Built to last

ABSTRACT For many, our climate emergency is real. The evidence is all around us and no longer the subject of any serious debate. Architects ⁣are often seen as ‘first responders’ in this crisis - reacting to fires and leaning into increasingly violent weather to understand their origin so that we can deliver a safer and resilient built environment for those we continue to serve. Our response to this crisis? In a word: Sustainability. No longer a buzzword or clever term-of-art, sustainability is, for many, both religion and a dogma that has emerged as the single most important driver in how we will educate and train the next generation of architects. But what of this ‘religion’? This dogma. Is it the root of yet another blind faith? Or is it perhaps the beginning of a new chapter - a new testament, if you will - upon which we, as architects, will lead a return to first-principles in sustainable design and re-affirm the architect as responsible steward of our built environment. This paper will look briefly at the evolution of the design profession and the emergence of the accredited professional in sustainable design, then use case studies to demonstrate the limitations associated with point-driven sustainable design before arguing for a return to first principles in how we educate and train the next generation of architects.