Watch again: Over 20 sessions from the AJ Summit free to view

The CPD-accredited AJ Summit – which took place in a virtual format after being postponed last year due to Covid-19 – was run in partnership with the AJ RetroFirst campaign.

Now readers can rewatch any of the sessions featured at the event, which focused on how architects and others can ‘build back better’ in the face of the climate crisis by embracing the whole-life carbon agenda and the principles of the circular economy.

Speakers included British Land’s head of sustainable developments Juliette Morgan; the government’s chief property officer Janet Young; and engineer and instigator of the London Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI), Clara Bagenal George.

Topping the bill for the day-long event was keynote speaker and American architect Edward Mazria, who was awarded this year’s Gold Medal by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in recognition of his ‘unwavering voice and leadership’ in tackling climate change.

Other architects who took part included former RIBA president Angela Brady, Featherstone Young’s Sarah Featherstone, Bennetts Associates director Peter Fisher and Freehaus director and AJ 40 under 40 winner Jonathan Hagos.

Speaking during the morning session Why Demolition Does More Harm Than Good, professor of social policy at the LSE Anne Power set out the compelling reasons for retaining buildings.

Altogether, the built environment is responsible for more than 40 per cent of UK carbon emissions. With about 10 per cent of this stemming from the construction process, there is now a renewed focus on reducing such embodied carbon emissions through the re-use of buildings and materials as well as bringing down the day-to-day or ‘operational’ emissions of buildings.

Click here to register and watch all the videos on the dedicated AJ Summit platform.

You can say it louder but not clearer. The need for retrofit is vital. Thanks to Anne Power for this talk at the #AJSummit @ArchitectsJrnal @GrandBequest pic.twitter.com/jHoHxhSEFB

— Eugenia Mompó (@EugeniaMompo) March 25, 2021