“One place to start would be in our offices – more specifically, perhaps, our material choices. Through our practice, we can encourage the use of local and sustainable materials wherever we can, adopting a more rigorous approach. We must move away from the culture of the new and finished, towards one of reuse and repair – in terms of both materials and the techniques we use to put them together. Such an approach has been present in vernacular architecture all over the world, from earth rendered mosques in Mali to thatched roofs in Coventry.

Or better yet, perhaps we can question our briefs. Are there any alternatives to what you’re proposing? Could an existing building serve the same purpose? In our practices, we must always begin by asking what the value is of what we’re building, and whether there is a need to build it in the first place.”