Home truths

Some 87% of the residential buildings that will still be in use in 2050 have already been built. This means that construction projects involving existing buildings will be highly influential in achieving targets for lowering domestic energy consumption. Architects and other construction professionals therefore have a critical role in ensuring that residential projects use energy-saving solutions. 

However, research by The Bartlett School of Construction and Project Management (CPM) and the UCL Department of Geography has shown that, when it comes to domestic construction projects, architects rarely discuss the energy efficiency of designs with clients, assuming that reducing environmental impact is not a priority for them. 

The study, led by Dr Niamh Murtagh, Senior Research Fellow at CPM, and supported by UCL Grand Challenges funding, examined eight domestic construction projects in detail, interviewing architects and observing design review meetings with clients. 

Dr Murtagh found that, while architects are highly attuned to their clients’ needs and preferences, this approach led them to make assumptions based on perceived client priorities. So, for example, while lighting was discussed at length during architect/client meetings, heating was rarely raised. Discussions about warm cosiness in winter and cool shade in summer were often postponed until much later in the construction process. 

When choosing whether or not to present energy-efficient options, many architects assumed that clients either wouldn’t care, wouldn’t want to pay, or wouldn’t want to sacrifice space. This is a missed opportunity, says Dr Murtagh: “Energy efficiency could be embedded in architect/client interactions through introducing sustainable design elements by default when there is no cost implication, and including discussions about environmental impact as routine in initial meetings with clients.”