First Published in Passive House + magazine
In #BuildingLife Ambassador Spotlight Series, Passive House Plus is profiling leaders who have endorsed the Irish Green Building Council’s call to address the environmental impacts of buildings across their lifecycle.
In this second interview of the series, Ali Grehan, City Architect for Dublin City Council tell us more about the campaign and why she is supporting it.
Why did you choose to become a #BuildingLife ambassador?
AG: As city architect, I am passionate about the quality of our built environment. Our buildings can contribute to addressing climate change or accelerate it. It all depends on the direction we take.
#BuildingLife aims at tackling embodied carbon. These emissions result from mining, quarrying, transporting and manufacturing building materials, in addition to constructing buildings. It is a tricky and interesting issue. Once a building is constructed, the embodied carbon is there. You can make a building more energy efficient in its use, but you cannot (de)retrofit embodied carbon. We need to shift the conversation from focusing exclusively on operational energy to the environmental impact of buildings across their lifecycle. This means accepting there is an embedded value in existing buildings. How do we retain that value? If we demolish a building, how can we reuse materials? When designing new buildings, how can we minimise the environmental footprint?
To address climate change, we must look at how we live and at our values as a society. Older buildings are too often seen as ugly or inefficient. We need to change that perception that new is always better. It is a learning curve, and it is challenging for all. But it is also a fantastic opportunity to be creative and innovative.
What are you hoping to achieve with the #BuildingLife campaign?
AG: New tools and policy recommendations will be developed as part of the campaign. But the underlying issue is far more important. It is about reaching people and increasing the understanding of the impact of buildings on our planet. Reducing embodied carbon must be part of every discussion in the industry. It must become a priority for building professionals, funding bodies and clients. And it should not be a binary discussion. It is not about tackling climate change or building new homes. Meeting our housing targets is critical, but it must be done in a better way. We must be more creative and ensure it does not contribute to climate change.
Can you explain a few ways in which Dublin City Council is working towards a sustainable built environment?
AG: We have an extensive retrofit programme. About 8,000 flats must be retrofitted to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2 by 2050. This is a huge challenge. It is also an opportunity to reduce our emissions, improve buildings condition and address social needs. As part of our retrofit programmes, we often amalgamate adjacent bedsits to create one-bedroom apartments and look at filling gaps with new buildings where possible. This allows us to bring back bedsits into use and to improve public realm. We have also started to look at embodied carbon as a core principle. But, clients and funding bodies must support that move. Unfortunately, embodied carbon is not yet part of the discussion when considering whether demolition and building new is the best option.
#BuildingLife is a project led in Ireland by the Irish Green Building Council. The initiative aims to achieve the mix of privasector action and public policy necessary to tackle the whole-life impact of buildings. Learn more here.
