With coal power soon to be history, the Climate Change Committee is shifting its sights to oil and gas, which means it is time for us in the built environment to properly make an impact, says Smith Mordak
‘A new day brings a new government. Let’s seize the moment’
Urgent action on tackling climate change has faltered in recent years. The new Labour government brings a real opportunity for specific and well-considered policy change, argues Smith Mordak
The squirmy business of designing family homes
I love watching architects squirm when they accidentally refer to the ‘homes’ they’ve built in their projects as ‘units’, writes Smith Mordak
Kwasi Kwarteng is doubling down on the dogma that led to climate crisis
Last week’s mini-budget didn’t just spark market turmoil, it signalled a development free-for-all that will harm the natural environment, writes Smith Mordak
Regenerative practice is everyone’s business
Most businesses don’t yet embody values like reciprocity, equity, or democracy, but what if they did? asks Smith Mordak
What’s cool about this year’s RIBA Stirling Prize contenders?
As the UK slowly cools down from the hottest day on record, the Stirling shortlist is announced. What does this batch of the UK’s proclaimed best buildings tell us about architecture’s readiness for our changing climate? asks Smith Mordak
Whole-life carbon assessments aren’t immune to the dark arts of spin
‘What gets measured, gets managed.’ But what if measuring whole-life carbon gets managed in the sense that it gets handled, gets obfuscated, gets spun, gets co-opted by those with the biggest lobbying budgets? asks Smith Mordak
Maybe awards should celebrate co-operation rather than competition
If architecture awards are intended to support the health of the architecture ecosystem, maybe they ought to eschew competition and instead facilitate co-operation, writes Smith Mordak
Architects, you’ve been indoctrinated. Time to question what you thought you knew
A dream takes Smith Mordak back to their teenage vision of Woo-land – a post-work, post-family, post-gender utopia which seems oddly more plausible with every passing day
You, yes you, can make a difference on climate change
Don’t despair. New research from the USA suggests individual advocates for climate action have a much bigger impact than previously thought, writes Smith Mordak