Is Using AI as an Eco Architect in Devon Hypocritical?

Is Using AI as an Eco Architect in Devon Hypocritical?

As an architect in Devon specialising in low-energy residential design, sustainability is not a marketing add on for me. It underpins how I think, how I design, and how I advise clients. So recently, when I was accused of being hypocritical for using AI to help draft a report because of its energy use, I felt it was worth pausing and properly examining the question.

If we are serious about sustainability, we should be prepared to interrogate our own decisions as much as anyone else’s. The key issue, however, is not whether something has any carbon impact – almost everything does – but whether that impact is meaningful, proportionate, and justified in the wider context of what we are trying to achieve.

As an eco architect in Devon, that kind of proportional thinking is something I believe the construction industry urgently needs more of.

What Is the Actual Impact of AI Use?

AI certainly uses energy. Data centres consume electricity, and electricity still has an associated carbon footprint, even as the grid continues to decarbonise. But scale matters.  As does the way we use technology and the tasks that we set it to.  I am not yet in a place where I use AI for creative or generative work – that’s the bit of my job I love the most and where I add real value.  But I do use it to help me draft text and consolidate information.

Let’s take a practical example: generating 100 simple text prompts using AI – the kind that might help structure a report, draft an early planning statement, or summarise options for a client – the type of thing that I use it for. The best current estimates suggest that this level of use produces only a few grams of CO₂, at most. Some studies put it closer to fractions of a gram per interaction.

Now let’s compare that with other everyday activities that rarely attract the same scrutiny.

Putting AI in Context

A 10-Mile Car Journey

A typical petrol car emits around 2.5–3kg of CO₂ over a 10-mile drive. That’s hundreds to thousands of times more carbon than generating those AI prompts.

Yet we rarely accuse architects of hypocrisy for driving to site – even though, as an architect for house projects in Devon, I often work in rural locations where public transport is limited and site visits are unavoidable.  While I love to get out on my bike, even I cant justify a 6 hour round trip for a site visit!

One Tonne of Structural Steel

One tonne of structural steel has an embodied carbon impact of roughly 1.5–2 tonnes of CO₂, depending on source and specification. On a single house project, the structural frame alone can outweigh a lifetime of modest digital energy use.

As an eco architect in Devon, this is where my attention is firmly focused: reducing steel where possible, choosing alternatives, or designing more efficient structures.

Leaving a Computer on for 24 Extra Hours

Spending an additional full day writing a report manually, with a desktop computer and monitor running, could easily use 3–5kWh of electricity, producing significantly more carbon than using AI to assist with drafting or structuring the same document.

Ironically, AI can sometimes reduce energy use by allowing us to work more efficiently.

The Real Question: Appropriateness, Not Purity

Sustainability is not about purity or moral perfection. It’s about making better decisions, repeatedly, in places where those decisions actually matter and can make a difference.

This reminds me of a thoughtful article by Steve Webb of Webb Yates Engineers, published in the RIBA Journal. He reflects on how our design decisions – structural efficiency, material choice, and engineering logic – have far greater environmental impact than whether someone occasionally drives a car.

Being evangelical about personal behaviour while ignoring the far larger consequences of professional decisions risks missing the point entirely.

As an architect in Devon, my biggest environmental influence is not whether I use AI, but how much material I specify, whether I challenge unnecessary complexity, how well I design the building fabric, and whether I prioritise longevity, adaptability, and low operational energy.  Those decisions can save tens or hundreds of tonnes of carbon over a building’s lifetime.

That’s not to say AI should be used carelessly or excessively. Like any tool, it should be used appropriately.  Used in moderation, it can actually support better outcomes, including more time spent refining low-energy details, passive design strategies, and material choices for homes across Devon.

As an eco architect in Devon, my responsibility is to balance environmental impact with practicality, effectiveness, and professional judgement. Absolute positions rarely lead to the best outcomes.

A Balanced Approach to Sustainable Architecture in Devon

Sustainable design is about prioritisation. We should absolutely question new technologies and understand their impacts. But we should also be wary of focusing on marginal issues while ignoring the big levers we have as designers.

For anyone looking for an architect for a house in Devon, especially a low-energy or environmentally responsible home, the most important thing is not whether their architect uses AI – it’s whether they understand fabric-first design, embodied carbon, whole-life performance and context-specific solutions for Devon’s climate and landscapes.  These are the decisions that genuinely matter.

Final Thoughts

Using AI does not undermine my commitment to sustainable architecture. If anything, it reinforces the need for measured, evidence-based thinking, rather than reactionary judgement.

As an architect in Devon and an eco architect in Devon, my focus will remain on designing better buildings, reducing real carbon impacts, and helping clients make informed, balanced decisions about their homes.

Sustainability isn’t about being seen to do the right thing – it’s about actually doing it.

(…and yes – I did use ai to help draft this post!)