Monday 4 November 2019
Jane Wernick words
The Architecture Club member
Perspectives on how to affect a paradigm shift and respond to the challenges of climate change
The topic of the forum is dear to many of our hearts. The latest findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and the combined efforts of Extinction Rebellion and Greta Thunberg’s movement have been acting as a catalyst for us who work in the built environment to look for ways to respond to the climate emergency. Rather than address this issue with a traditional debate, Kay Hughes and her colleagues decided to invite some key speakers to share their thoughts with us, and then invite the rest of us to respond over dinner.
This was a very well attended event, and did indeed provoke some lively debate.
Jennifer Ross, a planner with Tibbalds, said that the planning system prioritises growth, particularly in housing, at the expense of sustainability. Despite the fact that 207 Local Authorities have declared a climate emergency, the planning system isn’t working. We need legally enforceable local and regional long term plans.
Michael Pawlin, architect, said we need a paradigm shift from not just sustainable design to regenerative design, where everything we do has a positive, not just a neutral impact. Humans shouldn’t be dominant over nature, but should be embedded in it. We need to give up the quest for endless growth. He advocated large scale non-violent civil disobedience, and looking to biology for our solutions.
Lynne Sullivan, architect, said we need to be better advocates. In commerce 80% of the Fortune 500 companies have signed up to net zero by 2030. We need to get our act together in the built environment. Lord Deben has challenged us to speak with one voice. The Green Building Council has recently produced a report that shows how we can halve the energy demand. We need to work collectively. We must be better at whole life appraisals, including embodied energy, and develop the skills to design better, more beautiful buildings and places for less.
Patrick Bellew, environmental engineer gave a series of rallying cries – we must focus more on the problem, eliminate emissions, refuse to do nothing, encourage architects to start with the environmental design, not just cost and aesthetics, think seven generations ahead, care about performance in use, use natural ventilation, and use stealth to achieve our objectives.
These presentations were followed by a wider ranging discussion. Here are some of the points that were raised :
- Do we serve our clients, or society?
- We need post occupancy evaluations.
- We need to beware of over heating.
- Put on a sweater if it’s cold.
- Care about plastic.
- Construction Declares is a bottom up phenomenon.
- ACAN, the architect’s climate action network is a group of young professionals who are taking action.
- Should we stop building new? Can we build carbon positive?
- We must do retrofit.
- We must improve on how we educate our professionals.
Overall, it was an enjoyable and broad ranging discussion. It was clear that evening wasn’t going to come up with a specific plan of action, with a timeline, which is clearly what is needed. But in the tradition of the Architecture Club, it enabled many points of view to be heard, and perhaps enabled some to learn a bit about what some of their colleagues are doing.