This 40-minute virtual panel will examine the climate emergency and the power the architect holds in making critical decisions at design stage to shape a more sustainable future in a post-pandemic world through a Whole Life Design methodology and designing for clean air.

In the weeks following the nationwide lockdown, a dramatic reduction in vehicular and industrial activity triggered a sharp decline in air pollution levels across major UK cities. Much speculation is being made about how the current situation might provide a blueprint for how society may be reshaped – but there has always been a need for a paradigm shift in how we approach the built environment, which accounts for 40% of the UK’s total carbon footprint. The event will be chaired by Hawkins\Brown Head of Sustainability, Louisa Bowles.