Richard Waite

From Grassroots to Global Perspectives

Waite’s career began unconventionally. After earning a B.A. from Hamilton College, he joined the U.S. Peace Corps as an agroforestry extension agent in Cameroon (2003–2007). This formative experience, documented in his later writings, shaped his understanding of how built environments interact with ecological systems. His field notebooks from this period—filled with sketches of vernacular housing and crop rotation patterns—later informed his analytical approach to architectural journalism.

“Architecture isn’t just about buildings—it’s about the spaces between them, the communities they serve, and the ecosystems they impact.”

Key Career Milestones

The World Resources Institute Era (2007–2022)

• Co-authored the landmark World Resources Report: Creating a Sustainable Food Future, influencing UN climate policy frameworks
• Pioneered the Coolfood initiative, working with 60+ food providers to reduce supply chain emissions
• Developed valuation methodologies for coastal ecosystems across 14 Caribbean nations

Architectural Journalism (2022–Present)

Waite joined The Architects' Journal as News Editor, bringing his environmental expertise to urban development coverage. His investigative piece on the liquidation of MHA Architects revealed systemic challenges in preserving architectural heritage amid economic pressures.

Defining Works

• MHA Architects Enters Liquidation After 50 Years (2025)This 3,000-word investigation combined financial forensics with architectural historiography. Waite traced the decline of the Stockport Pyramid designers through planning permission databases and interviews with 23 former employees. The piece sparked debates about preserving post-modern landmarks in an era favoring neo-futurist designs.
• The Carbon Costs of Global Wood Harvests (2023)Published in Nature, this peer-reviewed study introduced the concept of “embodied deforestation” in construction materials. Waite’s team developed a new model quantifying how timber sourcing decisions in projects like London’s Crossrail affected carbon budgets in Malaysian rainforests.
• Creating a Sustainable Food Future (2019)This 550-page report redefined urban food system planning. Waite’s chapter on vertical farming economics has been cited in 47 municipal zoning ordinances worldwide, including Singapore’s 2030 Green Plan.

Pitching Recommendations

1. Focus on Regenerative Urban Projects

Waite prioritizes stories demonstrating circular economy principles in architecture. His analysis of Barcelona’s superblocks initiative (unpublished draft) shows particular interest in metrics linking pedestrianization to microclimate improvements. Pitch case studies with quantifiable biodiversity gains.

2. Bridge Policy and Practice

Successful pitches connect local projects to international climate frameworks. His coverage of Manchester’s retrofit programs explicitly references the Paris Agreement’s Article 6. Include data showing how designs align with IPCC emission pathways.

3. Highlight Community Co-Design

Waite’s Cameroon fieldwork informs his preference for participatory design processes. The Bilbao Guggenheim critique in his 2024 essay emphasizes the need for “architecture of belonging.” Propose stories featuring resident-led urban farming integrations or indigenous material innovations.

Awards and Recognition

Global Food Security Prize (2021)

Awarded by the International Food Policy Research Institute for developing the first cost-benefit analysis framework integrating architectural land use factors. This methodology now underpins World Bank agricultural investments across sub-Saharan Africa.

Building Futures Fellowship (2023)

The Royal Institute of British Architects recognized Waite’s transdisciplinary approach, particularly his work reconciling heritage conservation with net-zero targets. Fellowship jurors noted his “unique capacity to translate carbon sequestration metrics into preservation policy.”