Are we too quick to turn to technology and novelty to solve today’s most pressing challenges? Perhaps history and nature hold the answers to modern-day dilemmas––particularly those related to environmental degradation.

That is the stance architect, past AIA president and now author, Carl Elefante takes. Though he’s been preaching that message for more than a decade now, he didn’t begin his architectural career with that mentality. In fact, it was about midway through his career that an important shift occurred for him. He began to see historic buildings in a new light––suddenly they had something to teach him rather than the other way around.

He began to see the inherent flaws in modern-day cities and buildings––that they’ve been built around machines rather than people and planet. And he began to see how historic buildings actually addressed the carbon conundrum better than most of the buildings of the last half century. And now he’s working to rally his peers to rethink some of the assumptions born out of the modern era.

In this episode, Carl shares the significance of existing buildings in sustainability, the evolution of carbon awareness in architecture, and the lessons that can be learned from historic architecture. He emphasizes the role of architects in promoting sustainability, the complexities of carbon emissions and the need for operational efficiency in building design. He also highlights the importance of shifting towards people-centric design in urban planning.