Buro Happold celebrates the launch of the Arts Green Book

Buro Happold has played an instrumental role in the creation of ‘The Arts Green Book: Sustainable Buildings’. This guidance will assist in transforming practice in the cultural sector and set key stakeholders on the path towards zero carbon. 

Following on from the Theatre Green Book in 2021, the Arts Green Book provides clear and practical guidance to help make cultural buildings – which, as part of the built environment, can be major producers of carbon emissions – more sustainable. Arts Council England and the Greater London Authority have supported Renew Culture and Buro Happold to create the Arts Green Book.  

It was developed with Buro Happold’s expertise in both the sustainability and cultural sectors, and through consultation with cultural organisations at all sectors and scales across the UK, including museums, galleries, music and dance venues, cinemas, libraries and archives.  

Broad reaching and freely available, The Arts Green Book is a melding of industry expertise purposefully brought together to empower change and equip the sector as it tackles this critical issue

Andrew Wylie, Partner, Buro Happold

The Arts Green Book explains sustainability options, identifies actions that can be considered as ‘easy wins’, as well as those that will take longer and require a bigger investment, and gives targeted advice for different areas of the cultural sector. Common issues, such as the difficulties posed by historic building use, is investigated. An easy-to-use survey tool will help organisations develop an initial plan for sustainability.  

Andrew Wylie, partner at Buro Happold, said, “We are very excited about the introduction of The Arts Green Book. Having worked extensively within the cultural sector to support theatres through their sustainability journey, this latest publication has been written specifically for art galleries, museums and cultural venues focusing on the journey to achieving sustainable buildings.

“Broad reaching and freely available, The Arts Green Book is a melding of industry expertise purposefully brought together to empower change and equip the sector as it tackles this critical issue. I believe that with dedicated adoption, this book has the potential to accelerate the UK Cultural Sector’s response to the Climate Emergency.”

Paddy Dillon and Lisa Burger, directors of Renew Culture said, “We’re immensely excited to launch the Arts Green Book: Sustainable Buildings, which we believe will transform UK culture’s response to the climate emergency.” 

To access the guidance, along with home survey tools and toolkits, click here.