e79: Revolutionising Building Use: The Don't Waste Buildings Movement

e79: Revolutionising Building Use: The Don't Waste Buildings Movement

From How Might We by Patrick Scally

November 4, 2025 · 49 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the Don't Waste Buildings movement and its mission to promote the reuse of existing buildings to combat climate change.

The conversation revolves around the mission of Don't Waste Buildings, a movement aimed at promoting the reuse of existing buildings to combat climate change and reduce embodied carbon. The speakers discuss the challenges and opportunities in the built environment sector, emphasizing the need for policy reform, economic incentives, and community engagement to shift the focus from new builds to retrofitting existing structures. They highlight the importance of collaboration across various stakeholders and the potential for significant social and economic benefits through adaptive reuse of buildings. Find out more about Don't Waste Buildings here 00:00 Introduction to Online Publications and Technical Glitches 00:23 The Importance of Adaptive Reuse 07:14 The Economic and Social Opportunities of Retrofit 10:30 Changing Perspectives on Old Buildings 12:49 The Role of Local Councils and Policy Implementation 15:29 The Future of Building Development and Community Needs 19:23 Lack of Vision in Politics 21:07 Climate Responsibility and Governance 22:17 Decarbonizing Construction 23:26 Collaboration in the Built Environment 29:08 Engaging Communities in Built Environment 32:20 The Art of…

People in this episode

Host: Patrick Scally

Topics covered

  • adaptive reuse
  • climate change
  • policy reform
  • community engagement
  • sustainable development

Keywords

  • embodied carbon
  • built environment
  • retrofitting
  • economic incentives
  • collaboration

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Don't Waste Buildings

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