Tracking Climate-Conscious design for the SDGs: A post-2030 framework for sustainable architecture, Sara Elhussein
Sara Elhussein
Architect and Senior Sustainability Consultant, I Design
London
United Kingdom
ORCID: 0009-0006-0824-3527
Paper Type: Research
Received: 15 October 2025 / Revised: 30 October 2025 / Accepted: 31 October 2025 / Published: 30 December 2025
DOI: 10.47556/J.ST.1.1-2.2025.4
Purpose: Growing climate pressures and the limitations of prevailing sustainability frameworks have intensified the need to reconsider how architecture responds to environmental and social challenges. Many existing approaches separate climate performance, equity, and systems thinking into discrete categories, leading to fragmented and short-term outcomes. This paper introduces the Six Climate-Conscious Design Actions (SCDA), namely Climate, Site, Design, Decarbonisation, Systems, and Community, as an integrated framework to support early-stage design decision-making beyond the 2030 Agenda.
Design/Methodology/Approach: Drawing on a critical synthesis of peer-reviewed research, professional benchmarks, and practice-based evidence, the framework aligns each design action with environmental and social performance objectives. International references, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge, the Whole Building Design Guide, and principles of regenerative and inclusive design, inform the analytical structure.
Findings: Application of the SCDA framework addresses key gaps in contemporary practice by strengthening early interdisciplinary coordination. It enables whole-life carbon reduction, improves passive design performance, and embeds social value considerations, supporting a transition from compliance-led processes toward more transformative sustainability outcomes.
Originality/Value: Rather than prioritising isolated environmental metrics or context-specific solutions, the SCDA offers a unified and scalable approach. By linking environmental and social dimensions of sustainability, the framework provides design teams with a practical structure for operationalising post-2030 priorities and reframing architectural responsibility in relation to climate action, equity, and wellbeing.
Research Limitations/Practical Implications: Although conceptual in scope, the framework establishes a clear foundation for practical validation. Further research should examine empirical case studies, performance evaluation, and stakeholder engagement to assess implementation across diverse architectural and cultural contexts.
Citation: Elhussein, S. (2025): Tracking Climate-Conscious design for the SDGs: A post-2030 framework for sustainable architecture. Sustainability Tracker (ST), Vol. 1, Nos. 1/2, pp. 43-59.
