Don't Waste Buildings held a day of tours and talks on 25 September in Birmingham to highlight the issue of embodied carbon in construction and the benefits of retrofit and repurposing existing buildings for social, economic and environmental good.
The day was coordinated in collaboration with HOWELLS architects, the Birmingham School of Architecture and Design at Birmingham City University and the Save Smallbrook campaign.
The day kicked off with a presentation about Don’t Waste Buildings by two of the three co-founders, Leanne Tritton and Richard Nelson, followed by a case study presentation of the former Typhoo Tea Building, which is being renovated by local developer Stoford into a new HQ for BBC Midlands, designed by the team at HOWELLS.
The New BBC Midlands HQ, in the former Typhoo Tea Factory
‘The Street’ in the new BBC Midlands HQ
Perspective showing ‘The Street’ through the new BBC Midlands HQ
A frank and entertaining discussion followed with Simon Delahunty-Forrest of Birmingham City Council on the challenges faced by local authorities when balancing climate action targets with economic revitalisation, and embracing a city's past while looking towards its future. Everyone was struck by the commitment of Birmingham to be a “layered city”, one that encourages bringing buildings into the present rather than erasing them from the cityscape.
Simon Delahunty-Forrest of Birmingham City Council
We followed the morning session with a tour through the Digbeth area, highlighting restoration works of buildings, daylighted canals, and future projects, including a potential sky garden on a previously unused rail viaduct, connecting the former industrial district to the city centre.
The afternoon summit at BSAD/BCU brought together DWB's core mission of embodied carbon reduction in the construction industry with a more ephemeral concept: embodied memory, discussed by Mary Keating of Save Smallbrook. We don't just save buildings because we cannot let go of the past, but rather because a city without a past lacks soul. Very interesting concept.
Sustaining the City Summit at the Birmingham School of Architecture & Design/Birmingham City University
Existing buildings represent "carbon at rest", when we wake these sleeping giants it is at our own peril. The construction industry already accounts for almost two-thirds of the UK's annual waste. The only way to reduce this scope is to let existing buildings stay at rest, or at the very least, to minimise how much we disturb them. Using a light touch to gently awaken them, retaining all that is possible and being thoughtful about how we rebuild is key.
Imandeep Kaur, of Civic Square, challenged us to radically reimagine what is possible, not just in the built environment, but in our relationships with place and community. She also challenged us to wean ourselves from the “extractive” habits that have got us to the state we are in regarding carbon emissions and their impact on climate change and society.
Among all this inspirational thought and discussion, there was a stark warning to consider language when describing places and people: A deprived neighbourhood is a home to someone, and not just a development opportunity. People and place are intrinsically linked.