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Interview Head to head
these activities, which means everything else has to be My biggest – we’re awash with them in architecture. Personally I
zero. However, I am not that optimistic we’ll achieve the
beef is about
want the professions [in the sector] to take a more political
[government] targets. The UK can get far on this, if we position. We have a remarkable amount of consensus
choose to, but I’m worried about the rest of world.”
persuading
about sustainablility, and CIBSE should be on the Today
MS: “I think that the economic crisis has pushed the clients to programme [on Radio 4] – perhaps calling yourselves
horizon out on this – the government has taken its eye off
employ a proper
‘environmental engineers’ or ‘imagineers’ – and arguing
the ball. There is also a problem with other countries in that you have the answers to how the world can be fixed.
the world. From CIBSE’s perspective, and maybe RIBA’s
environmental
The kids would love to hear that, and would join. As
too, there’s only so much you can do.” consultant at architects we would like to help with that as much as we
the beginning.
can, be we have our own loads to bear.”
Q: How can we significantly reduce the carbon footprint MS: “I think that the architects, because of their
of the established housing stock?
– Sunand Prasad
training, will always be the leaders. We’re not asking them
MS: “That’s a much bigger challenge, given the age to do things on our behalf. We are working more closely
of some of the properties. There are certain things you together. But perhaps we need to educate BS engineers
can do on improving them but, ultimately, you have to more about what architecture is about.”
educate people on using them to lead low-carbon lives, SP: “At present, none of the institutional training is
as Sunand says.” multidisciplinary working. The first time we encounter
SP: “There are only three ways of reducing emissions. each others’ profession is when we are in practice. By
One is behaviour change, such as wearing more layers this time, your attitudes have formed. Later in our career
rather than turning the heating up. Another is efficiencies we should be able to be dual-professionals [crossing over
– the main area we’re both working in. The third is between architecture and BS engineering].”
decarbonising the energy. These are roughly the same
order of magnitude, and we have to address all three Q: Sunand mentioned a joint campaign. Are there
fronts.” grounds for this, aimed at ensuring sustainability is taken
on board by clients at an early stage?
Q: Should both your professions be worried that, if we MS: “Personally, I think it’s key to having more
get to 2050 and find we’ve failed to meet global targets sustainable building going on, by having sustainability
on cutting emissions, the built environment will be right at the beginning at the design meeting.”
blamed for failing on sustainability measures? SP: “I would focus that campaign by saying to clients:
SP: “If we’ve tried and failed because economic systems because carbon criticality and sustainability are so
and governments were not investing, then...” important, we must have a new kind of team working,
Sunand Prasad: the sector
MS: “I have more confidence that, while we might not right up front. And therefore we require that clients
needs a joint campaign on
hit the targets exactly, we will be going a long way towards
putting sustainability at the
ensure that this is resourced properly, so that we can do
them. I would send a challenge out to other sectors, such very start of projects our job properly.” l
as transport, on how well they’ve reduced carbon. I’m
confident that the built sector will be much closer to their
targets than some of the other sectors.”

Q: Some in the sector would ask, why can’t CIBSE
campaign more on these issues?
MS: “As with everything, it comes down to money. I
think that a public awareness campaign is better done on
a built environment-wide front. We have the Construction
Industry Council as one voice for the sector, and we have
to make sure we all feed into that on lobbying. In addition,
for the past three years CIBSE has run the ‘100 Hours/100
Days’ campaigns, raising awareness of ways to cut carbon
emissions and encouraging businesses to sign up and
pledge to undertake carbon cutting activities, and directed
specifically to clients and decision-makers.”
Q: But isn’t this an opportunity for the BS engineering
profession to raise its game, raise its profile, as
environmental champions?
MS: “The danger there is that we as BS engineers
would spend all our time doing that [communication]
rather than developing technologies and design practices
for sustainability.”
SP: “I think the great problem is that you need young
talented people coming into environmental engineering
www.cibsejournal.com July 2009 CIBSE Journal 27
CIBSEjul09 pp24-27 Head to head.indd 27 25/6/09 15:18:02
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