This paper examines the development of sustainable architectural design strategies in office buildings from 1970 to the present. Drawing on literature, policies, and historical examples, it traces the transformation of sustainability from a loosely defined environmental concern to a structured set of strategies embedded in architectural practice. The research explores how international policy frameworks and environmental crises influenced the architectural profession and shaped design responses. It discusses the emergence of passive and active design methods, the introduction of certification systems, and the shift toward low-carbon, net-zero, and plus-energy approaches. The paper also considers how digital technologies and modern construction methods have supported this evolution. By focusing on office buildings, which are among the most resource-intensive building types, the study highlights how sustainability has been applied across changing economic, social, and technical conditions. It reflects on the effectiveness and limitations of past strategies and argues that a more integrated and collaborative design approach is needed to meet future carbon targets and address wider sustainability challenges in the built environment.

Keywords - Sustainable architectural design; Office building sustainability; Passive and active design strategies; Net-zero carbon buildings; Environmental policy in architecture

[1] Green Building Council, ‘2020 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction’, 2020. Accessed: Apr. 17, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://globalabc.org/resources/publications/2021-global-status-report-buildings-and-construction

[2] ‘2021 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction | Globalabc’, 2022. https://globalabc.org/resources/publications/2021-global-status-report-buildings-and-construction (accessed Jul. 24, 2022).

[3] IEA, ‘Global Energy Review: CO2 Emissions in 2021 – Analysis - IEA’, Global Energy Review: CO2 Emissions in 2021, 2022. www.iea.org/t&c/ (accessed Jul. 23, 2022).

[4] UNCCC, ‘COP2: The Glasgow Climate Pact’, in UNCCC (2021) ‘COP2: The Glasgow Climate Pact’, 2021, p. 28.

[5] BEIS, K. M. Kwarteng, A. M. Sharma, and B. M. Johnson, ‘UK enshrines new target in law to slash emissions by 78% by 2035 - GOV.UK’, Gov.Uk. 2021. Accessed: Jul. 24, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-enshrines-new-target-in-law-to-slash-emissions-by-78-by-2035

[6] ‘Industries in the UK - House of Commons Library’, 2022. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8353/ (accessed Aug. 17, 2023).

[7] M. Robertson, ‘A Brief History of Sustainability’, in Sustainability Principles and Practice, 2018, pp. 9–25. doi: 10.9774/gleaf.9781315625478_3.

[8] World Energy, ‘A Brief History of Sustainability – The World Energy Foundation’, The World Energy Foundation, 2014. https://theworldenergyfoundation.org/a-brief-history-of-sustainability/ (accessed Oct. 13, 2021).

[9] United Nations, ‘Our common future: report of the World Commission on Environment and Development,United Nations’, 1987. doi: 10.2307/2621529.

[10] H. Bossel, ‘Assessing viability and sustainability: A systems-based approach for deriving comprehensive indicator sets’, Ecol. Soc., vol. 5, no. 2, Dec. 2002, doi: 10.5751/es-00332-050212.

[11] ‘Sustainability - Definition, Principles and Examples’, Youmatter.world, 2021. https://youmatter.world/en/definition/definitions-sustainability-definition-examples-principles/ (accessed Sep. 27, 2021).

[12] W. A. Salas-Zapata and S. M. Ortiz-Muñoz, ‘Analysis of meanings of the concept of sustainability’, Sustain. Dev., vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 153–161, Jan. 2019, doi: 10.1002/sd.1885.

[13] United Nations Environment Programme, ‘Executive summary of the 2020 global status report for buildings and construction - Towards a zero-emissions, efficient and resilient buildings and construction sector’, 2020. Accessed: Sep. 26, 2021. [Online]. Available: http://www.un.org/Depts/

[14] R. Disney and G. Luo, ‘The Right to Buy public housing in Britain: A welfare analysis’, J. Hous. Econ., vol. 35, pp. 51–68, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.jhe.2017.01.005.

[15] DECC, ‘GOV.UK: Standard Assessment Procedure’, Standard Assessment Procedure, 2013. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/standard-assessment-procedure (accessed Sep. 27, 2023).

[16] European Commission, ‘REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS, Renewable energy progress report {SWD(2015) 117 final}’, 2020. Accessed: Sep. 27, 2023. [Online]. Available: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:4f8722ce-1347-11e5-8817-01aa75ed71a1.0001.02/DOC_1&format=PDF

[17] E. Coma Bassas, J. Patterson, and P. Jones, ‘A review of the evolution of green residential architecture’, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 125. p. 109796, 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2020.109796.

[18] Sheppard Robson, ‘Sheppard Robson: Practice Brochure’, 2015. Accessed: Aug. 15, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.sheppardrobson.com/about/approach

[19] W. Huck, ‘Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’, in Sustainable Development Goals, 2023. doi: 10.5040/9781509934058.0025.

[20] F. S. Hafez et al., ‘Energy Efficiency in Sustainable Buildings: A Systematic Review with Taxonomy, Challenges, Motivations, Methodological Aspects, Recommendations, and Pathways for Future Research’, Energy Strategy Reviews, vol. 45. Elsevier, p. 101013, Jan. 01, 2023. doi: 10.1016/j.esr.2022.101013.

[21] ‘SOLAR 7: History • Solar6’. https://web.mit.edu/solardecathlon/solar6.html (accessed Sep. 25, 2023).

[22] K. W. Boer et al., Advances in Solar Energy. 1986. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4613-2227-6.

[23] S. A. Kalogirou, Solar Energy Engineering: Processes and Systems. 2023. doi: 10.1016/C2021-0-02041-1.

[24] A. Denzer, ‘The solar house: pioneering sustainable design’, Choice Rev. Online, vol. 51, no. 02, pp. 51-0677-51–0677, 2013, doi: 10.5860/choice.51-0677.

[25] P. J. Tabb and A. Senem Deviren, The greening of architecture: A critical history and survey of contemporary sustainable architecture and urban design. Ashgate Publishing Ltd, 2014. doi: 10.1080/10464883.2015.989005.

[26] Foster + Partners, ‘Hongkong & Shanghai Bank Headquarters’, 2019. https://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/hongkong-and-shanghai-bank-headquarters (accessed May 03, 2024).

[27] K. Powell, Architecture Reborn The Conversion and Reconstruction of Old Buildings (Masterpieces of Architecture), vol. 523, no. January 2003. London : King, 1999., 1999. Accessed: Jul. 28, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://lib.ugent.be/catalog/rug01:000497893

[28] P. Tabb and A. S. Deviren, The greening of architecture: A critical history and survey of contemporary sustainable architecture and urban design. Taylor and Francis, 2017. doi: 10.4324/9781315239293.

[29] L. Ryker, Off the Grid: Modern Homes + Alternative Energy. Gibbs Smith, 2005.

[30] D. Mumovic and M. Santamouris, A Handbook of Sustainable Building Design and Engineering: An Integrated Approach to Energy, Health and Operational Performance. CRC Press, 2013. doi: 10.4324/9781849770279.

[31] T. Woolley, Low Impact Building: Housing using Renewable Materials. Wiley, 2013. doi: 10.1002/9781118524169.

[32] S. Azhar, ‘Building information modeling (BIM): Trends, benefits, risks, and challenges for the AEC industry’, Leadersh. Manag. Eng., vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 241–252, Jul. 2011, doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)LM.1943-5630.0000127.

[33] R. Volk, J. Stengel, and F. Schultmann, ‘Building Information Modeling (BIM) for existing buildings - Literature review and future needs’, Autom. Constr., vol. 38, pp. 109–127, Mar. 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.autcon.2013.10.023.

[34] N. H. Motlagh, M. Mohammadrezaei, J. Hunt, and B. Zakeri, ‘Internet of things (IoT) and the energy sector’, Energies, vol. 13, no. 2. Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, p. 494, Jan. 19, 2020. doi: 10.3390/en13020494.

[35] G. D. Larsen, ‘Understanding the early stages of the innovation diffusion process: Awareness, influence and communication networks’, Constr. Manag. Econ., vol. 29, no. 10, pp. 987–1002, 2011, doi: 10.1080/01446193.2011.619994.

[36] A. A. Imeri, ‘Deliberating in the Gray Zone: North Macedonia’s Hybrid Regime and Deliberative Democracy Exercise’, Balk. J. Interdiscip. Res., vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 1–12, 2023, doi: 10.2478/bjir-2023-0001.

[37] N. Rane, ‘3D, 4D, and 5D printing in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) Industry: Applications, Challenges, and Future Scope’, SSRN Electron. J., Sep. 2023, doi: 10.2139/ssrn.4609912.

[38] H. Revais, Annual Report 2021. 2022. doi: 10.61145/uxse8847.

[39] ‘The Construction Playbook - GOV.UK’. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-construction-playbook (accessed Apr. 09, 2025).

[40] ‘Royal Naval correspondence using the ADM 12 indexes and digests - The National Archives’. https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/naval-correspondence-adm12-indexes-and-digests/ (accessed Oct. 02, 2023).

[41] ‘History | Royal Liver Building : Royal Liver Building’. https://rlb360.com/history/ (accessed Oct. 02, 2023).

[42] I. Abalos and J. Herreros, Tower and office : from modernist theory to contemporary practice. MIT Press, 2003.

[43] P. ROSS, ‘Typology: Offices - Architectural Review’, 2012. https://www.architectural-review.com/essays/typology/typology-offices (accessed Oct. 02, 2023).

[44] Catherine Robinson, ‘The Evolution Of Office Design’, Runtech. 2016. Accessed: Mar. 07, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.morganlovell.co.uk/the-evolution-of-office-design

[45] S. Nurick and A. Thatcher, ‘The relationship of green office buildings to occupant productivity and organizational performance: A literature review’, Journal of Real Estate Literature, vol. 29, no. 1. Routledge, pp. 18–42, 2021. doi: 10.1080/09277544.2021.1909316.

[46] The Architects’ Handbook. Wiley, 2002. doi: 10.1002/9780470696194.

[47] C. H. Ahmed and H. Q. Rasul, ‘Natural and Architectural Convergence: A Model of Nature-Based Strategies in the Architectural Design Domain’, Buildings, vol. 13, no. 8, p. 2015, Aug. 2023, doi: 10.3390/buildings13082015.