Sustainability isn’t a new concept, says Bryant Lu, rather a “basic responsibility for all architects”. Here, he reflects on his journey.
Bryant Lu is the vice-chairman of Ronald Lu & Partners Asia (RLP). In 2021, RLP won the Advancing Net Zero Ideas competition for Treehouse, a biophilic workplace concept. The competition, which encourages businesses to reach zero operating emissions by 2030, was a major win for the company. However, Lu says there is nothing new about sustainability. Here, he talks to Tatler about his past and present.
Describe what you do in one sentence.
I am an architect who designs better lives for people through sustainable, life-centric, future-ready projects.
Tell us about your journey towards sustainability.
Sustainability is not new. It’s a basic responsibility for all architects. However, our society seems to have forgotten the importance of respecting the environment, which is why our planet is suffering from [the effects of ] climate change.
My sustainability journey began in high school. I was studying in Sydney in the late 1980s, a time when the skin cancer rate in Australia was rising exponentially. Legionnaire-style hats and sunblock became part of our school uniform. This is how I first learned that irresponsible behaviour can damage the environment, and ultimately impact our health and well-being. I also saw the fragility and vulnerability of our planet, and how any positive change has to begin with changes in our own behaviour.
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As an architecture practice, RLP Asia has to ensure that we leave the world in better shape for the next generation. It is essential that we consider sustainability, so that our projects last for decades, if not centuries. Right now, I’m vice- chairman of RLP Asia, and founder and chairman of Behave, RLP’s research arm. Behave specialises in analysing human behaviour, and that work is allowing us to create future- ready design solutions.
Making sustainability part of our DNA also started with changing our own behaviour. In 2000, the firm began its sustainability journey in a simple way, by asking the office tea lady to keep an eye out for electricity- wasting behaviour. Every morning, she marked on a floor plan the computers, lights and air conditioners that had been on all night. In 2019, we became the first firm in China to commit to [the UN’s] Science- Based Targets Initiative’s climate decarbonisation targets. I hope our actions and commitments create ripple effects and influence more of our peers and stakeholders to join us to make a real difference.
What has been your biggest career obstacle to date?
When we first got into sustainability in the early 2000s, not a lot of people understood the concept. The majority thought that “green architecture” just meant planting more trees around the site. Leading the change was challenging and required a combination of perseverance and education.
What are some common misconceptions about working in a family business?
The biggest one is that success is guaranteed. It’s not. Some people assume that family businesses are automatically successful because of long-standing connections and deep roots—but they’re not. Like any business, a family business requires constant hard work, monitoring and adjustments to ever-changing conditions.
For example, in 2000, RLP entered mainland China. At that time, many in the industry told me that we were too late. While we worked with developers in Hong Kong, none of them were willing to give us a chance on their projects in the mainland, simply because we had no track record there. This is the reality of business, and the “family” part did not provide any special advantage. However, it didn’t stop us from trying.
We kept going and worked hard, and now, we are in a good position with hundreds of staff in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
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