News

Six weeks ago UK Architects Declare held an event which was hailed by the industry as a watershed moment for the Circular Economy. As reported at the time, more than 400 industry leaders took part in a symbolic flight of the London Eye, followed by a showstopping event with keynote speaker Paul Ekins from the government’s circular economy taskforce.

During their 25 minutes in the pods, participants brainstormed and discussed how both they and their business could most effectively contribute to driving the systems change we need. We asked participants to make a Pledge and offer an Ask – a realistic pledge with a positive step forward that they can make happen, and an Ask of government.

Five strong areas of consensus that emerged across all our pod discussions in relation to the industry's Asks of government were; Financial & Tax Incentives / Legislation & Regulation / Data & Accountability / Education & Skills / Market development & infrastructure. Participants also made over a hundred pledges for their own actions for a circular built environment.

We are now excited to publish the results of this collective thinking in our event round-up - alongside our original Call to Action. Both documents are published in the Changing the Goals of the System section of our Resources page.

We thank our sponsors for their generous donations: Lazari, Mace, Marks Barfield Architects, and Structure Tone. We also thank Sustainable Ventures for their support.

We’re building on our commitment to help shape and deliver meaningful change within the built environment sector by including the next generation of professionals in our thinking and planning for AD's next phase of work. Candidates - whether studying, on placement or in practice - for our Next-Gen Ambassadors will work alongside professionals at senior levels in a range of organisations by joining members of our Steering Group to:

• Help shape the direction of a charity working to shape the future of our built environment;
• Develop our thinking on topics relevant to your studies / current work and future career;
• Help us build the capacity of new and future architects through our programme;
• Gain new insights and knowledge at the forefront of regenerative design and other priorities for our sector.

This volunteer role (up to 12 months) builds on the work of our first Student Amabassadors, 2024-25. It will appeal to current Part One students and up to recent graduates up 2 years post-Part Two with 

• Passion for sustainability, regenerative design and helping new architects become future leaders in tackling the climate and biodiversity crisis.
• Drive, self-motivation, ability to create and deliver their own work, curiosity and a willingness to deepen their knowledge.
• Ability to bring their learning and ideas to our discussions.

For more details of the role and how to apply, see our Next-Gen Ambassador Role Description. Deadline for applications: 7th January.

On 2nd October, Architecture Today and UK Architects Declare launched the results of our second annual Regenerative Architecture Index. Launched in 2024, the RAI benchmarks regenerative policies, actions and working practices, to share best practice, celebrate success, raise awareness across the wider sector and act as a catalyst for regenerative practice across the industry. 

With around 150 people gathered at Broadway Malyan's venue, we were thrilled to spend our second year in the company of so many progressive and inspiring practices, exploring oportunities and examples of system change within the built environment.

Following introductions from RAI partner Schüco UK Limited and our hosts Broadway Malyan, we were treated to insights from our guest speaker, renowned neuroscientist and entrepreneur Beau Lotto. He explored ideas for regenerative design and the future resilience of our built environment. Beau also announced he is looking for a team to help him translate this way of working into a new education hub in Somerset - and will be using this year's RAI to help identify this team.

Architecture Today's editor Isabel Allen announced this year's front runners in each RAI category: Being a good ancestor; Co-evolving with nature; Creating a just space for people. 116 practices entered this year, up from 68 in 2024, an encouraging sign that the industry is responsive and positive about this collective move towards regenerative design, and working collaboratively to pave the way.

Following the results, Lawrence Bates from The Wildheart Trust - who spoke at the 2024 RAI results launch - announced the shortlist, drawn exclusively from last year's entrants, for design of the Trust's new International School of Rewilding and Regenerative Agriculture on the Isle of Wight. Congratulations to BakerBrown Studio, Marks Barfield Architects and Unknown Works for making the shortlist.

And then it was on to the party, where 5 different DJs helped us to celebrate for the rest of the evening…

You can read Architecture Today's summary here, with details in their special RAI 2025 edition of Architecture Today.

And there is more learning from the RAI and further regenerative insights and discussions at RegenerativeArchitecture.org, the new online community from Architecture Today and Architects Declare. Do check that out and take part!

Thanks to Architecture Today, Schüco UK, Broadway Malyan and all our RAI entrants for making this event and our second Regenerative Architecture Index such a success.

On Tuesday 14th October 2025, more than 400 key industry leaders, policymakers and innovators gathered for UK Architects Declare’s ‘Circular Revolution’ event, marking a watershed industry call for a move to a Circular Economy in the built environment and beyond.

We took over all 32 pods of the London Eye, with the best and brightest representing the built environment from a wide range of areas - from contractors to acousticians, architects to real estate, engineers to energy consultants. As well as our 4 lead sponsors, 18 organisations booked a pod specifically to engage their invited guests in the transition to a circular economy. We made a symbolic rotation, we brainstormed, we challenged, and we documented, with each pod assigned an AD facilitator to discuss circularity themes and to gather feedback into industry pledges and government asks, before we amassed at Sustainable Ventures for rousing speeches to kickstart the circular revolution…

The waste generated by the UK construction sector in a single year could fill the River Thames from Imperial Wharf to the Thames Barrier! Whilst some of this is recovered, much of it leaves the construction sector, devalued, downcycled and flowing into other sectors, often sent overseas. This leaves the UK construction sector bringing in more and more virgin materials, contributing to increasing carbon emissions and ecological degradation.

We’d like to thank our sponsors for their generous donations: Lazari, Mace, Marks Barfield Architects, and Structure Tone. We would also like to thank Sustainable Ventures for their support in making the evening such a great success.

We had keynote talks from leading voices in the field, highlighting the pivotal actions we need to take to unite industry leaders and demonstrate to government and policy-makers that the built environment sector is ready to lead the transition to a circular economy.

Prof Paul Ekins OBE, Deputy Chair of the Government’s Circular Economy Taskforce

"What examples of best practice? That's going to be really really really important, because above all what our civil servants want to know is does this stuff work, is it going to actually do what it says on the tin in terms of both the economics and the environment..."

Joanna Dimitriadis, Engineering Lead at Skanska

"The Circular Revolution event sent a strong message that the UK construction industry wants to embed circularity in the built environment - and that achieving success requires the collective support of clients, consultants, contractors, and policymakers!"

Julia Barfield, co-designer of the London Eye and champion of sustainable design

“We are excited to have brought together so many of the leading voices -225 organisations, 450 individuals - across the built environment:- developers, politicians, contractors, consultants, think tanks, activists, voluntary groups and deconstruction contractors, as well as members of the government’s Circular Economy Task Force. Conversations of top down and bottom ideas of how we can realise the Circular Revolution abounded. Next step – make our Call to Action a reality!!”

Duncan Baker-Brown ARB RIBA, architect, author, and circular economy pioneer “The UK construction sector is primed to do the right thing because we have the collective knowledge to design out waste and to turn those long-established linear systems into closed looped circular systems. And with DEFRA’s forthcoming Circular Economy Strategy for England we will have the legislation required to enable us to develop an authentic low carbon built environment sooner rather than later.”

We identified that to shift course, we need both top-down policy interventions and bottom-up industry innovation. The evening was both a celebration and a call to action: a chance to unite industry leaders, inspire systemic change, and demonstrate to the government that the sector is ready to lead the shift to a circular economy.

Things are in motion, and we will ensure we keep up the momentum - we will be sharing lots of detail about the next steps in this campaign, the data we collected and our work with the Circular Economy Taskforce. In the meantime you can read our Call to Action.

A proportion of the funds raised at our event will be reinvested into industry initiatives that accelerate this transformation. 

The Steering Group of UK Architects Declare issues the following statement in tandem with Australian Architects Declare.

We begin with a sincere apology for not speaking out sooner. We recognise that the situation in Gaza is part of a long and historical conflict, one that many have been cautious to address publicly because of its deeply divisive nature. However, there is a point at which silence is unconscionable. We believe that point has been reached with the deliberate starvation of children and the scale of human suffering now unfolding.

As architects, we are committed to addressing the interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and social injustice. We cannot remain silent in the face of the ongoing, deliberate destruction of life, land, and cultural infrastructure in Gaza.

Prolonged conflicts accelerate environmental degradation, disrupt climate resilience, and destroy vital infrastructure, compounding the vulnerability of people and ecosystems. Global research shows such crises cause deforestation, toxic pollution, destruction of water systems, and the loss of buildings and cultural heritage that take generations to create and decades to restore. In Gaza, this destruction has reached an unprecedented scale, with tens of thousands of buildings reduced to rubble and essential infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and water systems, obliterated. The environmental toll is severe: soil pollution, sewage failures, and groundwater contamination are compounded by untreated sewage released daily into the Mediterranean. Farms and tree cover have been decimated, disrupting local ecology and food systems. The humanitarian impact is equally grave, with famine conditions emerging, child malnutrition soaring, disease outbreaks spreading, and aid efforts obstructed by restricted access and fractured delivery systems

We join others in the built environment professions, including the Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN), the International Union of Architects (UIA) calls for ceasefire, and signatories of the Architects for Gaza campaign, in recognising that the scale of loss in Gaza constitutes not only a humanitarian crisis but also an ecological and cultural catastrophe. The deliberate targeting of urban infrastructure and the mass displacement of people undermine the very foundations of just and regenerative futures.

As a network committed to climate and biodiversity action, we recognise that our responsibility extends beyond national borders. We stand in solidarity with civilians and practitioners who have lost homes, studios, schools, and entire neighbourhoods. We affirm the dignity of all life and call for the protection of civilians, adherence to international humanitarian law, and urgent steps toward a lasting ceasefire, and the return of all hostages and displaced civilians to their lands in peace and security.

As a steering group, we do not claim to speak for all signatory practices, but in line with our 12th declaration point we are calling on architects to ‘Support those who are working for climate justice and strive to ensure equity and an improved quality of life for all’. We therefore encourage our community to:

• Support humanitarian organisations working on the ground in Palestine, such as Medical Aid for Palestinians and the Palestinian Red Crescent.

• Amplify voices of affected professionals and dedicated networks, including Architects for Gaza, the Palestine Regeneration Team and the Gaza Global University.

• Contact your MP and demand action, e.g. through UNA-UK Gaza crisis: Write to your MP.

• Advocate for peace, environmental justice, and reparative rebuilding rooted in ecological and cultural restoration.

• Be cognizant of the work we do as architects in many countries, not just in the UK, and the unintended local impacts of this. There are many conflicts and humanitarian and ecological crises around the world and the ongoing destruction in Gaza should bring home to us all the need for justice in all we do.

We encourage dialogue within the built environment sector around appropriate practical and advocacy responses to the crisis in Gaza. The UK AD Steering Group welcomes opportunities for such dialogue.

Architecture is a profession of care. Let us not look away.

The UK Architects Declare Steering Group: Alasdair Ben Dixon, Anna Pamphilon, Anna Woodeson, Carrie Behar, Chloe van Grieken, Craig Robertson, Deepthi Ravi, Julia Barfield, Kevin Logan, Laura Baron, Mandy Franz, Tom Gibson, Tom Greenall, Zoe Watson

We're excited to have worked with our friends at Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN) on the first phase of their Circular Economy Policy Campaign 2025 - comprehensive policy recommendations that have now been submitted to the UK Government Taskforce. 

With ACAN, AD believes that embedding circularity in construction is crucial for reducing carbon emissions and our overall climate impact. While existing planning regulations have been a valuable step, we urgently need clear, ambitious local and national regulations to accelerate this transition.

The campaign is in line with AD's own Building Blocks manifesto to transform our built environment, which we launched last year and are continuing with new work, to share soon!

You can find the full Circular Economy Policy Campaign here, including the list of signatories to date - and you can add your support.

In September 2024, UK Architects Declare invited our first volunteer student ambassadors - Amy Thompson and Anushka Gupta - to join us and provide the perspectives of architectural students. This felt particularly significant as we marked our first five years and wanted to ensure our next phase of work is informed by and remains relevant to a wide range of current and emerging thought on architecture’s place in tackling the planetary emergency.

Amy and Anushka have spent their year as Student Ambassadors defining the role and its development, making connections with academics in regenerative education, and helping to shape our events and guidance. They have made a tremendous contribution to Architects Declare over the year since we created this new volunteer role.

Here, Amy and Anushka offer their personal reflections on the year that's now coming to a close - and what is ahead.

Amy Thompson: "Over the past year, the Student Ambassador role has been an enjoyable and eye-opening experience that has opened doors to a network of likeminded individuals (students, practitioners, and educators) united by a shared urgency to do more in the face of the climate crisis. Working with Anushka, these interactions have sparked both challenging and inspiring conversations that helped us explore not just what this role could be, but what it could do.

"I believe that as this ambassadorship evolves, it has the potential to become a powerful tool for change, elevating young voices and fostering two-way learning between future architects and those already shaping the profession. What began as a question of impact has grown into a vision that I am excited to help the next generation of ambassadors build on.

"On a personal note, this opportunity with UK Architects Declare has allowed me to attend events that broadened my knowledge, deepened my involvement in regenerative design, and strengthened my connection to climate-focused thinking. My passion for regenerative design has not only enriched my academic work at the University of Bath, it has also been shaped by it, each feeding the other.

"As the next cohort make the role their own, my hope is that it becomes a true launchpad for Next-Gen voices; shaping the future of both education and practice in architecture."

Anushka Gupta: "When Amy and I first met, we had many discussions about architectural education, navigating the impact we could have in the role, what might the role be, or even just getting a grasp on what Architects Declare was doing. Now with the Theory of Change, we have solidified all those discussions into a clear direction the new Next-Gen ambassadors could take.

"Before I joined Architects Declare, my thinking was firmly shaped by Doughnut Economics, and acronyms like RAI flew over my head in the meetings. Now, I tell everyone everywhere I go about AD! To understand AD better, I embedded the themes of Create a Just Space for People, Co-evolve with Nature and Be a Good Ancestor into my university project to test regenerative design principles. I even read Flourish, and started reading Donella Meadows to get a better grasp on systems thinking, which is a language I am much more fluent in. Despite not knowing much about being a good ancestor, organising events to do with the theme helped me constantly reflect on the topic, and learn through organising. To anyone interested in the role: you don't need to be an expert! In fact, it was being part of AD that helped create a solid foundation of my understanding of Regenerative Design.

"Although it seems like my time at Architects Declare has come to an end, in some ways, it feels like it has only just begun. The end of organising events meant meeting the team in person, which made my connections to the Steering Group members much more real and genuine. The Steering Group are a really kind, encouraging group of people. If you are passionate about making things happen, I'm sure you will flourish here!"

A particularly important outcome of Amy & Anushka’s time with us is that we now wish to build on their success by reframing the role to represent more widely the next generation of built environment professionals, whether studying, on placement or in practice. We are therefore inviting emerging members of the profession to volunteer as Next-Gen Ambassadors. 

Last year, 68 organisations entered our inaugural Regenerative Architecture Index, showcasing a wealth of practices and projects that exemplify the transition to regenerative built environment solutions for local and planetary health. The 2025 Index is open for your entries until 16th May - but start work early with colleagues across your practice to shape your responses!

Launched by Architecture Today and UK Architects Declare, the RAI benchmarks progress in the move towards regenerative approaches for a built environment that isn’t merely reducing its negative impacts, but has positive impacts for today and the long term.

If you took part in last year’s RAI, you can view and update your previous answers - follow the same link above for details. 

And if you are looking for inspiration, you can view highlights from last year's entries in the special issue of Architecture Today from September - and join AD and Architecture Today for our RAI exhibition stand and our discussion event at this year's Futurebuild in London.

When the Architects' Journal first published news of plans to demolish the University of Salford Cententary Building, AD and ACAN agreed a joint statement in support of efforts by The Twentieth Century Society to preserve what was the first building to win the UK's Stirling Prize, in 1996. That has been included today in a follow-on AJ article - Environmental campaigners join bid to save Hodder’s Centenary Building. The AJ launched its RetroFirst Campaign in 2019.

As well as The Twentieth Century Society, the article also quotes Don’t Waste Buildings, a voluntary group calling on the government to make re-use of existing buildings simpler and more profitable. 

The AD & ACAN statement reads in full:

"We fully support the Twentieth Century Society’s bid to preserve Hodder Associates’ Centenary Building - the pioneering structure that was the first to win the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize.

"This highlights the question ‘How is a building that won the Stirling Prize being considered for demolition in less than 30 years?’ We should be creating structures that endure for centuries and stand the test of time, not just a mere fashion statement of the decade! Could the Stirling Prize evolve to become a benchmark for buildings that are designed to serve multiple generations, demonstrate adaptability for re-use, and withstand the challenges of climate change?

"If we are to reduce carbon emissions to the extent necessary to avoid catastrophic climate breakdown and biodiversity loss, upgrading existing buildings, as opposed to building new, must now become the default. Prioritising retrofit over new build is going to mean a change in ‘business as usual’; refurbishments often don’t yield the same profit levels as new builds, and in a volatile economy this is not easy but certainly necessary. Architects Declare advocate for VAT reform in their Building Blocks manifesto to ensure retrofit is not penalised with higher VAT costs than new build.

"We call upon the industry to stand united in pushing for necessary system change and to celebrate the creativity that can come with retrofit."

As the COP29 climate change conference opens today, our two recently appointed Student Ambassadors share the following on behalf of AD's Steering Group:

The Conference of the Parties (COP) annual meeting of the UNFCCC has historically been a vehicle for significant change. As we crafted this COP statement, we both reflected on growing up alongside the rise of climate activism. Seeing Greta Thunberg - a member of our own generation - ignite a global movement and bring climate discussions to every household was pivotal in shaping our awareness of climate justice. Through the School Climate Strike Movement, she applied pressure not only on governments but also mobilised people worldwide to consider their environmental impact. She became a household name and so did COP.

Meanwhile, it was from a UN International Panel on Climate Change special report that discussions leading to the founding of UK Architects Declare began, marking the beginning of a collective recognition within the built environment of the urgent need for change.

As these movements surpass their fifth anniversaries, the first global stocktake took place at COP28 to assess collective progress. The findings show that:

• The current efforts are still insufficient to meet the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement, and implementation of commitments needs to be accelerated and scaled up
• There is an urgent need for a transition away from fossil fuels- notably, not a complete phase out of fossil fuels
• Current adaptation measures are not keeping pace with rising risks
• Increased, equitable, financial support is necessary to implement climate actions effectively

The recent UN Emissions Gap Report also highlights the urgency of the situation, illustrating that our current approach places us on a trajectory toward a 3°C rise - a temperature our Earth cannot tolerate.

Reflecting on the last five years, we feel that the upsurge in climate action in 2019 was unsustained. We feel let down that the actions and commitments since still fell short of delivering the transformational change we should have witnessed.

We need to look beyond a reductionist approach and strive for the regeneration of our natural systems.

As we approach COP29, we urge our government to lead by example and champion discussions aimed at bold, transformative change. By signing the Declaration de Chaillot following COP28, the UK government has reaffirmed its commitment to climate resilience within the built environment. Given the built environment's significant contribution to UK emissions, it has the potential to set a powerful precedent for other sectors on the path to a sustainable future. The UK government now has a unique opportunity to inspire global action by creating a truly regenerative built environment.

While policies addressing housing and energy are in place, we draw attention to AD's Building Blocks - a manifesto for comprehensive, holistic action aimed at a regenerative approach to the built environment. Adopting the Building Blocks framework would allow the UK government to catalyse a ripple effect, inspiring other sectors, countries, and the global community to adopt innovative changes necessary to restore our climate.

We want to see the implementation of innovative national policy, informed by light-footed student and industry-led organising, to ignite lagging global action at COP29.

- Anushka Gupta and Amy Thompson, UK Architects Declare Student Ambassadors