Sustainability in design: the future of net zero building

So the ductwork has to be 10 times as big, and the risers 10 times as big to carry the air up and down, and so on.

Once the core parameters and rules are in place and the environment is enabled, the overall project can advance incrementally, demonstrating benefits and value as it goes.. As with many instances of progress, there may be vested interests that might object to aspects of this project from a position of self-interest.We cannot deal with them here.

This project will shine a light on what is possible.. Further applications: the benefits to government and local plans.The solutions may be different, but the principles we are exploring here have very positive ramifications for other areas.. Local/central government: the principle of making information interoperable and shareable, or policies more machine-readable and rules-based, while smoothing flow of information ‘before use’, is applicable in many areas: domestic planning, perhaps, where we could unblock permitted development and focus more on sustainable development; or major infrastructure projects where incompatible information systems breed wasted time and resources.. Local plans: are all based on evidence, which is all based on data.Data fixed in time is by definition out of date, while digitisation in the holistic context – as this project is demonstrating – gives us the opportunity to keep data and evidence current, informing and improving engagement and decision-making.. Next steps: collaboration to foster continuous improvement.

There are others operating in this space.This project has the potential to enable effective and creative collaboration between all of them, providing the shared basis on which other projects can connect, operate and develop.

Involving more people and projects to test the process and demonstrate value would also be a good thing..

Given the potential scale of this project and its broader applications, we would seek to connect with MHCLG, both in terms of technical development, and to benefit from their convening power..It is designed to a ‘zero carbon in use’ strategy, and the efficiencies and innovations inherent to P-DfMA are already achieving remarkable gains: 40% reduction in steel used; a forecast 19.4% reduction in embodied carbon per square metre, a 36.4% carbon reduction in the substructure and 20.2% in the superstructure and façade.. Sumner Street is a game changer for construction.

But it’s important to see that it has not come in isolation.It is a big step on a journey that is a direct result of support and collaboration between UK government, key industry players and a new supply chain.. All the learnings from the Sumner Street project will be fed back into the work of the CIH, continuing the virtuous cycle; this initiative was promoted by government at the start, and is now demonstrating how that initial support is bearing fruit and will continue to do so..

It is through collaborative approaches like this between government and the private sector that we can achieve value-driven transformation of the sector and bring enormous benefit to the built environment and society more broadly.. On 8 July 2020, Chancellor Rishi Sunak committed funding to modern methods of construction in his Plan for Jobs..The story continues.The use of robotics in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry is very appealing, mainly because of the increase in productivity and quality that automation is expected to achieve..