ACAN Webinar: A Pattern of Loss - The Impact of Demolition

Join the Demolition Webinar from ACAN Existing Buildings to hear from an amazing panel of speakers and watch the short film from HouseEurope.

Stopping the wasteful demolition of buildings is vital to reducing carbon emissions. Currently, too much attention is focused on how buildings are used, and not enough on how often they are destroyed.

In the UK, around 50,000 buildings are demolished every year, most to make way for redevelopment. There is a policy focus on reducing emissions arising from the operation of buildings (heating, lighting etc.), but little attention is being paid to emissions resulting from new construction. Beyond carbon, demolition also causes significant economic, social and cultural disruption to local communities.

The Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN) is campaigning to stop the unnecessary demolition of buildings and to promote retrofitting and reuse as the low-carbon alternative. As part of this work, ACAN has created the Demolition Map UK, a public tool that documents buildings that are threatened, saved, or lost to demolition across the country.

This event focuses on the pattern of building loss in three areas: Camden, Glasgow and Croydon, exploring what is being demolished, why it’s happening, and how communities, professionals and policymakers can respond.

Join them to learn more about:

• The hidden carbon impact of demolition and redevelopment
• Why retrofitting existing buildings is a climate-smart solution
• What the Demolition Map UK reveals about local and national trends
• How campaigning and policy change can help protect our built environment