![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FCube-2a-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=177&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=c53a2b9b210049855072805769a1f483 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FCube-2a-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=355&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=7c618ed027159e3ba19bedb8a881398a 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FCube-2a-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=649&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=86de425a674ecda4d4310f1edf8fb464 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FCube-2a-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=865&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=39df9a2c542e2931024a14f4ea8fb381 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FCube-2a-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1183&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=330505bd373ee8ca868eae5dc2a748a0 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FCube-2a-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1352&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=f1b024fd8c08c5950110e3ebe1665efc 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FCube-2a-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1622&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=f8290dae4b8f5441b210719f99d871d4 1920w)
The Cube
The Cube is not a low carbon building by today’s standards, but it challenged business as usual back in 2005 and is still challenging it today. Love it or hate it, it’s not conventional, it’s brave. The conventional approach would have been a sleek tower, but The Cube brings a new aesthetic: it’s boxy, chunky and strange. Today, in the face of the climate emergency, we must be brave enough to challenge conventions and expectations around architectural beauty.
The Cube’s facade is all about energy efficiency: plenty of solidity to limit solar gains and maximise insulation. It’s also about finding a one-size-fits-all cladding grid to meet the needs of retail, office, apartments and a hotel, while allowing flexibility between those uses. The pixelated facade blurs the boundaries of each use, giving one unified identity to the building and its community.
The Cube has become part of Birmingham’s identity. It’s made it onto a tea towel and a tote bag, been featured in an oil painting at the Royal Academy, and even been reconstructed from Lego for Birmingham’s Legoland. But that iconic facade contains a vast amount of aluminium.
With my operational energy goggles on, The Cube looks good: the glazing ratio is tailored to the orientation, there’s good insulation and airtightness. With my circularity goggles on, it looks ok: long lifespan, easy to repair, adaptable, infinitely recyclable, maybe even reusable as a kit of parts. But with my embodied carbon goggles on, the aluminium is problematic. You could argue that aluminium is a good lightweight facade material which minimises the embodied carbon of the structure, but there’s no denying it’s a carbon-intensive material.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FCube-4-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=150&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=81a97a3de8bdefcddef71141a2ed5dd6 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FCube-4-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=300&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=ce0e631337a7ecd26991ef294cd1acc1 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FCube-4-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=549&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=724e4a1fda0cd11b8e964fac637feecd 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FCube-4-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=732&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=ef5b2e1f06a746360dc85f582fc40494 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FCube-4-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1000&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=d0827b9eedeb5e544105e96e33ed48c1 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FCube-4-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1143&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=2dda3402a12adc71afbeead643ccd3f4 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FCube-4-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1372&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=3afb78fd10f5cd3dfbcd6f21b1ef66df 1920w)
We could talk about low carbon and recycled aluminium, but there isn’t enough of these alternatives to go around. Global demand means we need more virgin aluminium, and that means mining for bauxite, digging up rainforests and relocating indigenous communities. So despite its circularity and technological developments, we need to minimise our use of aluminium now.
1 Centenary Square
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F1CentenarySquare-5-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=140&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=4dc94f3df781f647732374fc24aa0097 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F1CentenarySquare-5-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=cfa213b20dd5ae453020498c502d581d 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F1CentenarySquare-5-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=512&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=c92010f9a20afd418b3b326a3ecca310 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F1CentenarySquare-5-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=682&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=b8ff2bcc366468fd30654b40c6704aa4 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F1CentenarySquare-5-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=933&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=6bd8cb90fee617bab01f8cd6761a56bd 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F1CentenarySquare-5-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1066&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=b21eb02d59658414918d4215e4710fc0 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F1CentenarySquare-5-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=149164fb29a14ac0ae0c3a2b0b5b7bcb 1920w)
1 Centenary Square uses far less aluminium. The facade is glass-reinforced concrete (GRC) on a steel framing system (SFS), with aluminium only used for the window frames, which, in hindsight, could have been timber. The GRC has fairly low embodied carbon but, changing to my circular economy goggles, it’s not recyclable at the end of life. It’s also difficult to disassemble the SFS and all the facade layers. However, with a window-wall system, it’s easy to upgrade each window and get to the internal insulation, enabling upgrades to elements of the facade in 20–30 years’ time. While this facade lowers upfront carbon, it’s less circular, prioritising reduced upfront carbon over future scenarios.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F1CentenarySquare-6-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=140&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=3819c31e7ac22a5e65f8d6932b6df566 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F1CentenarySquare-6-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=92c14d662d289dd86d3a996f6377687a 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F1CentenarySquare-6-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=512&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=1b8a34aee422e29445a80240e76d20a4 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F1CentenarySquare-6-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=682&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=28d862ca2412b241ad913178200fa827 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F1CentenarySquare-6-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=933&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=303cd95f3961a94c5d1330eb9125f156 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F1CentenarySquare-6-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1066&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=d1a6a474cd5b04e8cf078758fdb4ee9c 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F1CentenarySquare-6-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=18a01e1059a55f0647edd09c971d9c19 1920w)
With my operational energy goggles on, the woven facade pattern introduces plenty of solidity in the facade and some shading: it’s flat on the north and eastern elevations but ripples on the south and west to catch the light and shade. With hindsight, I realise that adding another layer of solidity to the facade at the base of the windows could have reduced solar gains and further reinforced the woven pattern. We designed the building about ten years ago and we did some solar analyses at the time, but now we need to do even better and ensure we have the time and the fees in the very early stages to carry out sophisticated studies to ensure an optimised facade.
3 Arena Central
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F3ArenaCentral-7-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=140&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=c6418bed37eb628adc5aabb2a4df4536 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F3ArenaCentral-7-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=9ccf56fd64789d66aebcefda57e73c67 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F3ArenaCentral-7-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=512&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=28ea938c33bedd15899edb78dc084c70 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F3ArenaCentral-7-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=682&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=3200b7407e8ccfd08190182cc6089bd0 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F3ArenaCentral-7-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=933&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=ecfbf9e05a37df5a18dd7b7b0511c9b2 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F3ArenaCentral-7-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1066&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=3cdd2f56eca931e1f05d8c856513037e 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F3ArenaCentral-7-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=f45d20b65b86c5f459313b84ec022de1 1920w)
One of the most effective ways to reduce the embodied carbon of a facade is to reduce the amount of facade. The closer a plan is to a circle, the more internal area you get for less facade, so our hexagonal plan for 3 Arena Central provides a more efficient wall:floor ratio than a rectangular plan.
It’s also straight up and down: we need to think about form and massing before we get into materials and details, because features like cantilevers and setbacks increase embodied carbon. This building form also looks great through my operational energy goggles: it reduces both heat loss and solar gains. For a mechanically ventilated building, this is key.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FBuilding-shape-facade-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=118&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=af3cf1cd9d8bf3b32eaf342f6780c6ce 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FBuilding-shape-facade-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=237&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=db7cd8ef18adea5c548946c664416f20 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FBuilding-shape-facade-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=433&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=540c06bb3064e76650ea40f5b5394be2 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FBuilding-shape-facade-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=577&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=816653dc783c53b22aff18d20400c50f 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FBuilding-shape-facade-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=789&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=ba1e9f539f559d892e6a0af360abd2b4 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FBuilding-shape-facade-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=901&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=2026b9fe40ad4669244a893df587a383 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FBuilding-shape-facade-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1082&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=2bdae04a81b9c2f55a3a287e091dff1d 1920w)
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F3ArenaCentral-9-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=140&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=95dc3ba37cf56016ece57f1e4376f7fe 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F3ArenaCentral-9-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=71e109696b51f13d45d637a3f6e9230c 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F3ArenaCentral-9-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=512&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=ff911a246ae9e5ca462657d71a830b1e 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F3ArenaCentral-9-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=682&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=047215338ffedce5ba481cafa3b1b5c4 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F3ArenaCentral-9-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=933&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=e3f9089d6ed971993228d9fd303657b6 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F3ArenaCentral-9-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1066&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=150a6e830a1cae801cf565f46dc2638a 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2F3ArenaCentral-9-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=ed032e1c2f206842f25d67a9e0866b2c 1920w)
However, through my embodied carbon goggles, aluminium remains a problem. I don’t believe the circularity of the material should outweigh its incredibly high upfront impact.
The University of Birmingham Exchange
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FExchange-10-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=315&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=53086febefffdc457344bef3b9962901 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FExchange-10-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=630&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=b601cbb1e85473297fc0d83849266af6 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FExchange-10-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1151&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=85e68aba2c4819246d5a4fa8662ba0fe 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FExchange-10-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1535&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=2098d9108faf3f39b8249aafc60b6bae 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FExchange-10-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2098&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=7b8d22106891287c7912d34039bf2c85 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FExchange-10-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2398&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=8224c455c25f59f304671bf84090d557 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FExchange-10-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2878&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=5521ee9767873bcf0fa2d5409a8fb2a9 1920w)
Our conversion of the Birmingham Municipal Bank into The University of Birmingham Exchange transformed this Grade II-listed building into an open and welcoming place. We created a rear elevation that opens onto the new public square behind and echoes the design of the front, with its classical solid flanks and central portico.
The simplicity of the new stone flanks, which now house the cores for the building, make them a low carbon choice here. We refrained from adding windows and detailing, which would add upfront embodied carbon, and instead found strength in simplicity.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FExchange-11-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=162&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=912eb399b370da409d848eb29d7c7840 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FExchange-11-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=324&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=7d5664390f4d6cde4a5d30dff5af0b7f 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FExchange-11-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=592&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=e7cf72d7451feebd2d82afe187df1207 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FExchange-11-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=789&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=c86b8bee36707c1f30a992a4824acbe3 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FExchange-11-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1079&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=f5478029b04a1a4cf7116e68bd0e5b8e 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FExchange-11-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1233&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=eddd29484eb513eb7f8e2b4f705ce88c 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FExchange-11-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1479&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=fd1010d315f9a39f198a65b476050845 1920w)
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FExchange-12-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=140&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=d31714d89a72da659822ff936b559a89 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FExchange-12-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=409d16cd2e8e07275e49585eb1386425 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FExchange-12-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=512&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=828d9484715efc535df9f89b2a373b11 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FExchange-12-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=682&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=dd094fd49a8f314f5f137f83a2da7f75 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FExchange-12-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=933&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=98648774826a6f8d3086b902e96efd34 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FExchange-12-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1066&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=800774b47c6f44c547ae3f940f9617a7 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FExchange-12-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=cd029cda59e496d5fdf34dc2ebc305e8 1920w)
My circular economy goggles are obviously rose-tinted here, as this is a refurbishment project. But the simplicity of these new stone elevations – ashlar blocks – mean they could be deconstructed and reused again and again. Simplicity is often the best choice for embodied carbon and circularity.
Drum
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-14-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=118&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=09b4f1c887f0e2f5e421ecc0668468a0 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-14-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=236&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=862e3f7ad725e97124c0fbad8e5bfd02 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-14-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=432&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=0b8307cf261f03106269edc11582662d 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-14-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=576&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=32b065c350706c56cd018f33571744dc 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-14-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=787&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=31055e9732b5c45d6b9312a8bbbf315d 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-14-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=899&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=ef1e08b15d70f186c7633742480421ce 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-14-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1079&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=cb889eb88f71b856f34851bb1aaa2f08 1920w)
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-13-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=140&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=484fc5bd8f096690b0e2be3adbe60fed 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-13-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=cf4738eb28fb5db29fe57b8288ac1da7 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-13-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=512&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=7621620ad717b4002c4b425baf19f784 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-13-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=682&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=6ee3174e5adc6599498bbd388c7471b5 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-13-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=933&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=57a38b449de99b76e5a5546a7ca96fc4 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-13-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1066&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=08aa8076d624eaef666d31da46bbd750 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-13-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=c9e7315cd85217de259e5ff286c16eea 1920w)
We’re currently reimagining a former department store as a new workplace for Birmingham. From the outside, our conversion involves simply changing the sign, but that belies the complete transformation of the interior.
Rather than replace the fritted glass facade, we turned the building inside out, enlarging the central atrium to make a generous heart that creates the views and activity needed to enliven the office floors. The existing facade only needs to bring in light, therefore it can remain as it is.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-15-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=118&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=8142992196bea2f6682964187d546b17 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-15-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=236&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=29ffe0ab98ffe7bedf37e34471179d81 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-15-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=432&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=da4fd5eb0ddbdafb3bd914c3c507aea4 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-15-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=576&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=52a6f32c1ba5a40a5ec126084f3ea344 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-15-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=787&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=6094b97680af559031b4c8b549d36d6c 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-15-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=899&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=c3c25e69c7a5283366bd15906c99f791 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-15-Make-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1079&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=18b4c8ae5b8cb1a749c3c471161227ec 1920w)
We all know that retrofit is the most effective way to cut embodied carbon. Against the LETI bands for upfront carbon, Drum can reach an A+ while delivering Grade A office space. This is the circular economy in action. It’s us embracing our circular economy goggles and designing differently, prioritising the conservation of resources and harnessing the climate emergency to push our creativity.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-17-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=118&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=59bafc21d510f79b7c3218aa49339504 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-17-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=236&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=eb4a12e489eb57034b3da74f2aabe435 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-17-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=432&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=900a5c7439efaa72768be7bcda7aeb65 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-17-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=577&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=b6d66d8fd0682ff7767a3cb25ead006e 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-17-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=788&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=669fd6e39fc50b1eb4b5f33d43655b7b 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-17-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=901&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=30f2aa3c80a428d86406f33dcf522f51 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-17-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1081&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=76d1aef71af1cba9703ff4e219cb1261 1920w)
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-18-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=118&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=89e3f2ba8c1ef3c35e18431c67722be2 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-18-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=236&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=3af54f735fef0fdbe1fa5bd2ebc7be8d 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-18-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=432&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=eb3881dd96be169448a5920e41d607e7 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-18-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=577&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=bf6775c031ea87bc3114e57aad1f8572 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-18-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=788&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=bc4563626305b094e492b33d94a198bd 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-18-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=901&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=87b790fbf719015ea41c69991b7adf57 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FDrum-18-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1081&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=3968ce0a787fb23e4ffc3474230412da 1920w)
Finding the goggles you can’t take off
Each project looks good through some goggles but not through all. There are also many other goggles worth exploring, including biodiversity, water usage, toxicity, social value and more. For me, the embodied carbon goggles are the ones that I can’t take off. They’re the ones which colour the way I see buildings now and the ones which focus my conclusions. We need to challenge business as usual and be brave with new aesthetic choices driven by our low carbon knowledge. We need to design out aluminium where possible and prioritise low upfront carbon materials. We need to question complexity, celebrate simple forms and recognise that the most sustainable facade may well be the one that already exists.