All sustainability articles
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OpinionEngineering the future: Public toilets are the invisible infrastructure our cities still badly need
A lack of amenities may be just a minor inconvenience for some, but for others it means they cannot leave home. Elisa Sartori says public toilets may be ‘the most honest spaces in architecture’
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OpinionWe can afford to build greener houses – and there are many good reasons why we should
Al Scott, co-founder of IF_DO, has been working on a new sustainable construction methodology for housing. He believes it can help raise standards for both people and the planet and need not cost the earth
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NewsIn pictures: Trace, with a unique reconstituted crushed brick façade
A modest residential development in London’s Euston references the areas history whilst pioneering new reclaimation techniques that save carbon
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OpinionWhat’s stopping us from reducing the cost of sustainable design?
Anna Beckett argues that while steel reuse and ambitious retrofit strategies remain more costly than conventional construction, the industry can no longer rely on goodwill alone and only clear regulation on embodied carbon will create the level playing field needed to make reuse mainstream
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OpinionWhat’s stopping us from designing the most sustainable building?
For structural engineer Anna Beckett, the challenge of sustainable building lies not just in materials and construction methods, but in questioning the assumptions we start with
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NewsOlympic Park invites funding bids for innovations in healthy building design
Five SMEs will receive £16,000 each to test scalable design or technology solutions tackling indoor environmental health in buildings
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OpinionWhat’s stopping us from designing for deconstruction?
In a throwaway culture, Anna Beckett argues that architects must take greater responsibility for how buildings are eventually dismantled and their materials reused
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OpinionEngineering the future: Rethinking systems, reducing carbon
Elisa Sartori explores how low-carbon solutions are often as much about what we leave out as what we choose to specify
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OpinionDesigning through the storm: Rethinking sustainable construction in an age of crisis
Mitakshi Sirsi reflects on the fragility exposed by recent global events and outlines five strategies for embedding long-term value and ecological responsibility in built environment practice
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OpinionRetrofitting social housing is the real challenge we can’t ignore
Britain’s retrofit push needs strategic vision – Chloe Phelps calls for co-produced mini-masterplans over ad-hoc upgrades
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NewsGreat British Energy’s £200m project targets solar panels for schools and NHS
Announcement comes as Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch signals a retreat from her predecessors’ support for the cross-party commitment to reach net zero by 2050
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FeaturesMaterial Cultures: the radical architects rethinking how – and what – we build
Mary Richardson meets the practice advocating for bio-based materials to decarbonise construction
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OpinionWhat’s stopping us from thinking differently about retrofit?
If we are going to build less, does that mean we need to maintain more, asks Anna Beckett
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Features5 minutes with… Rosie Bard at Orms
The firm’s associate and sustainability lead on her mission to help reduce the industry’s impact on the environment, the importance of challenging the status quo and her love of art galleries and pizza
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OpinionEngineering the Future: Why structural and material records hold the key to a circular economy in construction
Addressing information gaps in existing buildings is critical to unlocking the potential of sustainable construction, writes Rosie Beckett
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OpinionHow cities are redefining the meaning of Olympic legacy
As Olympic venues evolve from fleeting showcases to lasting urban assets, how we design for these huge international events reveals profound societal shifts, writes Eleanor Jolliffe
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OpinionAre we asking the right questions about profit?
Paul Vick on why we need to rethink the meaning of profitability and value to better reflect the real challenges of the environmental crisis
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FeaturesChampioning sustainability: How Paris 2024 is reshaping the future of the Olympics
The Paris Olympics is embracing an approach pioneered by London in 2012 and taken to the next level, utilising existing venues and temporary structures as much as possible, Ben Flatman writes
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FeaturesOlly Watts of ES Global on the Paris Olympics: ‘Even if I say so myself, it’s magnificently iconic’
The Paris Olympics emphasises sustainability by utilising 95% existing and temporary venues, continuing the legacy of innovative designs pioneered by London 2012. Ben Flatman meets the CEO of a firm that supplies temporary structures including much of the Olympic climbing centre
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OpinionLondon’s underutilised spaces show us what true sustainability is (hint: it’s not a certification)
Adam Strudwick on why we need a radical rethink in how we conceptualise sustainability