In January, amid an outcry about the American Institute of Architects’ post-election declaration in support of the Trump administration, its Board of Directors issued “Where architects stand: A statement of our values.” Two of the statement’s seven planks concerned climate change: “We stand for a sustainable future”; “We stand for protecting communities from the impact of climate change.” Yet, criticism of the AIA has focused on the Institute speaking on behalf of its members, as the self-professed “voice of the architectural profession,” and since no recent survey of architects’ views on climate change has been published, those views have not been clear at all.

To fill this gap, in February and March RECORD polled architects and designers to gauge their interest and knowledge about climate change and energy-efficient design. The results were eye opening.