What does an Eco Architect actually do differently?

It is a fair question and one that is harder to answer than it should be, because the term ‘eco architect’ is applied to practices with very different levels of genuine sustainability commitment. Here is what a serious eco architect does that distinguishes them from a conventional practice with green aspirations:

Material literacy: knowing what things are made of

A genuinely eco-oriented architect understands the environmental implications of their material choices in detail. They know the embodied carbon of common building materials, the difference between virgin and recycled content, the carbon storage properties of timber and the breathability requirements of older buildings. They can explain why they have specified a particular material and what the alternatives were.

This is rarer than it should be. Many architects make material choices on the basis of aesthetics, cost and contractor familiarity, without engaging seriously with the environmental implications. An eco architect makes material choices on the basis of all of those factors plus the environmental ones, and is explicit about the trade-offs involved.

Carbon thinking from day one

Embodied carbon decisions are made early in the design process. The structural system, the wall construction, the insulation strategy, the facade material: these are all determined at schematic design stage. An eco architect engages with embodied carbon from the very beginning of the design process, not as a later stage add on.

New Makers Bureau measures embodied carbon across our projects and uses those measurements to inform design decisions. We understand where the carbon is in a building and how to reduce it without compromising the design.

Breathable construction and moisture management

London's Victorian and Edwardian housing stock is built from solid brick with lime mortar, designed to breathe. Applying modern impermeable materials to these buildings, rigid foam insulation, cement render, silicone sealants, even gypsum plaster ans some paints traps moisture and can cause serious damage over time. An eco architect working on older London buildings understands this and specifies materials that are compatible with the existing fabric.

New Makers Bureau specifies breathable materials as standard in retrofit and extension projects on older buildings. Wood fibre insulation, hemp, lime plaster and lime mortar are our defaults, not our premium options.

The brief, the process and what to expect

Working with an eco architect should feel different from working with a conventional practice. The early conversations will explore what sustainability means to you, what your priorities are and what trade-offs you are prepared to make. The design process will involve explicit discussion of material choices, carbon implications and energy performance measures. The planning application will include a substantive sustainability statement that makes a genuine argument.

What you get at the end is a building that performs well, lasts well and was built as honestly as it could be. That is what eco architecture, done properly, delivers.

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