An Interview with Peter Clegg
Architect, author and educator, Peter Clegg, is a senior partner with the London based firm Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios. Peter visited the Northwest in late 2009 for Cascadia’s Transformational Lecture series sponsored by BetterBricks, where he caught up with us to discuss the current challenges and opportunities within sustainable architecture. The following is a brief excerpt of the conversation. Read the full interview here.
BetterBricks: Are there differences you see in how designers approach energy efficient design in the UK versus the US?
Clegg: I think of the Pacific Northwest as being at the forefront of thinking in terms of environmental design in the US. And the Northwest is relatively close—interestingly close—in climate to the UK. We’re pretty close in terms of energy commitments. What we have in the UK that’s different is a much stronger regulatory framework. And we have acknowledged long term commitment to reducing carbon emissions. There’s an overriding one that says 80% reduction by 2050. There are ones that say all new homes must be carbon neutral by 2016, and all new buildings must be carbon neutral by 2019. All those are incredibly tough targets to meet. Closer to home, we’re talking about all new schools having to have between 10 to 20 percent of their energy come from renewable sources onside. We’re meeting ever more stringent targets in the knowledge that they’ll get even more stringent. Having made these commitments, the profession is really feeling the pressure as a whole. Whereas here, I get the sense that there are some architects and engineers who are leading the way, and the rest of the 90 percent are waiting around to see what happens.
BetterBricks: What do you do best? What is your primary skill set?
Clegg: I guess I like the complexity of my job most. I do a wide variety of things. I get involved in the design of a number of projects through my office. I get involved in design criticism of other projects through a government organization that is there to actually raise the quality of design. And I get involved in charitable work in Africa, building schools.
My practice does a lot of work in Uganda. I was just out there three weeks ago opening a new school building that we built in four weeks—actually they built it in four weeks. I attended a graduation ceremony there. It’s just a great counterpoint to what we’re doing in the UK because a lot of our work in the UK is schools-based. To build a school in the UK you need 25 million pounds, it takes three or four years, it’s a huge kind of hassle right from start to finish in a way. You build a school in Uganda it costs you 50 thousand pounds and they just build it. It’s great. So there’s that aspect of my work that enriches my life. And I enjoy the teaching work that I do.
This (lecture) is in a sense an offshoot of the teaching work, because I used to teach at the University of Oregon. That’s how I know Charlie Brown of the Energy Studies and Buildings Lab. And I’ve maintained contact with my friends and colleagues in the Pacific Northwest. It’s great to come along and exchange ideas. That’s what this trip is all about, really. Although you feel guilty about the carbon footprint and the carbon in the air miles, you kind of feel this two-way inspirational communication is something that we have to keep a place for in the world even though we have to cut down our air travel.
This was very insightful.
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