Architects Declare Climate & Biodiversity Emergency is a network of architectural practices across the UK committed to addressing the environmental crisis through a program of research, education, collaboration and debate.
The group was founded in 2019 by Steve Tompkins and Michael Pawlyn and 17 recipients of the RIBA Stirling Prize. Today over 1,300 practices have signed the group’s declaration. Under the wider banner of Built Environment Declares, the declaration has now spread to cover 43 groupings across 28 countries, with over 7,900 signatories globally.
Apropos- is working with AD’s Steering Group to help formalise and develop their visual identity. Building on the original overheating planet language created by Lovers, we have extended the system with a new logotype, a revised colour palette, typography, and design templates for use across print and digital communications. The language is flexible and adaptable. We also adopted many of the recommendations from the Design Council’s Design For Planet initiative, minimising energy use and print waste.
We have also designed a logotype for the Regenerative Architecture Index (RAI), a new initiative by Architects Declare with Architecture Today magazine, benchmarking architects and their regenerative projects, policies, working practices and actions. Its aim is to share best practice, celebrate success, and communicate this work to the wider construction industry to raise awareness and act as a catalyst for regenerative practice across the industry.
The twin crises of climate breakdown and biodiversity loss are the most serious issue of our time. Buildings and construction play a major part, accounting for nearly 40% of energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions whilst also having a significant impact on our natural habitats.
For everyone working in the construction industry, meeting the needs of our society without breaching the earth’s ecological boundaries will demand a paradigm shift in our behaviour. Together with our clients, we will need to commission and design buildings, cities and infrastructures as indivisible components of a larger, constantly regenerating and self-sustaining system.
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.
Architects Declare began 2024 by joining with construction industry institutions in lobbying the next UK Government to reduce embodied carbon emissions in building construction within two years of starting government.
“With 2024 a general election year, we call on party leaders to make these manifesto commitments and for the next government to act on them.”
Zoe Watson - AD Steering Group and Head of Sustainability at Allies & Morrison.
