When we launched Modern Architecture Workshop in 2020, we set out with a vision to design low-energy and highly efficient buildings. It’s not something we see as an added extra or an option. It’s a necessity. We all have a responsibility to be more carbon efficient. The quality of the buildings we occupy makes a massive difference.

If you are unsure why it is crucial to think about the planet when designing a building, watch Sir David Attenborough’s speech from COP 26 below. It perfectly illustrates why we are pursuing the opportunity of designing buildings with the environment at the forefront of our thinking.

According to the International Energy Association:

“The buildings and construction sector accounted for 36% of final energy use and 39% of energy and process-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2018, 11% of which resulted from manufacturing building materials and products such as steel, cement and glass.”

There is a lot we can do in the construction of new buildings, or the modification of existing ones, to help with the climate crisis.

What will you do? As architects, we are always constrained by our clients’ briefs, requirements and budgets. Will you put sustainability high up your agenda?