How climate change is reshaping architectural education and training

How climate change is reshaping architectural education and training

A new generation of architects is demanding that climate change be taken seriously in
architecture education. This first of two talks traces how the climate action movement
impacted architecture education and training between 2018 and 2023. Following the release
of the 2018 IPCC Special Report and the subsequent Global Climate Strikes, architects,
academics, graduates, and students joined wider climate movements and began organising
through new professional networks. Within architecture, these connections were first
crystallised in London during the 2019 Extinction Rebellion protests at Waterloo Bridge,
where the Architects Climate Action Network was formed (ACAN).

From these early gatherings, ACAN groups and the Architects Declare movement spread
across the world. This talk focuses on the United Kingdom and Europe, and on the links
forged between practitioners, educators and students through a shared purpose. Within these
communities, research and shared data became powerful tools for advocating for changes to
education and training frameworks and strengthening climate literacy across the profession.
By 2023, collective action helped translate a grassroots movement into structural reform to
educational frameworks and professional development initiatives.

As climate action gained momentum through education reform and professional
networks, attention increasingly turned to the cultural and structural barriers shaping
architectural practice itself.

Event Date

Thursday 23rd of April 6 pm AEST