How the architecture of tomorrow must do better with less

President of the National Council of the Order of Architects Leconte says their profession must reinvent itself, adapting to the context of global warming and extreme temperatures. Photo: AFP

"Frugal", "resilient", "sustainable", "ecological"... There is no shortage of adjectives when it comes to approaching architecture through the prism of ecology. And the stakes are high.

According to UN estimates, emissions from the building construction sector represent 38% of all energy-related CO2 emissions. Yet solutions are at hand to create a greener future for architecture. This is a vast undertaking that covers the entire sector, from the materials used to the surfaces exploited, to the location of buildings.

On the occasion of European Sustainable Development Week, Christine Leconte, president of the French National Council of Architects, provides an overview of current challenges and new practices in the sector.