AIA Gold Medalist 2021 to speak at AJ Summit

Internationally renowned, Mazria, who is based in New Mexico, was awarded this year’s Gold Medal by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in recognition of his ‘unwavering voice and leadership’ in tackling climate change.

Mazria is the founder of the not-for-profit think-tank Architecture 2030 and is widely credited for his work in addressing the central issues of our time – climate change, energy, and urbanisation.

Mazria, who will be interviewed by AJ sustainability editor Hattie Hartman, is just one of 36 leading speakers appearing at the CPD-accredited AJ Summit 2021, which takes place online on 25 March.

The event, run in association with the AJ RetroFirst campaign, examines how architects and their industry colleagues can respond to the climate emergency by embracing the whole-life carbon agenda and the principles of the circular economy.

Altogether, the built environment is responsible for more than 40 per cent of UK carbon emissions. With about 10 per cent of this stemming from the construction process, there is now a renewed focus on reducing such embodied carbon emissions through the re-use of buildings and materials as well as bringing down the day-to-day or ‘operational’ emissions of buildings.

Other speakers at the summit include Jenny Hill, head of buildings and international at the Committee on Climate Change, dRMM director Jonas Lencer, founding director of Waugh Thistleton Andrew Waugh, director of sustainability at Grosvenor Britain & Ireland Victoria Herring and the government’s chief property officer, Janet Young.

Described as an ‘exceptional opportunity for architects to learn how to incorporate climate-responsible working methods into everyday practice’, the summit will be hosted by property expert and AJ columnist Kunle Barker, ft'work director Clare Richards and architect and TV presenter Damion Burrows, alongside AJ journalists Emily Booth, Hattie Hartman and Will Hurst.

The Architects’ Journal is offering a limited number of free tickets to our readers for the virtual AJ Summit. To claim yours, click here and use code AJComp2021.