Business Details
50+ Years
experience
Sustainable Building Engineering Solutions
Max Fordham is a partnership of engineers, designers, and consultants dedicated to sustainable building design. Founded in 1966, our practice combines technical expertise with environmental stewardship to deliver low-energy, low-carbon solutions for the built environment. Our collaborative partnership structure fosters innovation and shared responsibility across five UK offices. We specialise in mechanical and electrical engineering, daylighting, acoustics, and strategic sustainability consultancy. Our work integrates passive design principles with architectural form to create comfortable, efficient spaces.With over five decades of experience, we help clients achieve net zero carbon targets through whole-life carbon assessments and circular economy strategies. Our commitment to transparency and democratic decision-making extends to both internal operations and client collaborations. Recognised through industry awards, our team champions sustainable outcomes from initial concept to post-occupancy performance optimisation.
Services
Mechanical Engineering
Sustainability Consultancy
Acoustic Design
Daylight Modelling
Retrofit Solutions
Net Zero Strategy
Building Physics
Utilities Infrastructure
Details
- Year established: 1966
Highlights and features
- We pioneered the UK's first engineering LLP structure in 1966
- Our net zero carbon offices demonstrate our environmental commitment
- Award-winning expertise in sustainable building physics and systems
- Collaborative partnership model with transparent decision-making processes
- Specialists in whole-life carbon assessments and circular economy strategies
What people say
Award-winning designs
Sustainable expertise
Innovative solutions
Net zero leadership
Collaborative approach
Services
Mechanical Engineering
Our mechanical engineering services focus on energy-efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems tailored to building requirements. We integrate passive design principles with advanced engineering solutions to minimise energy consumption while maintaining optimal indoor comfort. Our approach considers whole-life performance and maintenance requirements to ensure long-term operational efficiency.
Sustainability Consultancy
We provide strategic sustainability advice covering net zero carbon pathways, embodied carbon assessments, and circular economy implementation. Our consultants help clients embed environmental considerations from initial concept through to building operation, ensuring compliance with evolving sustainability standards and performance benchmarks.
Acoustic Design
Our acoustic specialists create optimal sound environments for diverse building types, from concert halls to office spaces. We combine computational modelling with practical experience to address noise control, sound insulation, and room acoustics, ensuring spaces meet both functional requirements and occupant comfort standards.
Daylight Modelling
We optimise natural light integration using advanced daylight modelling techniques to enhance occupant wellbeing and reduce artificial lighting demands. Our analysis considers building orientation, fenestration design, and internal layouts to maximise daylight penetration while preventing glare and overheating issues.
Retrofit Solutions
Our retrofit specialists develop low-carbon upgrade strategies for existing buildings, focusing on energy performance improvements and operational efficiency. We employ whole-building assessment methodologies to identify cost-effective interventions that extend asset lifespan while meeting modern sustainability standards and regulatory requirements.
Questions
What engineering services do you specialise in?
We specialise in mechanical and electrical engineering, daylighting, acoustics, sustainability consultancy, and net zero carbon strategies for the built environment.
How do you approach sustainable building design?
We integrate passive design principles with active systems, focusing on whole-life carbon reduction, material efficiency, and energy performance optimisation from concept to completion.
What building types do you work with?
Our expertise covers cultural, educational, commercial, and public sector buildings, with specialist knowledge in heritage retrofit and new sustainable construction projects.
How do you ensure building performance meets targets?
We employ post-occupancy evaluations, Soft Landings frameworks, and continuous monitoring to verify performance against sustainability and comfort objectives.
What sustainability certifications do you support?
We work with BREEAM, Passivhaus, NABERS, and net zero carbon frameworks to help clients achieve their environmental performance goals.
