Architecture’s instrumental role in shaping the cities of the future
Built-environment design is an urgent priority in the fight against climate change
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Architecture extends beyond buildings – it is a transformative force that shapes lives, communities and sustainable futures, according to Nadia Mounajjed, associate professor of architecture and design at Abu Dhabi University (ADU) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“It is essential that design innovation aligns with climate action and supports social and environmental goals for equitable and resilient urban futures,” she says.
Architecture and urban design are inextricably linked with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs, adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015, are a blueprint for global peace and prosperity. Architecture “shares many of the aspirations of the SDGs”, Mounajjed says.
SDG 11 advocates for inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable human developments, and SDG 13 calls for climate action and climate-resilient designs. But the other goals are also relevant, such as SDG 6 (access to clean water and sanitation) and SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production).
“As an architecture scholar, I approach these goals not only as parameters, but as an ethical framework that guides design education, research and professional collaboration,” she says.
In recent decades, rapid urbanisation has transformed the UAE’s landscapes and people’s lifestyles. This development has also significantly contributed to global carbon emissions and resource depletion, Mounajjed says.
Her work “responds to this complexity by embedding environmental responsibility into architectural research, aiming to produce measurable change in how cities consume resources, generate waste and interact with natural systems”.
There are many ways in which architecture and design can be infused with environmental responsibility and respond to the environmental crisis. They include energy efficiency, using low-impact materials and designing the built environment in collaboration with nature.
Architecture “can respond both critically and creatively to this crisis by aligning design practice with ecological thinking and human well-being”, she says.
To achieve this, collaboration is essential, Mounajjed says. She works with other disciplines, international institutions, government organisations and industry partners. ADU is a member of the Universities Climate Network, which “underscores our collective commitment to placing education at the forefront of climate and design challenges”, she says.
In another project, Mounajjed and colleagues from University College London designed and delivered a series of workshops and lectures on environmental design, with a particular focus on lighting and health in architecture. The project was funded by a grant from the UAE’s Ministry of Education.
ADU also has strategic partnerships with international organisations such as the Royal Institute of British Architects, as well as several distinguished international and locally based design firms. “These collaborations often centre on projects advancing sustainable development and social transformation,” she says. “They reinforce the curriculum’s emphasis on environmental design thinking, bridging academic inquiry with real-world applications and cultivating a new generation of architects capable of engaging critically with pressing social and environmental issues.”
Mounajjed is currently part of a collaborative research initiative that brings together experts from architecture, health sciences and urban resilience, as well as international design firm Perkins&Will. “Our shared goal is to investigate how design innovation and cross-disciplinary collaboration can promote healthier, more adaptive urban environments,” she says. “This is an urgent priority in shaping the cities of the future.”