LSBN – A Water First Mindset for Sustainable Architecture

Join us for our first official UKSBN event, LSBN (London Sustainable Building Network). Breakfast, Networking, Guest Speaker Presentation.

LSBN - A Water First Mindset for Sustainable Architecture

Sponsored by Cannon Clarke Group

📍Cinnamon Kitchen City - 9 Devonshire Square, London, EC2M 4YL, near Liverpool Street Station.

⌚ 9:00 am - 11:30 am

🎤 Richard Coutts - BACA Architects

BACA architects is an award-winning, internationally recognised leading design and urban planning studio that specialises in designing places, buildings, and masterplans in, on, near, and under water.

About UKSBN

UKSBN is a regional network, connecting construction industry professionals to learn and share knowledge about sustainability and the built environment. Events run across the East of England (EESBN) and London (LSBN), with more regions to come in the future. Each event is an opportunity to meet and chat to like-minded professionals, discuss current topics, challenges and experiences, hear insights from an industry-expert speaker and enjoy a breakfast.

This event

What is the point of building eco-homes if they end up under water? Sustainable Blue is a forward-looking exploration of how architecture and urban planning must fundamentally evolve in response to escalating flood risk driven by climate change. Rather than treating water as a threat to be held back, the talk argues for a critical paradigm shift: water must become a primary design condition, shaping how and where we build. Conventional defensive strategies - barriers, walls, and managed retreat - are no longer sufficient in the face of long-term environmental change. Embracing water as a design driver unlocks the full potential of established sustainable principles, from low-carbon construction and renewable integration to net ecological gain.

The talk presents a series of case studies across multiple scales: building, neighbourhood, city, and region - demonstrating how these approaches combine to create resilient systems at scale. It draws on built work including amphibious, flood-resilient, and floating housing, expanding to proposals for floating neighbourhoods and a square floating city. At the urban scale, it explores a new campus development in Hyderabad, India, where water circularity: the ability to capture, store, and reuse water on site - shapes the masterplan, addressing both flood risk and water scarcity.

Alongside research and global precedents, the talk shows that water-adaptive urbanism is not speculative but already achievable. It examines how diverse housing typologies can respond dynamically to varying flood conditions, and how these strategies can be embedded within wider urban systems. Crucially, it positions flood resilience as fully compatible with zero-carbon ambitions, reinforcing that climate adaptation and environmental responsibility must be pursued together.

The talk also connects design innovation with policy transformation, proposing new frameworks such as 150–200 year planning horizons, alongside mechanisms like the “Three Generation Rule” and the “Innovation License.” By reframing waterfronts and floodplains as opportunities rather than liabilities, it demonstrates how resilient design can unlock long-term economic value, extend asset lifespans, and support social stability.

Ultimately, the argument is clear: without a water-first mindset, sustainable architecture is impossible. Rethinking our relationship with water is not optional - it is essential to addressing the interconnected challenges of climate change, housing, and urban development.