Climate Justice in Architecture
Climate justice centers both the environmental and social aspects of climate change. It brings engagement, advocacy, planning, and design together to reduce emissions, strengthen resilience, support human, cultural, and ecological health, and help communities thrive.
Designing for climate justice
Climate change creates new—and amplifies existing—environmental and social challenges across seven categories: Social determinants of health, cultural connection to place, economic development without displacement, environmental justice, ecosystem health, climate change health and resilience, and decarbonization.
Design teams can respond to these challenges by centering both environmental and social aspects of climate change across three scales of impact: Building occupants, the surrounding neighborhood, and regionally and globally. This aligns with the AIA Framework for Design Excellence, which represents the defining principles of design excellence in the 21st century. The framework is comprised of 10 principles and informs progress toward four outcomes: A zero-carbon, healthy, resilient, and equitable built environment.
Climate Justice in Architecture Guide
The Climate Justice in Architecture Guide highlights 10 exemplary projects that center both the environmental and social aspects of climate change in their design process, community engagement, and final design. It includes strategies impacting the building, neighborhood, regional, and global scales that align with the AIA Framework for Design Excellence.
Explore the case studies
The following case studies represent exemplary architecture projects demonstrating the seven attributes of climate justice in architecture across three scales: Building, neighborhood, and regional/global. Their diversity in location, size, and project type exemplifies the opportunity for every architecture project to center both the environmental and social aspects of climate change in its design process, approach to community engagement, and final design.
Baltimore Unity Hall
Architect: Ziger|Snead Architects
Building program type: Commercial/industrial
Frost Terrace Housing
Architect: Bruner/Cott Architects
Building program type: Affordable housing
The Haven Domestic Violence Shelter
Architect: MASS Design Group
Building program type: Multifamily/social services
Hurricane Strong Home
Architect: + Lab Architect PLLC
Building program type: Single family housing
I-5 Rose Quarter Independent Cover Assessment
Architect: ZGF
Building program type: Urban design
Louisiana Children’s Museum
Architect: Mithun
Building program type: Cultural
Santa Monica City Hall East Building
Architect: Frederick Fisher and Partners
Building program type: Civic (office)
Sealaska Heritage Institute Arts Campus
Architect: MRV Architects
Building program type: Cultural
- Social determinants of health: Social factors that cause, are associated with, or induce a health outcome. - Adapted from Last JM, ed. A Dictionary of Public Health. First Edition. Oxford University Press; 2007.
- Cultural connection to place: Design that engages with the natural & cultural environment of a place, including its history, climate, and people. - Adapted from the AIA Framework for Design Excellence—Design for Integration.
- Economic development without causing displacement: Design that supports a vibrant local economy, maintains diverse populations, and supports local resources and trades. - Adapted from the AIA Framework for Design Excellence—Design for Economy.
- Environmental justice: Design that reduces exposure to environmental hazards, particularly in neighborhoods with a history of industrial pollution. - Adapted from the EPA definition.
- Ecosystem health: Design that supports ecological health and thriving ecosystems at a multitude of scales. - Adapted from the AIA Framework for Design Excellence—Design for Ecosystems.
- Climate change health and resilience: Design that supports infrastructure and society to anticipate, absorb, accommodate, or recover from the effects of a hazardous event in a timely and efficient manner, including through ensuring the preservation, restoration, or improvements of its essential basic structures and functions. - Adapted from the AIA Resilience Design Toolkit.
- Decarbonization: Design that reduces a building’s use of fossil fuels for electricity and its carbon impact across its lifecycle. - Adapted from AIA Framework for Design Excellence—Design for Energy & Resources.
The appendix explores the seven categories in greater depth, with detailed health situation analyses for all 10 case study projects.
The Framework for Design Excellence brings together 10 principles that define the standard for sustainable, resilient, and inclusive design.