The International Union of Architects (UIA), representing approximately 2.3 million architects worldwide through 124 national member sections, has unanimously adopted the 2050 Imperative committing to environmental and social sustainability.
The historic declaration, presented on August 8th at the UIA World Congress in Durban, recognizes the urgency of the UIA and its member organizations, including the American Institute of Architects (AIA), in committing to a truly sustainable and equitable future. A delegation from the AIA, including AIA President, Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA, supports the declaration.
“We have made great strides towards a sustainable built environment, but we still need to advance the industry to make sustainable design the de facto standard for all construction projects,” said AIA President, Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA. “Sustainable design practices implemented by the world’s architects will mitigate climate change and ultimately save lives.”
Urban areas are responsible for over 70 percent of global energy consumption and CO2 emissions, mostly from buildings, and over the next two decades an area roughly equal to 60 percent of the world’s total building stock is projected to be built and rebuilt in urban areas. This provides an unprecedented opportunity to reduce fossil fuel CO2 emissions by setting the global building sector on a path to phase out CO2 emissions by 2050, the declaration stated:
“Our responsibility is to influence ethical and socially responsible development throughout the world: to plan and design sustainable, resilient, carbon-neutral and healthy built environments that protect and enhance natural resources and wildlife habitats, provide clean air and water, generate on-site renewable energy, and advance more livable buildings and communities.”
By adopting the 2050 Imperative, member organizations have committed to advocacy and promotion pertaining to planning and design of carbon neutral cities, towns, urban developments and new buildings; engaging in research and setting targets towards meeting the 2050 goal and developing and delivering equitable access to the information and tools to deliver these objectives.
The full declaration is available to view here.
Related Stories
Contractors | Jun 1, 2015
Nonresidential construction spending surges in April
Nonresidential construction is up by a solid 8.8% over the past year, consistent with ABC's forecast of high single-digit growth.
Office Buildings | Jun 1, 2015
Can you make a new building as cool as a warehouse?
Just as we looked at that boarded up warehouse and thought it could be something other, office towers can be reborn, writes CannonDesign's Robert Benson.
Fire and Life Safety | May 27, 2015
7 bold applications and innovations for fire and life safety
BD+C’s roundup features colorful sprinklers for offices, hotels, museums; a fire-rated curtain wall at a transit hub in Manhattan; a combination CO/smoke detector; and more.
BIM and Information Technology | May 27, 2015
4 projects honored with AIA TAP Innovation Awards for excellence in BIM and project delivery
Morphosis Architects' Emerson College building in Los Angeles and the University of Delaware’s ISE Lab are among the projects honored by AIA for their use of BIM/VDC tools.
Healthcare Facilities | May 27, 2015
Rochester, Minn., looks to escape Twin Cities’ shadow with $6.5 billion biotech development
The 20-year plan would also be a boon to Mayo Clinic, this city’s best-known address.
BIM and Information Technology | May 26, 2015
Lego-like model building kit was created by an architect for architects
Arckit, as the system is called, was designed to a 1:48 scale, making it easy to create models accurate to the real-life, physical building projected.
BIM and Information Technology | May 26, 2015
Moore's Law and the future of urban design
SmithGroupJJR's Stephen Conschafter, urban designer and planner, discusses his thoughts on the 50th anniversary of Moore's Law and how technology is transforming urban design.
Architects | May 26, 2015
AIA design competition creates portable, temporary housing for the homeless
The winning design from the AIA's "A Safe Place" competition was built at the AIA convention in Atlanta and later donated to a local non-profit partner.
BIM and Information Technology | May 21, 2015
How AEC firms should approach BIM training
CASE Founding Partner Steve Sanderson talks about the current state of software training in the AEC industry and common pitfalls in AEC training.
Architects | May 20, 2015
Architecture billings remain stuck in winter slowdown
Regional business conditions continue to thrive in the South and West