The architecture and design community has a lot of virtues—we are a creative, thoughtful and entrepreneurial bunch. Most us are also genuinely focused on using our work to make a positive impact for our clients, our communities and our broader world. Just like any other industry, however, architects and designers can be guilty of short-term thinking, and this is especially true when it comes to climate action. Working through organizations like the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the World Green Building Council (World GBC), the industry has set some laudable goals in terms of lowering the environmental impact of our work, but we have failed to set the standards needed to reach them. These goals include achieving carbon neutrality in the design for all new building and interiors projects by 2030, and achieving carbon neutrality in the design for all new and existing buildings before 2050.
There are many challenges associated with reaching these industry benchmarks, but the most far-reaching issue to this point has been that sustainability has historically been looked upon as a social issue for the industry, and has not moved from the margins to become a central business concern for most practicing architects. In the rush to meet deadlines, keep costs low, win new work and maintain the competitiveness of our proposals, sustainability is often one of the first corners we all feel pressured to cut. This short-termism is a mistake for the industry and the planet, and it’s something we need to correct.