There is a raft of measures to reduce the carbon impact of the built environment and architects, developers, and business leaders need to be at the forefront of advocating for change. At a recent panel event at Gensler’s studio in Sydney we drew together a range of leading voices and influential audience to focus on the business case for seizing the challenges.
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As architects we see that sustainability is no longer a “nice to have”; it’s a necessity for economic resilience and future-proofing assets and we note major property portfolio holders rapidly divesting assets that don’t have the potential resilience necessary for the impending impacts of climate change such as flooding and increased temperature ranges.
The private sector is already making bold commitments, proving that the transition to a low carbon economy is not only feasible but financially beneficial.
Our profession also needs to advocate for the integration of embodied carbon into cost plans. By factoring both construction and carbon costs, businesses can make smarter, more resilient financial decisions.
At our recent panel event we invited influential voices to take part in discussing these issues: Lauren Kajewski, head of better business, HIP V HYPE; Dr Danièle Hromek, Djinjama; associate professor HY William Chan, UTS School of Architecture; Paolo Bevilacqua, group head of sustainability, Frasers Property; and Tristram Carfrae, Arup Fellow.
From risk to returns: the economic case for sustainable architecture
The prevailing sentiment at the event was clear: the development industry has reached a turning point. While challenges remain, the momentum for meaningful climate action is stronger than ever.
Decades of corporate and governmental commitments have set the stage, and now architects, developers, and business leaders acknowledge proactive measures to reduce the impact our industry has on the planet, is an obligation that offers the brave unparalleled opportunity for differentiation in the market, a driver of innovation, and an engine ready to be fired for economic growth.
To explore the business case for sustainability, 60 industry insiders took part in open discussion and panel event. The event underscored that while the industry has not yet reached its full potential in sustainability, the tools, knowledge and motivation to drive real change are already within reach.
HY William Chan, former City of Sydney councillor, UTS Architecture Adjunct, and head of delegation to the United Nations said that a decade into the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with just five years remaining to the target date of 2030, progress has been slower than anticipated (with just 17 per cent completion).
Paolo Bevilacqua who is working on deepening the environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda for the entire Frasers Property business asked if the people with influence doing enough?
William who is also a founder of Climate Action Week in Sydney, recommended the 2030 SDG deadline should be seen as a milestone, not a conclusion to our efforts. The industry conversation was shifting from compliance to how we might set the standard for long-term environmental leadership and inspire adjacent industries and governments to enact the same change.
More than just an ethical obligation, sustainable architecture is emerging as a sound financial strategy. Paolo emphasised the increasing accountability of organisational stakeholders. Board members and executives are recognising that climate inaction is a business risk — one that directly impacts their fiduciary duties.
Tristram Carfrae agreed the private sector was making bold commitments towards the net zero transition and that it was not feasible but financially beneficial.
“We can do this we have the technology to do it,” he said.
Tristram warned that failing to adapt could lead to stranded assets and financial loss.
Of course, tackling sustainability can seem overwhelming, but the key lies in focus.
HIP V. HYPE’s Lauren Kajewski highlighted the importance of prioritisation. Rather than attempting to “do everything”, the approach preferred by her better business team is “highly commercial and pragmatic”, advising businesses to audit their practices, identify high-impact areas, and implement meaningful changes step by step.
The path to a greener future starts small, but with sustained effort, the ripple effect can be transformative, Lauren said.
At its core, climate action is about creating a better, safer, and more prosperous future, said Danièle Hromek, a Saltwater woman of Budawang/Dhurga/Yuin Country.
Danièle reminded the group of the wisdom embedded in Indigenous knowledge. She shared how Aboriginal cultures have long practised intergenerational sustainability — such as in Sydney cultures planting trees near waterways for future generations to access all the materials needed to create a canoe.
This kind of long-term generational responsibility is exactly what the industry needs to embrace to drive lasting change.
Danièle reflected that at present Australia was asking Indigenous people to tap into their long-standing knowledge. She hoped we will soon better understand this kind of forward-thinking and include it in intergenerational innovation.
The message from the event was clear: the development industry is at a critical juncture. There is much work to be done, but optimism is warranted. Businesses have the power—and responsibility—to lead the charge toward a more sustainable and prosperous built environment.
But we must set our sights higher than sustainability. We need to form partnerships capable of solving complex challenges, that can share the risks and indeed the rewards. It’s time to “get our skates on” and leave the planet in better shape than we found it.
Host of the event was Gensler Research Institute, which produces research and publishes key themes from this annually in its Design Forecast publication.
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It’s ironic, isn’t it? The architectural world discusses innovation – you’ll hear constant chatter about “net zero,” “passive design,” and “future-ready buildings.” Yet when it comes to the most practical, proven method of managing heat—controlling it at the building envelope – things goes quiet.
Instead, we get a focus on aesthetics over function it still seems. Sleek black roofs, glass walls, and other “statement” features that look sharp but act like heat traps. Meanwhile, HVAC systems are forced to work overtime just to keep internal conditions livable—especially in our increasingly extreme climate. No problem lets put in a PV system.
Let’s be clear: true sustainability isn’t just about ticking boxes on green certifications. It’s about performance, especially under real-world heat stress. And this is where the blind spot really shows.
Take Super Therm heat block insulation coating for example. It’s not just another “reflective paint” – in fact, it’s not a paint at all. It’s a heat block insulation coating, tested under ASTM E1269 and E1461-92 to block 99% of infrared heat and 96.1% of total solar heat. It turns the surface of a building into an invisible heat cloak as cool as the trees. That’s real proven science and physics – not marketing fluff.
Even the City of Adelaide’s Cool Roof Trial proved it: Super Therm® dropped internal temperatures by up to 6°C below ambient during extreme heatwave events and the University of Adelaide stated the coating didn’t contribute to the urban heat island. That’s not marginal – that’s a game-changer and the difference between thermal comfort and a built materials oven. That’s how passive design that actually works. Not theoretical. Not aspirational. Real world dynamic surfaces working at the speed of the climate.
We’ve built our strategy around the three pillars of true thermal protection:
Reflectance. Emissivity. Diffusivity.
Together, these manage the entire heat load on the surface, before it ever gets the chance to enter the structure.
And yet it seems many architects still design for aesthetic performance, then patch over thermal issues with more insulation inside—insulation that only slows heat transfer instead of preventing it altogether. Its all designed to meet the redundant NCC standards which are set to ?climate data for energy efficiency assessments, specifically through the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS). The climate files used for these assessments are based on weather data from 1990 to 2015 already 10 years behind. Hard to be innovative and sustainable when the base standards are uncurrent.
If we’re serious about sustainable buildings—especially in hot, sun-exposed climates – we need to stop worshipping the R-value and start paying attention to how heat actually behaves in particular the increased temperature ranges mentioned. That means rethinking the surfaces for true protection: not just as a shell, but as the first and best defence against heat load.
Australia doesn’t even have a thermal insulation coating standard so all surfaces of buildings are absorbing heat and transferring that inside. This is 20th century thinking and technology.
The plus is the industry are trying to find pathways forward, however its like seeing the myriad of papers talking about the problems of urban heat but no real action on actually making a tangible, mainstream difference while progressing back to 1900’s strategies.
New builds or retrofits – start at the surface. If your roof and walls aren’t blocking the heat, your sustainability strategy isn’t future-proof. It’s just decorative while it’s having a carbon impact for both embodied carbon, landfill and progressive carbon emissions from the very built environment that architects are trying to transform. We need real courage as there’s a scary future coming faster than we’re ready to manage it.