6 ways architects can help achieve net zero carbon in buildings
Achieving net zero carbon is the greatest challenge facing the construction industry today. It is a complex, multifaceted issue: meeting net zero targets will require new forms of technical expertise, imaginative uses of materials, as well as radical new approaches to design, construction and how buildings work within a community.
Architects will play a critical role at every stage. Here are six ways that designers and masterplanners can lead the way in achieving carbon net zero…
1) Make imaginative use of low carbon building materials
Concrete is estimated to be responsible for 11% of carbon emissions worldwide, while steel is responsible for 10%[1]. Timber has much lower embodied carbon[2] than concrete or steel, and its use in construction makes it possible to create buildings with a net zero carbon footprint, thanks to the carbon sequestered in the structure. [For an in depth discussion of the benefits of timber, view our Make Room for Nature Debate: How can building with timber help to address the climate crisis?]
Architects have the opportunity to reimagine timber construction and use natural materials in new and inventive ways, liberating the construction industry from its reliance on concrete.
2) Minimise construction emissions through close collaboration
The construction industry contributes around 50% of the UK’s total carbon emissions. But there is scope for greatly reducing the carbon footprints of building sites through better, smarter working. By collaborating closely with contractors from the start of a project, architects can help design carbon reduction into the entire construction process.
3) Design for operational net zero
The construction of a building is only one part of the net zero picture. The operation of buildings - heating, cooling and power – is estimated to account for around 30% of the UK’s total carbon emissions. If the UK’s climate change targets are to be met then by 2030 all new buildings must operate at net zero carbon – that is, be able to regulate their temperature and power their appliances without contributing a positive amount of carbon emissions in doing so.
Architects can help achieve that by designing buildings that have an energy balance: producing enough of their own renewable energy (e.g. through PV solar panels and wind turbines) to cover their heating, cooling and electricity consumption.
4) Design buildings that will last
As well as construction and operational emissions, a third aspect of the net zero challenge for architects is to consider a building’s emissions over its entire lifetime. A building’s relative carbon footprint is greater if it is demolished and replaced in a short time. But durability is not only about quality of materials and construction. In practice, buildings are rarely replaced because they have physically worn out, but rather because they’re no longer fit for purpose, or are perceived as ugly and out of date.
So when designing buildings with a long lifetime, architects need to ensure they have in-built flexibility, to future-proof against changes in use; and that they also have what Jonathan Chapman calls ‘emotionally durable design’. Buildings that are loved and cherished by their users and their local communities are not lightly torn down.
5) Retrofit for the future
Another way that architects can prevent unnecessary demolition is to retrofit existing buildings for new purposes. However, while retrofits naturally have a lower construction carbon footprint than new builds, reducing operational emissions in an old building is more challenging than in one one built to contemporary standards.
Imaginative, innovative approaches to retrofitting are required to achieve long-term net zero operational emissions.
6) Design for the community and the circular economy
One of the most exciting projects Cullinan Studio is involved in is the GreenSCIES development of Smart Local Energy Systems. This is the concept that communities can integrate new low carbon technologies across heating, power and mobility, creating circular systems to, for example, use waste heat and energy from one source (such as a factory or data centre) to warm local homes, power lighting or charge electric vehicles.
Smart Local Energy Systems can be a key to net zero, but they require a great deal of collaboration and community buy-in. Architects are perfectly positioned to drive such ambitious projects forward, communicating complex ideas to local residents, liaising with planners and ensuring that civil engineers, technical specialists and all stakeholders can work together effectively.
Carbon net zero is a multi-faceted problem and there is no single solution for achieving it. Designers, planners and builders will need to think in new ways, be open to new concepts and ways of working, and consider a range of complex, perhaps sometimes conflicting issues. They will also need to work together.
We believe that it is where the role of the architect is critical. We have the skills to balance multiple complicated interests, to communicate abstract and difficult ideas and get buy-in from all stakeholders. In short, we establish effective collaboration between the parties who have to deliver net zero buildings.
If you would like to discuss any of the issues raised in this post, contact the team members mentioned above, or drop a line to studio@cullinanstudio.com
See also:
How architects can use Passivhaus principles to unlock operational net zero carbon
How Passivhaus principles can make buildings better and greener - and residents healthier and happier