Future Cities Thought Series #2: No More ‘Green’ Buildings - Just Buildings

Imagine a world where architects don’t decide to design green - they just do. Where sustainable choices aren’t an option but the default. A world where buildings naturally harness daylight, optimize energy, and integrate nature - without second-guessing.

For you, green building is probably a System 2 process - deliberate, analytical, and requiring extra effort. Maybe as a developer, you’ve weighed the costs. As an architect, you’ve had to think about how to integrate sustainability into your designs. As a client, you’ve had to be convinced that sustainable choices are worth it.

System 1 vs. System 2: The concept was developed by Daniel Kahneman, a Nobel Prize-winning psychologist, in his book Thinking, Fast and Slow. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and automatic - it drives actions we take without much thought, like picking up and drinking from a glass of water. System 2 is slow, deliberate, and effortful - it’s what we engage when making conscious decisions.

?? The goal? Moving sustainability from System 2 to System 1 - where it’s no longer an add-on but simply how we design, build, and live.

This shift is already happening- but way too slowly!

But, in the face of the triple global crisis - nature loss, climate change, and environmental pollution - this slow, incremental shift doesn’t quite cut it. Despite decades of action, the built environment remains a major contributor to carbon emissions, resource depletion, and pollution (Global Status Report 2023; Living Planet Report 2024)

With catastrophic levels of global warming staring us in the face - +2.7°C under current policies - alongside biodiversity collapse and the threat of pollution turning our lands and oceans into wastelands, we can no longer afford for green building to be an optional extra - a “nice-to-have, if only we could…”.

“We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator.” - António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, 2022

From Conscious Effort to Instinctive Practice

What happens when green building moves from ?? System 2 to System 1?

Right now, building green still feels like a conscious effort for most of us - something that requires extra planning, justification, and trade-offs. But what if sustainability wasn’t an extra consideration? What if using low-carbon materials, designing for energy efficiency, and integrating nature was as natural as laying a foundation or installing a window?

??? System 2 Thinking in Design → Sustainability requires conscious effort, justification, analysis, and intentional action to prioritize green solutions over conventional ones.

? System 1 Thinking in Design → Sustainability is natural and instinctive – professionals & developers don’t have to “decide” to build green; they just do!

We’re reaching that tipping point, but it’s happening far too slowly. Regulations, market demand, and evolving practices are embedding sustainability into the DNA of the built environment - but this shift needs to happen faster.

How Do We Accelerate the Shift?

The reality is that change doesn’t happen by itself. Throughout history, practices that were once niche, effortful, or optional - from seat belts in cars to digital payments - became standard, automatic, and instinctive through a combination of policy mandates, market shifts, cultural expectations, education, and technology integration.

If we want "green" to become the default way we design, construct, and operate buildings, we need to follow the same path - and that requires action across the entire value chain.

?? Stronger policies and regulations → Building regulations and codes must go beyond incentives and voluntary guidelines to establish clear, enforceable standards that make sustainability non-negotiable.

??? Market transformation → Sustainable materials and technologies must become the cheapest, easiest, and most profitable option. Governments and the private sector must scale up production, remove import barriers, and invest in local supply chains so sustainable choices cost less, not more.

?? Smarter cost strategies → Whole-life costing and value engineering must become standard practice for cost consultants, making it clear that sustainability is the financially obvious choice. Investors, banks, and developers must treat unsustainable buildings as stranded assets.

?? Education and training → Every professional, architect, engineer, cost consultant, constructor, developer, and facility manager should be trained from the start to design, build, and operate sustainably without hesitation. Universities and training programs must embed sustainability as a core competency, not an elective.

?? Cultural shift & consumer demand → Sustainability must become the expected standard - tenants, buyers, and communities must demand it as the baseline, not a premium feature. Just as people today expect buildings to have plumbing, and electricity, sustainability should be a given.

?? Automation & Standardization → Green building must be built into workflows and tools so that it happens automatically. Design and costing software, permitting processes, and procurement systems must prioritize sustainable materials and methods by default, removing effort and decision-making friction.

Join the Movement at Future Cities Summit 3.0

At Future Cities Summit 3.0, we’re not just talking about change - we’re driving it forward. The conversations, insights, and partnerships formed at the summit will help shape a future where green building is no longer a decision - it’s just the way we build in Nigeria.

This year’s summit - under the theme "Smart, Sustainable & Resilient: Reimagining Green Building & Urban Governance for Future Cities" - will explore critical pathways to making sustainable, smart, and resilient cities a reality, featuring topics like:

?? Beyond Certification: Overcoming Barriers to Green Building Implementation - Moving past checklists and toward real, embedded sustainability in Nigeria’s built environment.

?? Scaling Smart & Low-Carbon Technologies - How AI, IoT, and smart grids are transforming energy efficiency in green buildings.

?? Circular Construction & Resource Efficiency - Practical strategies to reduce waste and transition to a circular economy in the construction sector.

?? Unlocking Finance for Green Building - Navigating green bonds, carbon credits, and investment incentives to accelerate the adoption of sustainable real estate.

??Closing the Skills Gap in Sustainable & Smart Cities - Training a workforce that can design, build, and operate the cities of the future.

From policy innovations to financial solutions, cutting-edge technologies, and professional leadership, this summit is where the future of Nigeria’s built environment takes shape.

??? “We should demand the highest environmental standards possible in all our buildings to ensure that future homes and communities are sustainable” - Margaret Beckett, Former UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

We’re not just planning for the future. We’re building it - deliberately, instinctively, and at scale!

?? Join the movement. Register now for Future Cities Summit 3.0 - attendance is completely free! ??? FCS2025 Registration Link

? How else can we accelerate the shift toward making green building the norm? Drop your thoughts in the comments, and let’s continue the conversation at Future Cities Summit 3.0!

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