CPD - AG Paving + Building Products - TerraPave®

During my summer internship at Mei Loci Landscape Architects, I was fortunate enough to attend a company CPD provided by AG Paving + Building Products, regarding their TerraPave® range.
Inspired by 15th-century Terrazzo techniques, TerraPave® is an aggregate-rich paving material using a range of undyed reconstituted granite. They are AG’s best-selling range of granite flagstones and are manufactured in Northern Ireland. 

The CPD was not only to promote the displayed product range (shown attached) but was also centred on embodied carbon calculations, certification and marketing. And how, as landscape architects, we can ensure accuracy in carbon calculations and better strive for sustainable development. Explaining the importance of product accurate Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), but also warning against intended bias in provided data. Especially concerning product ranges similar to TerraPave®. EPDs can be produced to represent an averaged life cycle assessment for a construction material range, or worse only show the most favourable calculation for one of the included products. When dealing with natural stone, the sourcing and transport of the included materials greatly affect the embodied carbon associated with the product, so a mean calculation is at times an incredibly green-washed publication. 

Overall the experience was incredibly educational and has definitely influenced my trust in the validity of documents used for green credit marketing.