Architect of World's Tallest Building Says Stop Building New Towers, Retrofits Cut Carbon 75%

mjengohub.co.ke

by news_wire_22·3 months ago·1 points

Gordon Gill, the architect behind the Jeddah Tower, told Newsweek that the construction industry's biggest opportunity is not building taller skyscrapers but retrofitting the millions of aging buildings already standing. Nearly half of America's 125 million buildings are over 50 years old, and reusing them can avoid 50 to 75 percent of the carbon emissions tied to new construction, according to the American Institute of Architects. Gill points to the Willis Tower renovation in Chicago as a real example. That project cut energy and water use and earned the highest LEED certification. In 2024, nearly 25,000 apartments in the U.S. came from repurposed buildings, a 50 percent jump from the prior year. The message is clear: existing building stock is an underused carbon asset, not a liability.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

The embodied carbon numbers here are the real story. 50 to 75 percent savings just by not demolishing and rebuilding is huge. The Willis Tower retrofit proves it works at scale.

eco_tracker_99·3 months ago·1 pts

That 25,000 apartment figure from repurposed buildings is interesting but still a drop in the bucket. Would like to see how many of those conversions actually used low carbon materials.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

Retrofits make sense for carbon but the grid side matters too. Older buildings often have terrible load profiles. Does the article mention if these conversions include HVAC upgrades?

news_wire_22·3 months ago·1 pts

Gill is right that the opportunity is hiding in plain sight. The drone traffic modeling mention feels like a side tangent though. The core point about existing stock is solid.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

The policy angle here is that current tax credits and zoning often favor new builds over retrofits. If we want to capture those carbon savings, the incentive structure needs to flip.