According to Newton, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Perhaps there is nowhere that this is more evident than with our changing climate.

Our every day actions – from boiling kettles to constructing buildings – are having a direct and increasingly negative impact on emissions. According to research, the built environment contributes around 40% of the UK’s total carbon footprint, both through electricity use and through manufacturing high-carbon footprint materials such as steel and concrete for building the structure. 10% of UK carbon emissions come from heating buildings alone.

Emissions are leading to rising sea levels across the globe, higher temperatures and we are seeing an increase in extreme weather events.

Firstly, given the sheer scale of the emissions coming from our buildings, we must look to change behaviour and change how we build. Use of recycled materials should be a given, and there needs to be more personal awareness about the small things we do individually that culminate to have a serious, negative impact.

However, beyond this, a new approach is required and one that adapts to and harnesses the power of the change we are seeing to secure more positive outcomes. Let’s use technology and innovation to make our buildings smarter and more responsive to the climate they exist within.

But what specifically for design? We need to consider how to ‘design in’ tech that can counter the worst impacts of emissions. Building facades, for example, are becoming more and more adaptive. They lower climate impact, adapt to the changing of seasons, reduce heat impact solar radiation, and protect from noise. Resilient facades can do even more. Through new façade coatings, they can effectively reduce air pollution in cities when installed near traffic ways and help to reduce noise by using sound absorbing materials.

From effective rainwater capture and reuse, to solar energy and even more widespread installation of wind turbines on roofs – let’s design buildings that make this new approach to energy and climate harnessing easier. They should not be simply added on during a late design phase, but integral to early concepts.

Urban realm design also needs to change – public spaces need to be home to climate harnessing structures that fulfil multiple roles. Self-sustainable cell modules equipped with solar panels and green walls enhance the aesthetic of the public space and have practical functions too. By including natural vegetation for shading (plants contribute to cooling by evaporation) they contribute to a reduction of temperatures in cities. Our public space needs to work harder than it currently does. Should this herald the end of the ‘big, blank, open space’ approach?