The impacts of climate change require a strategic improvement in design decision-making. Leading professionals are aiming for carbon-positive buildings that can achieve carbon sequestration by adding vegetation to buildings. Multiple references and case studies explored in this paper suggest that there is theoretical potential for cities to become carbon sinks by constructing carbon-positive buildings. However, determining effective strategies, and quantifying and monitoring carbon sequestration in buildings, requires a standardised approach so that this carbon sequestration potential can be measurably established. This paper provides two key outputs: firstly, the paper identifies strategies that could shift buildings towards being capable of active carbon sequestration. Secondly, the paper provides a methodological framework with four key considerations that building professionals can use to design for carbon sequestration. These are: understanding the site's ecological, climatic, cultural and legal context; identifying response, pressure, state and benefits indicators to set carbon sequestration targets; considering site ecosystem functioning and carbon dynamics to strategise carbon sequestration through design; and preparing long-term monitoring, evaluation and management plans. This paper identifies two areas for further investigation: linking manual quantification methods with computer-aided methods; and utilising biomass data and growth models at the landscape, regional, and global levels for carbon sequestration assessment.