Edge Articles

Edge Articles and Thoughts

Five Edge initiatives intended to achieve major change for people and the environment, August 2024

Links to articles and other media that Edge members have recommended as essential reading:


Edge thoughts on various topics:

  • Thought 21 - Three proposals for DLUHC Net Zero Round Table, November 2021

  • Thought 20 - Green Recovery Planning, April 2020

  • Thought 19 - A New Framework for Energy Performance of New Homes, February 2016

  • Thought 17 - Edge response to Place Alliance discussion paper - August 2014

  • Thought 16 - Edge proposals for housing in London - May 2014

  • Thought 15 — Edge response to Agenda 15 - February 2014

  • Thought 14 — The Edge response to The Green Deal - January 2014

  • Thought 13 — Robin Nicholson on the Edge - Marlow FM 21st January 2013

  • Thought 12 — A shared Professional Code

  • Thought 11 — Notes from COP18

  • Thought 10 — Engineering Timelines

  • Thought 09 — Educating Architects

  • Thought 08 — New Sky Thinking

  • Thought 07 — Innovation, Knowledge Capture and Dissemination

  • Thought 06 — The Extraordinary Challenge : Think – Share – Do

  • Thought 05 — Edge Response to IGT ‘Emerging Findings’ Report

  • Thought 04 — First Thoughts on Carbon Trust’s Draft IGT Incentives for Action — Non-Domestic Building Sector

  • Thought 03 — Fixing the Housing Stock — UK’s Big Challenge

  • Thought 02 — Do we need MVHR systems for our new generation of super-insulated homes?

Thought 01 — Government policy on eco-towns doesn’t consider the wider community


Edge Letters

Letters from the Edge … & its members

February 2013 - published in The Independent , 12th February 2013.
Letter to the Editor : Our red tape
“This was based on my gruesome experience with Display Energy Certificates, including the latest setback where the modifications made by DCLG in January (with no consultation, apart from the accreditation agencies which of course have an interest in promoting inane box-ticking procedures) increase the bureaucracy whilst subtracting value and creating confusion by meeting the letter of the recast Directive whilst totally ignoring the spirit.”

With luck it will stimulate more correspondence, but since it was at the bottom right hand corner of the page, I imagine the Editor is more likely to have regarded it as the closing letter on that particular topic.” - Bill Bordass

January 2012 - published in TES magazine, 10 February 2012 … see www.tes.co.uk
Letter to the Editor : BREEAM
pdf download, see also the letter below

January 2012
Letter to the Sec. of State, Dept. of Education : BREEAM
in support of a letter from the UK Green Building Council and the Aldersgate Group
pdf downloads
REPLY : 14.02.12
pdf download

December 2011 - published in The Telegraph, 15 December 2011
Letter to the Editor : Low-carbon buildings

December 2011
Letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer : Environmental regulation
pdf download


Edge Blogs

Several members of the Edge post regular blogs written for the Edge, Building magazine and other sites.

These are collected here:

Lynne Sullivan OBE, SustainableBYDesign

4th March 2014 - We need to safeguard air quality in our homes

17 January 2014 - Why cutting operational carbon is the priority

24 December 2013 - The social value of good building

29 November 2013 - The challenge of providing public open space

31st October 2013 - Architectural education ignores the challenge of our time

30th September 2013 - Changing our culture for ‘deep’ retrofit


Robin Nicholson CBE, Cullinan Studio

25th November 2015 - Collaboration for Change: What progress with the Edge Commission Report?

20th February 2015 - Embodied Carbon: Allowable Solutions

8th May 2014 - Edge Commission begins to get some definition

10th March 2014 - Building a resilient future

3rd February 2014 - How can we decide where to invest?

13 December 2013 - Who has a sustainable vision in this government?

19th November 2013 - Have we wasted the latest good crisis?

14th October 2013 - Getting it right in Brazil

17 September 2013 - The power’s in the community

6 September 2013 - Are international sporting events unsustainable?


Bill Bordass OBE, William Bordass Associates

9 January 2014 - Can our politicians set a carbon saving example to the world?

27 November 2013 - Making up energy policy as we go along

23 October 2013 - Time for joined up thinking

18 September 2013 - Does anyone understand the performance gap?


Stephen Hill, C2O futureplanners

28 June 2013 - The Spirit of ’74: Disruptive Citizens…Your Country Needs YOU?