How will we adapt workspaces, ventilation, lifts and kitchens so that we can keep working if (when) new viruses arrive?
The overarching premise is getting them to think from an architectural perspective about how they can influence the environmental design of the building.If they do it now whilst they’re still at uni, when they get into practice they can apply the principles more easily, which not only makes the M&E teams’ jobs better, but also, ultimately, delivers a better, more efficient, building to their client.. IP: In general, are architects as focused on this area as they could be?.
HH: In general, no.It’s taught a lot more than it used to be and it’s very much dependent on which university you go to.In Manchester, for example, students now have to incorporate technical design elements such as, Structures, M&E and Sustainability into their projects, so the course is teaching them a more integrated approach, which is how it is in real life.. IP: What are the benefits of incorporating technical design into their project at an early stage?.
HH: If we come along at a later date and try to apply a sustainable strategy or passive design measures to a building, it’s likely to impact on the architecture quite significantly.If, however, they incorporate it at the start, they can make it part of their building design and it can be a lot more effective and a lot more cost effective as well.. IP: How does the focus on sustainability manifest at Bryden Wood?.
HH: Sustainability is a broad term and I think you can separate it up quite a lot.
In terms of what we do here at Bryden Wood, we’re mostly focused on the environmental side of sustainability.He’s also concerned about people focusing too heavily on potentially incidental uses of technology within buildings, which, he says, ultimately won’t contribute to solving the bigger picture problem.
He talks about his experience working within the design and construction industry in Australia, and the way contractual risk is pushed down onto contractors, who then push it further down the chain.This is problematic, he says, because the great unlock we’re seeking in the construction industry is going to come from those lower tiers, with people like the rebar tradesman, the electrician and the plumber.. Bryden Wood agree that one of the key issues blocking the progress of the industry is the struggle to try and get digital construction technology down into the supply chain through the massive long-tail of small suppliers.
The large general contractors and consultants have already adopted digital to quite a significant extent.However, getting construction technology down to the smaller contractors and lower tiers on a construction site remains challenging.