Architecture & Sustainability
Explore architects' pivotal role in combating climate change, discover iconic landmarks Lloyd's Building and 30 St Mary Axe and engage in green retrofitting and the City's ambitious goal of achieving a Net Zero Square Mile by 2040.
Architects and engineers have a very important role in designing responsible (Greener) buildings for the future if we are to avoid a Global Warming catastrophe. Global Warming is becoming more and more evident every year. Much of Europe has scorched over the last few years with over 40°C temperatures and extreme weather events, wildfires rampant and rising sea levels globally. The UK Government has a target for Net Zero by 2050, decarbonising all sectors of the UK economy to meet our target. Architecture and construction are major contributors to C02 emissions.
There are 2 types of carbon emission in relation to buildings:
Embodied Carbon (The amount of carbon used in the manufacture of all the materials used in its construction)
Operational Carbon (All the C02 emitted during the entire lifecycle of the building including energy consumption, heating, cooling and more)
The construction sector currently contributes some 40% of the UK’s carbon emissions and contributes up to 11% of global carbon emissions. Steel and concrete, which are major components in most of the buildings you will see on this Tour both have massive amounts of embodied energy or carbon in their manufacturing process. However, we will also explore the feasibility of alternative materials such as timber and stone framed buildings.
The Tour through the City of London will evaluate the growing imperative for architects and engineers to build more sustainable and liveable buildings. We will also discuss the key principles behind sustainable building certification looking at the BREEAM & LEED systems.
The City of London’s planning department have been trying to soften and improve the public realm in-between the buildings with new public plazas and pedestrian routes, re-discovering and reinstating some of the mediaeval alleyways and encouraging active street frontages and green spaces in between the buildings.
On the Sustainable Architecture tour, we will also look at the post COVID challenge of hybrid working on the City’s economy and occupancy, alongside the City’s bold ambition to achieve a Net Zero Square Mile by 2040. Together with moves to encourage developers to assess the ‘whole lifecycle carbon’ for all new major projects and the growing imperatives to ‘green retrofit buildings’ rather than keep demolishing and starting again.
Featured buildings on the Sustainable Architecture tour include:
100 Liverpool Street - Hopkins Architects 2022, 100 Bishopsgate - Allies & Morrison 2021, 22 Bishopsgate - PLP Architecture 2019, The Lloyd’s Building - Richard Rodgers 1986, 30 St Mary Axe 2003 AKA ‘The Gherkin’ - Foster + Partners, The Leadenhall Building - RSH+P 2015- AKA ‘The Cheese Grater’, Leadenhall Market - Sir Horace Jones in 1881, Bank of England - (The National Central Bank) – Sir John Soanes 1788 & Herbert Baker 1942. Bloomsburg Headquarters - Norman Foster 2017
Length of Tour: 2 hours
Tour Gallery
