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Afroz, R (2020) Developing a low-carbon architecture pedagogy in Bangladesh. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 637–49.

Andersen, C E, Kanafani, K, Zimmermann, R K, Rasmussen, F N and Birgisdóttir, H (2020) Comparison of GHG emissions from circular and conventional building components. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 379–92.

Anderson, J and Moncaster, A (2020) Embodied carbon of concrete in buildings, Part 1: analysis of published EPD. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 198–217.

Axon, S and Morrissey, J (2020) Just energy transitions? Social inequities, vulnerabilities and unintended consequences. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 393–411.

Baborska-Narozny, M, Szulgowska-Zgrzywa, M, Mokrzecka, M, Chmielewska, A, Fidorow-Kaprawy, N, Stefanowicz, E, Piechurski, K and Laska, M (2020) Climate justice: air quality and transitions from solid fuel heating. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 120–40.

Balouktsi, M (2020) Carbon metrics for cities: production and consumption implications for policies. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 233–59.

Bordass, B (2020) Metrics for energy performance in operation: the fallacy of single indicators. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 260–76.

Clarke, L, Sahin-Dikmen, M and Winch, C (2020) Transforming vocational education and training for nearly zero-energy building. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 650–61.

Crawley, J, McKenna, E, Gori, V and Oreszczyn, T (2020) Creating Domestic Building Thermal Performance Ratings Using Smart Meter Data. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 1–13.

Fawcett, T and Topouzi, M (2020) Residential retrofit in the climate emergency: the role of metrics. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 475–90.

Francart, N, Höjer, M, Mjörnell, K, Orahim, A S, von Platten, J and Malmqvist, T (2020) Sharing indoor space: stakeholders’ perspectives and energy metrics. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 70–85.

Frischknecht, R, Alig, M, Nathani, C, Hellmüller, P and Stolz, P (2020) Carbon footprints and reduction requirements: the Swiss real estate sector. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 325–36.

Grant, E J (2020) Mainstreaming environmental education for architects: the need for basic literacies. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 538–49.

Green, E, Lannon, S, Patterson, J, Variale, F and Iorwerth, H (2020) Decarbonising the Welsh housing stock: from practice to policy. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 277–92.

Green, S D and Sergeeva, N (2020) The contested privileging of zero carbon: plausibility, persuasiveness and professionalism. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 491–503.

  • Type: Journal Article
  • Keywords: architects; climate change; design; education; narrative; professionalism; zero carbon;
  • ISBN/ISSN: 2632-6655
  • URL: https://doi.org/10.5334/bc.49
  • Abstract:
    The global policy challenge of responding to climate change comprises a ‘super-wicked’ problem which consistently defies solution. Despite the UK government’s commitment to zero carbon by 2050, there is little clarity on how this ambitious target is going to be achieved. Even at the level of individual buildings there is a perennial risk of unintended consequences if top-down targets are pursued in isolation of other considerations. The quest for zero carbon is hence embedded within ongoing processes of narrative contestation, and inextricably intertwined with issues of professional identity. It is contended that design is an inherently social process which continues throughout a building’s lifecycle. It is within this context that designers seek to accommodate zero-carbon targets alongside a multiple of other priorities. Hence, any radical shift in the nature of educational provision may well prove to be counter-productive. Yet, much more could undoubtedly be done during education to incubate the quest for low carbon as an essential component of professional identity. There is a need for professionals continuously to hold others to account on the basis of the plausibility of their zero-carbon narratives. Of equal importance is the need to ensure that built-environment professionals continue to respond to the changing policy landscape. Policy relevance The global policy challenge of responding to human-induced climate change defies technological solution. While the aspiration of zero-carbon buildings has been applauded by the built-environment professions, it remains unclear how this ambitious target is going to be realised in practice. Designers are routinely required to accommodate zero-carbon targets alongside multiple other priorities. Hence, any focus on the single criterion of zero carbon in isolation of other considerations risks being untenable. Built-environment professionals will hence limit their ability to influence if they allow themselves to become single-issue activists. This remains true irrespective of the severity of the pending climate crisis. But there are positive steps that can be taken. University educators could do much more to encourage students to embrace the quest for zero carbon as an essential part of their professional identity, and to encourage them to project this identity by continuously challenging the status quo.

Habert, G, Röck, M, Steininger, K, Lupísek, A, Birgisdottir, H, Desing, H, Chandrakumar, C, Pittau, F, Passer, A, Rovers, R, Slavkovic, K, Hollberg, A, Hoxha, E, Jusselme, T, Nault, E, Allacker, K and Lützkendorf, T (2020) Carbon budgets for buildings: harmonising temporal, spatial and sectoral dimensions. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 429–52.

Hamstead, Z, Coseo, P, AlKhaled, S, Boamah, E F, Hondula, D M, Middel, A and Rajkovich, N (2020) Thermally resilient communities: creating a socio-technical collaborative response to extreme temperatures. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 218–32.

Hoxha, E, Passer, A, Saade, M R M, Trigaux, D, Shuttleworth, A, Pittau, F, Allacker, K and Habert, G (2020) Biogenic carbon in buildings: a critical overview of LCA methods. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 504–24.

Killip, G (2020) A reform agenda for UK construction education and practice. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 525–37.

Klinsky, S and Mavrogianni, A (2020) Climate justice and the built environment. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 412–28.

Kuittinen, M and Häkkinen, T (2020) Reduced carbon footprints of buildings: new Finnish standards and assessments. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 182–97.

Lützkendorf, T (2020) The role of carbon metrics in supporting built-environment professionals. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 676–86.

Lützkendorf, T and Frischknecht, R (2020) (Net-) zero-emission buildings: a typology of terms and definitions. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 662–75.

Mayer, M (2020) Material recovery certification for construction workers. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 550–64.

Parkin, A, Herrera, M and Coley, D A (2020) Net-zero buildings: when carbon and energy metrics diverge. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 86–99.

Passe, U (2020) A design workflow for integrating performance into architectural education. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 565–78.

Passe, U, Dorneich, M, Krejci, C, Koupaei, D M, Marmur, B, Shenk, L, Stonewall, J, Thompson, J and Zhou, Y (2020) An urban modelling framework for climate resilience in low-resource neighbourhoods. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 453–74.

Patrick, M, Grewal, G, Chelagat, W and Shannon, G (2020) Planetary health justice: feminist approaches to building in rural Kenya. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 308–24.

Roca-Puigròs, M, Billy, R G, Gerber, A, Wäger, P and Müller, D B (2020) Pathways toward a carbon-neutral Swiss residential building stock. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 579–93.

Salter, J, Lu, Y, Kim, J C, Kellett, R, Girling, C, Inomata, F and Krahn, A (2020) Iterative ‘what-if’ neighborhood simulation: energy and emissions impacts. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 293–307.

Schünemann, C, Olfert, A, Schiela, D, Gruhler, K and Ortlepp, R (2020) Mitigation and adaptation in multifamily housing: overheating and climate justice. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 36–55.

Schiller, G, Gruhler, K and Xie, X (2020) Assessing the efficiency of indoor and outdoor access-related infrastructure. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 56–69.

Schmidt, M, Crawford, R H and Warren-Myers, G (2020) Integrating life-cycle GHG emissions into a building’s economic evaluation. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 361–78.

Schoenefeldt, H (2020) Delivery of occupant satisfaction in the House of Commons, 1950–2019. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 141–63.

Simpson, K, Janda, K B and Owen, A (2020) Preparing ‘middle actors’ to deliver zero-carbon building transitions. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 610–24.

Srivastava, M (2020) Cooperative learning in design studios: a pedagogy for net-positive performance. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 594–609.

Steadman, P, Evans, S, Liddiard, R, Godoy-Shimizu, D, Ruyssevelt, P and Humphrey, D (2020) Building stock energy modelling in the UK: the 3DStock method and the London Building Stock Model. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 100–19.

Steininger, K W, Meyer, L, Nabernegg, S and Kirchengast, G (2020) Sectoral carbon budgets as an evaluation framework for the built environment. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 337–60.

Stevenson, F and Kwok, A (2020) Mainstreaming zero carbon: lessons for built-environment education and training. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 687–96.

Tanguy, A, Breton, C, Blanchet, P and Amor, B (2020) Characterising the development trends driving sustainable neighborhoods. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 164–81.

Waldman, B, Huang, M and Simonen, K (2020) Embodied carbon in construction materials: a framework for quantifying data quality in EPDs. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 625–36.

Willand, N, Moore, T, Horne, R and Robertson, S (2020) Retrofit Poverty: Socioeconomic Spatial Disparities in Retrofit Subsidies Uptake. Buildings and Cities, 1(01), 14–35.