UK Architects Declare is a network of architectural practices across the UK committed to addressing the climate and biodiversity emergency.
Our Vision for our sector’s part in tackling the emergency is bold:
“A built environment planned, constructed and operated within planetary boundaries to deliver environmental justice and to support the flourishing of all life for all time.”
We have a dual approach, with a common focus on building agency and delivering change:
Supporting and encouraging our signatory practices on pathways to delivering their declaration. We know this is challenging. Everyone has different starting points. No one can claim they’ve arrived.
Demonstrating where leaders - in government, institutions and industry - can change the systems behind the crisis: to move us away from degenerative ‘business-as-usual’, beyond ‘sustainability’ and towards fully regenerative solutions.
Architects Declare is about encouragement, with every signatory organisation expected to self-govern its progress toward achieving the commitments it has made. On the basis that no single architect is currently meeting every part of the radical commitment to change, a firm ‘no public blame and shame’ policy is in place. We are actively building approaches and resources to help signatories make progress, including exploring the most challenging aspects of our the declaration and sharing their learning on better ways to meet these within a competitive and sensitive market. And we are building tools for governments and others to show the leadership we need.
By signing the declaration, architectural practices are demonstrating their shared commitment to its principles. We do not assume that each signatory practice necessarily endorses all additional statements we make, for example either in support of or questioning particular policies or campaigns. We welcome debate.
Our Story
UK Architects Declare was originated by architects Steve Tompkins and Michael Pawlyn, and launched on 30 May 2019 by the then 17 UK recipients of the Stirling Prize. It quickly attracted hundreds of other architectural practices from across the UK.
Michael Pawlyn gave a fuller description of AD’s origins in this talk at our fifth birthday celebration in July 2024.
Over 1,300 practices across all nations and regions of the UK have now signed our declaration. And under the wider banner of Built Environment Declares, the declaration has spread to cover 43 groupings across 28 different countries. Between us, BED has more than 8,100 signatories globally, as other built environment disciplines have signed up to variations of the original 11-point declaration. In 2021, UK Architects Declare added a 12th point to our declaration, to address the urgent need for greater climate justice in the built environment.
Change is possible: What’s the emergency & why architects?
UK Architects Declare: Who we are & how do we work for change?
Creating change: Where can we best act & when do we need results?
Tackling barriers to change: What’s holding us back & how can we reduce barriers?
Our track record: What have we done so far & what’s in our current action plan?
Our strategy for change to 2025 and 2030.
Getting involved: How can you be part of this?
Why Declare
Architects Declare is free to join. Many signatories use the simplicity and clarity of our shared declaration as a catalyst to drive effective change within their organisations. Many also use it as a tool to demonstrate their commitment to combatting the climate and biodiversity emergency in discussion with their clients and project partners.
Signing our declaration
Adds your voice to our collective effort to identify and drive the systems changes needed to address the planetary emergency;
Signals your practice's recognition of what the emergency means and the built environment's part in it - and your intention to be part of the solution;
Brings you into a network that can help you build practical responses to the emergency;
Helps us to enhance the support we can offer through our guidance, events and shared best practice, drawing on your examples and ideas;
Reinforces our advocacy on the key issues to governments, professional bodies and the media;
Supports our ability to work constructively with other industry-based organisations and networks, and through Built Environment Declares with a growing number of groups across the UK and around the world;
Builds recognitions of UK Architects Declare as an industry-recognised and focused initiative.
We encourage all our signatories to take part in our activities and to develop regional networks that can support them in this.
We welcome enquiries and ideas as well as offers of practical support from signatories and potential partners - and financial contributions that are vital to sustaining and building our activities (see Support Us).
Our Steering Group
Our Steering Group is made up of volunteers from a mix of small and large practices, committed to advancing our declaration and promoting activities and dialogue to bring about the change it demands. Supported by our manager and communications officer, the group meets regularly to plan and deliver our programme, anticipate and respond to developments in policy and practice across the built environment sector, and engage key stakeholders and the media. Members also use several working groups to advance specific projects, for example to develop our practical resources, advocacy, events and funding - and welcome other volunteers who wish to add their expertise to these.
To maximise AD's reach and impact, the Steering Group actively seeks collaborations and shares insights with related initiatives within the Built Environment Declares family here in the UK and around the world.
Although it is not possible to consult AD's growing number of signatories on all plans and actions, the Steering Group seeks to build ever more effective communications through this site, our newsletter for signatories, our events and surveys and our LinkedIn and other channels (see Contact).
Trustees of UK Architects Declare (registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation No. 1207518) and members of our Steering Group:
Anushka Gupta - BSc Architecture (Hons) final year student, University of Bath
Former Steering Group members:
We thank all our past Steering Group members for their work on our behalf and for their continued support:
Andrew Waugh - Waugh Thistleton
Anna Lisa McSweeney - White Arkitekter
Caroline Cole - Colander Associates
Clara Bagenal George - Elementa/LETI
Duncan Baker-Brown - BakerBrown
Jacqueline Wheeler - Haworth Tompkins
Kat Scott - dRMM
Ken Okonkwo - Haworth Tompkins
Lauren Shevills - Studio Bark
Michael Pawlyn - Exploration Architecture
Mike Cook - Buro Happold
Peter Clegg - FCBStudios
Rosie Murphy - Architype
Smith Mordak - Buro Happold
Steve Tompkins - Haworth Tompkins
Tara Gbolade - Gbolade Design Studio
NB: organisations shown were former members' employers at the time of their involvement with the Steering Group, and individuals may have since moved to new positions.
Support Us
We're getting busier every day - creating free, impactful resources, empowering signatories to take action, championing best practice and showing the way on systems change.
Recently hitting our 5th anniversary, we need to grow our funding to ensure we can build on our successes together and step up to the challenges and opportunities of our shared declaration.
Signatory practices: Please support Architects Declare's programme with an annual contribution of £20 per registered architect you employ in the UK (up to a maximum of £2,500 for larger practices). If this isn't possible, please do give whatever is affordable - every donation helps us and is greatly appreciated! Donations are entirely voluntary and your status as a signatory is not affected by your ability to contribute.
Other donors: We also welcome support from non-signatories! We are grateful to One Click LCA for a donation that marked their 20th anniversary and recognised our work.
Our ability to act together is greatly enhanced by any financial support you can commit to, whether a one-off donation, or an annual contribution. Every donation makes a real difference and is key to our continued success.
Thanks to all our current contributors
Thank you to the following signatory practices for renewing their annual donation or making a new donation in November:
AtkinsRéalis
Love Architecture
And we are grateful to all signatories who have supported UK Architects Declare with a financial contribution over the past 12 months:
Adrian James Architects * AEW Architects * Allies and Morrison * Allford Hall Monaghan Morris * AtkinsRéalis * Basha-Franklin * Bauman Lyons Architects * Borough Architects * Bond Bryan * c-design (studio) * Calum Duncan Architects * David Chipperfield Architects * dRMM * DSDHA * Duncan Woodburn RIBA * ECD Architects * Exploration Architecture * Formation Architects * Grimshaw * HaworthTompkins * Helen Lucas Architects * Hetreed Ross Architects * Inature Architecture and Design * Jamie Fobert Architects * Jestico + Whiles * K Bava Architects * Knox Bhavan Architects * LOKI Architecture & Development * Love Architecture * Maccreanor Lavington * Mae * MAP Architecture * Marks Barfield Architects * MICA Architects * Mole Architects * Neil Pollard Architect * Pamphilon Architects * Paul Beaty-Pownall * People & Place Architects * Piercy&Company * PLP Architecture * Purcell * Ratliff/Landells * RDA Architects * Sheppard Robson * Studio Bark * STUDIO/gather * Studio Polpo * Trevor Black Architects * Urban Fabric Architects * Useful Studio * van Heyningen & Haward Architects * Working Title Architects
We update these lists monthly.
Thank you also to all those who have made donations at Architects Declare events - and to those who have hosted our events: most recently, HaworthTompkins for our 5th Birthday party!
UK Architects Declare newsletter (signatories only): Signatories automatically receive Architects Declare's newsletter if you opted in on signing the declaration, or by signing up with this form at any time. Individuals in a signatory practice can use the same form to sign up to receive a copy direct.
