 2021, we designed AD&V’s first Impact Report to communicate the efforts our firm made for our people, our communities, and our planet. This report effectively showcases our firm’s yearly efforts in the areas of office culture, projects, recognitions, team, firm growth, impacted lives, business and community initiatives, as well as company goals. We tied our company goals to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at transforming our world by 2030.
For this year’s 2022 Impact Report, we’ve included even more specifics on the efforts mentioned above, as well as acknowledging additional efforts on fostering a culture of appreciation, health and wellness benefits, professional development programs, team union and growth, becoming a best place to work, team communication, general processes, marketing initiatives, and our 2022 impact goals.
For us, the importance of the Impact Report goes well beyond the SDGs. It’s our biggest accomplishment of the year because it reinforces our belief that there is value in what we do and that our work matters. It also demonstrates the impact that we can have when we use our business as a force of good.
We’re excited to share some of the highlights from our 2022 Impact Report in hopes that it will inspire you and other companies to take action!
1. BEST PLACE TO WORK
The Sustainable Development Goals emphasize that having productive employment and promoting well-being are essential components to sustainable development and building prosperous communities.
In line with the SGDs, at AD&V, we believe in a culture of constant growth. Therefore, we want our team to keep growing personally and professionally to reach their maximum potential.
To foster this, last year, we held several initiatives and growth opportunities for lifelong learning to develop our team members. As a result, 1,032+ hours were invested in personal and professional development throughout the year.
We also developed a Wellness Program to encourage our team members to stay motivated and achieve their health and fitness goals. This program provides our team members with an allowance to cover health and wellness expenses, and we began tracking our team’s engagement.
In 2022, 16 team members took advantage and benefitted from our Health & Wellness Allowance. This represents an investment of $5,297.44. We are now working on ways to increase our team’s engagement with the program.
2. MAKING A DIFFERENCE
The SDGs aim to make a difference in the world by addressing global challenges including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice.
We’re constantly finding ways to contribute to the greater good and leave this planet better than we found it. It was amazing to see that last year the AD&V Team made a difference by putting in a total of 77 community service hours and a combined total of $40,076 in donations. Head to our Community Initiatives page to see the initiatives the team engaged in giving back and positively impacting our communities last year.
3. SCALING THE BUSINESS
SDG 8 emphasizes that inclusive and sustainable economic growth, and decent work for everyone, is one of the cornerstones of professional development. Therefore, SDG 8.3 promotes development-oriented policies that support decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation and encourage the growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Our firm has created multiple job opportunities so that people reap the benefits of entrepreneurship and innovation. We’ve continued to hire new team members to reach our goal of 40 team members. In 2022, we hired a record-breaking number of 15 new team members in the year, representing a growth of 41%.
Additionally, to provide the conditions that allow everyone to have quality jobs, we expanded our Office Headquarters because we know design has the power to impact and elevate people’s experiences.
Our office expansion upholds our design philosophy and SDG 13 to take climate action. Our Headquarters promote a healthy environment for our team while and showcase that sustainable design can combat climate change.
By using natural light, conserving energy specifying efficient AC systems, and minimizing waste, we are reducing our overall carbon footprint, and serving as a showroom for our clients and visitors. We’re in love with our extended Headquarters as it will improve and encourage our team’s collaboration and productivity.
4. ALIGNING WITH THE GLOBAL AGENDA
Aligned with our commitment to the initiatives of corporate social responsibility of the United Nations Global Compact and its principles in human rights, labor standards, the environment, and the fight against corruption, we focused on these three initiatives last year:
Since we’re committed to making a beneficial impact by implementing the SDGs in our workplace, we began the process of becoming B Corp certified by completing the B Impact Assessment. This is a digital tool that allows you to measure, manage, and improve positive impact performance for the environment, communities, customers, suppliers, employees, and shareholders. Our evaluation is currently under review.
SDG 17 is all about collaboration at a global scale. Strengthening the means to mobilize action and implement this goal, we informed, educated, and inspired Ultimate Solutions Corp. to join the United Nations Global Compact and commit to working towards a more sustainable and better future.
We continued promoting professional women for management positions in the architecture and design industry as part of our commitment to SDG 5 in achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. Of the 87.5% of women in leadership positions, 4 team members were promoted this past year to Directors and Associates of the firm. We will keep working to close the gender gap and continue supporting women in our male-dominated industry.
5. OUR IMPACT
Since 2019, we became part of the United Nations Global Compact to challenge ourselves to set ambitious corporate sustainability targets and accelerate the integration of the SDGs into our core business to collectively achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Determined to ensure that all human beings can fulfill their potential in dignity and equality in a healthy environment, our 2030 BHAG Goal is to design Places of Purpose that positively impact 65 thousand lives directly and 6 million lives indirectly.
This past year we made substantial progress towards reaching our 2030 Goal by positively impacting 23,673 lives directly and 132,457 lives indirectly with our built projects. Through our work, we will carry on the mission of positively transforming people's lives.
LOOKING BACK TO 2022
As we look back on 2022, it’s extraordinary what we can accomplish when we work together with focus and determination.
We have decided to put our talents to good use by using our collective skillsets to run a purpose-driven, sustainable business that positively contributes to the world. With teamwork, we can create lasting, positive, systematic change that improves the quality of people’s lives.
By striving to become a best place to work while providing our team with growth and wellness opportunities, making a difference through community initiatives, scaling the business, working to close the gender gap, positively impacting thousands of lives directly and indirectly with our built projects, among other additional efforts, we have been able to tie in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals into our core business practices.
Sustainability is not a solo journey. We all benefit when the world delivers on the SDGs. To achieve the 17 Global Goals, we should all contribute to sustainably developing our planet through business, politics, and personal endeavors. For ourselves, for others, and for all generations to come.
We hope other companies are inspired by what we’ve done and join us in making meaningful, measurable progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals to end poverty, protect our planet’s resources, and ensure that everyone has equal access to a good quality of life.
Check out the full 2022 Impact Report below: