Architecture leads the way on sustainability. But many practices aren’t telling the full story.

Architects, and others in the built environment sector, have made real progress on sustainability. From tackling embodied carbon to choosing better materials, it’s an industry ahead of many others. And it’s paying off. Sustainability is now a key part of procurement, recruitment and reputation.

But it’s often not communicated in a way that does it justice — a pattern we call Green Glossing.

What is Green Glossing?

For many practices, particularly those not 100% focused on producing passivhaus or BREEAM Excellent projects, sustainability gets painted in broad brush strokes. This underplays the day-to-day effort that many architects go to to reduce the environmental impact of their designs.

This looks like:

• Project case studies that only mention the building impact in passing
• The use – but not public championing – of lower carbon materials
• Vague references to a ‘sustainable approach’ without the data or baselines to back it up

None of this is wrong. It’s just not enough anymore.

Why Green Glossing doesn’t cut it

Having interviewed many architects, it’s clear to us that clients, contractors and collaborators are looking for more than good intentions. Evidence is key. Without it, firms risk:

• Missing out on tenders. When sustainability is a metric you’re measured on, proving your commitment matters.
• Wasting time. Teams searching for answers every time a new question comes in is incredibly inefficient.
• Slowing progress. The cost of environmental inaction continues to climb.
• Losing trust. Vague claims can be challenged, especially by firms with stronger stories

What’s the alternative?

We call it Sustainability Intelligence. A simple, structured way to capture what you’re doing, improve where it matters and communicate it all clearly.

With our ImpactIO tool and support, you’ll build a central source of truth for your sustainability story. Following this framework (practically speaking, we estimate this will take 2-5 hours of your time), provides you with an understanding of your impact, baselines for improvements and clear next steps.

It also gives us everything we need to build your practice an Annual Sustainability Report. And it’s that report that:

• Helps you win work by giving you clear, credible evidence to back up your claims in tenders and pitches.
• Saves your team time by pulling everything into one place.
• Drives real progress by highlighting what you’re already doing and what you can tackle next.
• Builds trust by showing clients, collaborators and your own team that you’re serious about sustainability.

Brace For Impact helps  UK architecture and construction firms turn sustainability into a strategic advantage. Want to see how it could work for you? Get in touch.