Hello, Cesar. How are you?

 

Hello. I’m good. How are you?

 

I'm very good, thank you. I wanted to talk to you about a report that you've written, and which won a firm-wide competition at Perkins Will across your 30 studios, about wetlands. Can you just sum up the key principles of that report and where you're going to take this report next?

 

Sure. My background is in ecology, and then I took it on in the direction of the built environment. So, it is kind of the intersection between the two. Because I wanted to emphasise how the green infrastructure that we design needs to be context-specific and needs to respond to the ecological demands of the area that we're designing in, which is something that, unfortunately, you don't see in many pieces of GI, like green roofs. You don't see them being context specific. Then it addresses the need for more wetland habitats, and habitat redundancy that makes up for the fact that wetlands are a disappearing ecosystem and habitat in the UK. We're an island surrounded by water, with a lot of rivers, and it is a very fluvial country - it's one of our most representative habitats, and it's disappearing. So through this report, I wanted to find the intersection between these two topics, or these two issues that I care about, through the development of what I call WGI - Wet Green Infrastructure - which is green infrastructure that is both context-specific, in the sense that it responds to the wetland demands and the wetland habitats around our site, and in the sense that it creates habitats for these wetland species that maybe have lost their habitat due to construction, or the expansion of cities. 

 

Can you give any London-specific examples of the loss of wetlands, or indeed, the creation of new wetlands that are biodiverse?

 

Yes. I think there are some great examples - one of them is open in Canada Water, or there is the one in Canary Wharf. I think those are examples of us realizing the specificity of London revolving around the Thames, and how important it is that we build with the Thames in mind and with the species of the Thames in mind.  I think there's a really exciting project that's going to start soon, near the Thames and the Tower of London, around the Tower - it's a proposal right now, but there's a possibility that it becomes a wetland habitat that purifies the water. That is one of the main ecosystem services that wetlands provide for us, which is, you know, the purification of water, carbon sequestration, etc. And then other examples? There are many. You know, I think every green roof that is near a wetland that doesn't respond or doesn't have any ephemeral pond, or any surface of water is an example of how the ecological aspect of a green roof could have been taken further.

 

I note from your report that the UK has lost 90% of its wetland habitats in the last 100 years, which is very shocking. Are you depressed about this kind of statistic or are you optimistic about the future and about how perhaps a tide has turned to coin a phrase and pardon the pun, where there's more recognition of the importance of wetlands to the built environment, latterly, in the last couple of years, say.

 

I think so. My liking for wetlands came when I first arrived in London. I'm from Spain, and it's a big ecosystem there. But then when I arrived here, all the places where I've lived have always kind of as a coincidence, been near wetlands, and I've grown very fond of this environment. So, I think that with the city of London in mind there is definitely a possibility for a brighter future where we understand all of the ecosystem services, the ecological functions that they serve. You know, the conversation around sustainability is very much focused on carbon sequestration and embodied carbon. And I think that wetlands are really good at sequestering carbon, especially peatland. So, I think that there is optimism in it, but we need to start redefining the way that we integrate ecology and the way that we integrate greenery into our buildings. And shifting the conversation from it being ornamental or human-centric, where we design so that humans can go to work, because of the health benefits that it provides for us. But I think we should start designing with non-human nature in mind as well, because at the end of the day, non-human nature becomes human nature eventually, and it becomes about human health. It's just in a longer term than maybe right now, in the current economic climate, we're unable to see. But I think that's what needs to shift.

 

Were you trained as an architect or an ecologist, or both?

 

I graduated recently - my background is in health and environment.  I studied at UCL, mostly biology modules and ecology modules. But then in my last year, I discovered ecology in the built environment. And then that's when I did my dissertation, in collaboration with the Bartlett School of Architecture. So, it was supervised by an ecologist, someone from the biology department and someone from the Bartlett department.  I graduated a year ago, now. I'm still trying to understand whether I should pursue this through the ecological lens in an architecture studio, or through the architecture lens in an ecological consultancy. So, I think I'm kind of like in between. I'm part of a cohort of hybrid, interdisciplinary people that are still finding their way in these industries, avoiding being defined and bringing that holistic approach of intersectionality to the conversation. But, yeah, I think I'm both, and neither! (laughs)

 

Just going back to the report, where do you see this report going? Do you think it will be used and taken up and formulated as general policy within your own organization or outlook? What's the end game of this report?

 

I've had conversations with project managers regarding the report and its integration, mostly in urban design. It's really difficult right now to incorporate a wetland in an architecture building or in a green roof, but I think my key takeaway that I would be happy with about this report is for people to understand green infrastructure as something that needs to respond to an ecological network. It's something that we do in urban design projects on a regular basis, which is understanding the wider context and analysis. But I think that's something that can be integrated into both architecture and even interiors. You know, even responding as an element of design, or as an element of how to feel more connected to the community. I think that if this report prompted people to look into the ecology of their site more than a checkbox that they just need to tick for an assessment, that would be a very positive result.  I don't know if I'll get it, but I'm going to apply for a second round of grants, where, instead of developing a framework, I'm going to develop workshops in the office. And because we have a green roof ourselves, it would be very beneficial for us to do a little trial or, you know, maybe do a little mock ecosystem and test it ourselves. That's my ideal development of this framework.

 

Well, good luck with that, and congratulations on it. And, congratulations on your having been shortlisted for Sustainability Leader of the Year. How was that as a process?

 

Obviously, I'm very new to the industry, so it felt like a dream come true, but a little bit unreal, because I feel like the word 'leader'... you know, I don't feel like I'm leading the whole studio, but more by integrating green into the projects, maybe I'm a leader in the sense that I bring sustainability to the conversation and to the table. What I feel satisfied by is when I'm brought into the project, and then the conversation is like, 'okay, tell us how we can make this more sustainable’. That’s where, you know, I think I'm at my most useful. So that's what I said when I had the interview with the AJ 100, and they responded to it positively. So maybe that is what leadership looks like these days.

 

Yeah. Well, that's good to hear as well. Okay, thank you very much, Cesar, and good luck with it all.

 

Thank you very much.

 

Cheers! Bye.