Towards a new vernacular in the age of climate emergency
Architects Declare is a global initiative, led by progressive practices from many parts of the world, in response to the climate emergency. In the emissions race to zero, through adopting and advancing new processes of design, together with carbon literacy and bio-based materials, a key ethos of architectural practice is being developed.
Julia Barfield MBE, Joint Founder of Marks Barfields Architects, considers whether lessons can be learned from vernacular architecture to inform approaches to practice in the climate emergency. How do the use of natural, traditional and biomaterials form the fundamental principles and ethics of design in the built environment? She will present and discuss some of Marks Barfield Architects’ projects, such as the Cambridge Central Mosque, to illustrate her points.
Marks Barfield Architects is a multi-award winning practice with a portfolio of work across many sectors; from culture and education, bridges and transport, sports and leisure, to workplace and mixed use developments. The most recently completed project is the Cambridge Central Mosque in Cambridge which opened in April 2019 and was recently shortlisted for the Stirling Prize. Julia Barfield is on the Steering Panel for Architects Declare, a network of architectural practices committed to addressing the climate and biodiversity emergency launched in 2019. She sits on several quality panels, examines at the University of Bath, and lectures on sustainability in architecture.