{"id":8216,"date":"2025-10-27T21:45:26","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T21:45:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/?p=8216"},"modified":"2025-10-27T22:32:06","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T22:32:06","slug":"andrew-waugh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/articles\/andrew-waugh\/","title":{"rendered":"Andrew Waugh: Sustainability compromise is the fault of the architect"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Andrew Waugh is founder and director of 30-strong Waugh Thistleton Architects, a practice he co-founded in 1997 with Anthony Thistleton. Waugh Thistleton has pioneered the use of engineered timber in the UK and beyond, long before awareness of climate emergency shifted industry focus towards timber. He lectures extensively across Europe and in North America on greater adoption of timber in buildings.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><a style=\"display: inline-block; padding: 18px 44px; border-radius: 15px; background: #97d422; color: #111; text-decoration: none; font-weight: 800; line-height: 1; box-shadow: 0 10px 24px rgba(0,0,0,0.18);\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/sustainability-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" aria-label=\"Download the report\">Download the report<\/a><\/h5>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The State of Sustainability in Architecture and Design - Hattie Hartman\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aak2-X45hTE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h5><b>Where did you train as an architect, and to what extent did sustainable design figure into your education?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><b>AW: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kingston, and it didn&#8217;t really figure. There were electives available, but they were the kind of thing that you did if you weren&#8217;t very good at design.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>Was there a light bulb moment when you engaged with the impact of the built environment on climate change?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><b>AW:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, it was when EcoHomes was introduced [2006] and there was a point scoring system that\u00a0 to get your buildings passed. I&#8217;ve never been very good at doing what I&#8217;m told without understanding why. And one of the EcoHomes points\u00a0 depended on having a solar panel on the roof unless you were near a bus stop. But if you were near a bus stop, it didn&#8217;t matter. And it just irked me. So I began to research. And the more I read, the more obvious it became to me that the impact of the built environment on the planet, resources, and biodiversity was so massive. It was not being spoken about at all.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>Were there any other pivotal sustainability \u2018learning moments\u2019 that you can point to over the years?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><b>AW:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> When we were working on Murray Grove, we did the carbon assessments, and our mechanical consultant suggested that we count embodied carbon and see if the planners would accept it. No one in that meeting had ever heard of embodied carbon.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>So that was way ahead of the curve. What year was that?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><b>AW:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2006 and that was really a pivotal moment for us, understanding not only the operational, but also about the upfront carbon from construction materials.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>87%<\/b><b> of architects feel they have to compromise their sustainability values at work.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 <\/span><b>You&#8217;ve had your own practice for the majority of your career.\u00a0 Have you ever had to do this, and how do you manage it?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8005\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/14.-THE-AWAKENING-5-100.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1900\" height=\"1069\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/14.-THE-AWAKENING-5-100.jpg 1900w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/14.-THE-AWAKENING-5-100-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/14.-THE-AWAKENING-5-100-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/14.-THE-AWAKENING-5-100-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/14.-THE-AWAKENING-5-100-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1900px) 100vw, 1900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>AW:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We have, and we have counselling sessions in the office about it. There aren&#8217;t any metrics out there to quantify a lot of the decision making process. So, it&#8217;s quite subjective.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you build a building that is attractive, I believe it&#8217;s more likely to stand the test of time than an\u00a0 unattractive building. So if you use slightly more carbon to create something attractive, does that offset the most carbon efficient way of doing it? It probably it does. That&#8217;s a conversation we need to have and be outspoken about.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the Black and White building, for instance, the last bay on the north northwest facade of solar shading is not necessary. But the building would look strange if you left it off. That&#8217;s a simple example.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But there are other conversations. If we have a project where the client says, I want a four-storey basement do we say, \u2018No, we\u2019re not doing it\u2019?\u00a0 I don&#8217;t think so because we&#8217;re still in the phase of a transformation of architecture, and you can\u2019t let perfect get in the way of good. You need to be open and have conversations and talk about compromise, but you can&#8217;t let it stop you doing what you do.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If there&#8217;s compromise around sustainability and design, that is mostly the fault of the architect and not of the client or the planner or building regulations. It&#8217;s because the architect does not see that yet as a metric of success. When we teach at university, the students will know who we are, but the staff rarely do. The students know our work, but the staff doesn&#8217;t. So yeah, I&#8217;m sure that younger architects are feeling compromised in what they do.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>95% of architects state that sustainable design is a factor when considering job opportunities.\u00a0 Three out of four say it&#8217;s very important or a deal breaker. What&#8217;s your take on these numbers, and do they reflect what you see in your applicants?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7972\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/8.-THE-CALLING-2-100.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1900\" height=\"1068\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/8.-THE-CALLING-2-100.jpg 1900w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/8.-THE-CALLING-2-100-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/8.-THE-CALLING-2-100-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/8.-THE-CALLING-2-100-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/8.-THE-CALLING-2-100-1536x863.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1900px) 100vw, 1900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>AW:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, because those are the people that apply to us.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>What sustainability upskilling do you think mid career architects need?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><b>AW:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The profession needs to undergo a paradigm shift. People in mid-career need to self-educate, and they also need to not be afraid to talk about it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>What do you think will be the most important sustainable design skills by 2030?\u00a0<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8006\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/36.-CANDIDATE-HANDBOOK-2-100.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1900\" height=\"1069\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/36.-CANDIDATE-HANDBOOK-2-100.jpg 1900w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/36.-CANDIDATE-HANDBOOK-2-100-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/36.-CANDIDATE-HANDBOOK-2-100-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/36.-CANDIDATE-HANDBOOK-2-100-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/36.-CANDIDATE-HANDBOOK-2-100-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1900px) 100vw, 1900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>AW:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well, the brief is all. Help your clients set the right brief. And most people aren&#8217;t trained in how to retrofit buildings or how to think about climate adaptation, so I think those are going to be major jobs for architects.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Advocacy can only get you so far. You have to just do it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>How important are sustainability skills and experience in your hiring process?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><b>AW:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They must be completely integral to design. Generally we find that it&#8217;s been taught hair shirt and you get somebody who just wants to do everything in straw bales and mushrooms.\u00a0 If somebody has been educated as a critical thinker and draws beautifully, then they&#8217;re very easy to transform and educate about sustainability.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>What does a perfect candidate look like from from a sustainability lens from your vantage point?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><b>AW:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We don&#8217;t just hire one type of person. We focus our attention to what is required in the office. We try and put people in the right place on the pitch, and we talk to them about that position when we hire them. We always interview two or three times, but then people tend to stay here for 10 years.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>You undertake a lot of research within your practice. How did it come about, and what does it bring to the practice?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><b>AW:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">About 25% of our turnover is research. We have two people full time on research, and most others in the office dip in and confer. We also have regular sessions where we look to see how we can bring our research findings into our projects.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>Is that all grant-funded?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><b>AW:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s all paid for. We don&#8217;t research for free. So we have three Horizon projects and a project for DfE, Network Rail, the National Science Foundation, the US Department of Agriculture, Built by Nature, and others.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most firms, particularly yours, say they care about sustainability. What&#8217;s one actionable step that could be implemented tomorrow to embed sustainable design more into the hiring process?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>AW:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 I know that there are positions for people who are sustainability leads in a practice. .\u00a0 We don&#8217;t have a sustainable lead because that&#8217;s everyone&#8217;s job. It&#8217;s just reintegrated into what everybody does.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You could certainly ask questions about it and find out what people&#8217;s attitude towards the importance of sustainability is within practice.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Andrew Waugh on refusing bad briefs and doing the job properly<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":8220,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","footnotes":""},"categories":[21,68,69,67,119],"tags":[],"location":[],"class_list":["post-8216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-employers","category-jobseekers","category-students-and-graduates","category-sustainability-report"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8216"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8216\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8223,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8216\/revisions\/8223"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/8220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8216"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/location?post=8216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}