Seventeen Stirling Prize winners unite to declare climate emergency

This morning (30 May) 17 winners of the RIBA Stirling Prize – including Foster + Partners, ZHA and Rogers Stirk Harbour – announced a call for practices across the UK to join them in declaring a ‘climate emergency’.

It comes weeks after the UK parliament became the first in the world to declare a climate emergency, one of the key demands of the environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion.

In an open letter, the diverse group argued that the buildings and construction accounts for nearly 40 per cent of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, and more must be done to tackle the ’most serious issue of our time’.

It also unveiled a set of pledges – from sharing knowledge on climate mitigation to adopting more regenerative design principles – and has urged practices to sign up under the slogan ‘Architects Declare’. 

The work we take on as architects today will endure for the next half-century and beyond … we must reset the objectives

Ivan Harbour, Rogers Stirk Harbour

According to the letter, meeting society’s needs without ‘breaching the earth’s ecological boundaries’ will demand a paradigm shift in the way the industry currently operates.

It reads: ‘The research and technology exist for us to begin that transformation now, but what has been lacking is collective will. Recognising this, we are committing to strengthen our working practices to create architecture and urbanism that has a more positive impact on the world around us.’

Rogers Stirk Harbour senior design partner Ivan Harbour said parliament’s own declaration of a climate emergency confirmed that we ‘now need to go much further, much faster’.

He added: ‘The work we take on as architects today will endure for the next half-century and beyond. To combat this emergency now we must reset the objectives, with our clients and the industry, if we are to help safeguard the future for all.’

Haworth Tompkins director Steve Tompkins, who recently called on the RIBA to declare a climate emergency itself, said the group of architects with ‘widely differing design philosophies’ had come together to commit to change and he hoped every UK firm would join them.

‘As a profession, we often complain that we have been marginalised and our agency diminished, so this is a chance for us to stand up and be counted,’ he said, ‘If enough architects commit to positive change, we can make a difference in a sector that is a still a massive contributor to the UK’s energy-based CO₂ generation.’

As a practice which must travel by air to work, we would not wish for anyone to think that we are moralising on this matter

Jim Heverin, Zaha Hadid Architects

 

He added: ‘The open letter makes clear that we all need to change the way we work, so it’s not a question of inviting only those who think they have a spotless track record – no one does.’

Meanwhile, Zaha Hadid Architects director Jim Heverin said: ‘We aren’t so naive to think a single statement by architects will lead to immediate change. Moreover, as a practice which must travel by air to work, we would not wish for anyone to think that we are blind to our faults or that we are moralising on this matter.

‘Nevertheless, the facts on climate change are clear and grave. This statement is a public note to ourselves that we need to do much more, both in how we practise design and how we can work with clients to address these challenges. If this statement also lends some weight to influence others beyond our own industry, that is also a positive step.’

Gerard Maccreanor and Richard Lavington of Maccreanor Lavington commented: ‘It’s been hard to avoid the environmental implications on our planet with the recent media coverage. However, actually reading the UN’s biodiversity report is a shocking reminder about how complacent we’ve been.

‘We’ve all been taking things for granted and this is a call to everyone to do their bit. Sustainability should be at the core of every architect’s work. As a profession, we need to be at the forefront of the discussion, keep the pressure on and fight for more sustainable future policies within the built environment.’ 

The founder signatories to the declaration are: AL_A, Alison Brooks Architects, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, Caruso St John, David Chipperfield Architects, dRMM, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Foster + Partners, Haworth Tompkins, Hodder + Partners, Maccreanor Lavington, Michael Wilford, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, Stanton Williams, WilkinsonEyre, Witherford Watson Mann and Zaha Hadid Architects.