Architecture Today Awards judge Matt Kennedy will be looking out for projects that demonstrate a willingness to share learning – and mistakes – to reenforce the importance of inter-disciplinary debate.
Matt Kennedy is Associate Director, Carbon and Climate Lead at Arup. He joined Architecture for a roundtable event during COP26 in Glasgow to share his thoughts on disrupting the current education system to bring about more radical integration of sustainability.
Kennedy, who joins our 18-strong jury for the inaugural Architecture Today Awards, shares what qualities he hopes to see among entries.
What attracted you to be a judge at Architecture Today Awards?
Longevity should be one of the first things we think about when we start to design buildings. Do you want something that will last 20 years or 50 years or 100s of years? It’s unusual to come across an awards programme that places the concept of longevity at its heart.
What qualities will you be looking out for – what will make a project stand out to you
I’m looking for submissions that demonstrate a willingness to share learning – and mistakes. There is so much pressure to pretend that everything on a project has gone to plan. But this is all about an ongoing culture of looking at past projects, identifying things that don’t work and can be improved on, and sharing the knowledge from that. In the aerospace industry there’s a blanket immunity. If something goes wrong, everybody is allowed to put their hand up and go “I think I forgot to do that.” You’re allowed to admit your mistakes so that everyone can learn from them. It’s less common in construction, but it’s the place we need to get to in order to accelerate change.
What do you hope will be taken away from the live presentation and judging process?
I hope the judging will reenforce the importance of inter-disciplinary debate. It’s a diverse jury encompassing a wide range of professional interests and expertise, which is just as it should be. I work for a multi-disciplinary company, and am very much aware that the best thinking and most creative solutions emerge from those moments when we bring a lot of disciplines together on one project.
What building would you most like to see among the entries?
One of ours! Or failing that, something that’s a real surprise; that perhaps didn’t get the attention it deserved when it was first designed but that has quietly demonstrated its worth over time.
