Listen to the full conversation.I am hopeful as we come to the end of 2024, and there are a number of reasons why I am.
Following through the circular economy idea to the end of a building’s life, simple design choices allow new materials to be reused at that stage.Using reversable joints for steelwork connections so that beams and columns can be disassembled in their primary form, allows them to be re-used rather than be melted down and recycled as a raw material.
Intumescent paint has to be manually chipped off steelwork before it can be recycled or reused, so choosing to use boarding for fire protection is a better sustainable design choice.These decisions have little cost impact when they are integrated into the building’s design, but can help create – and sustain – the circular economy..Extending a building’s life, or giving it a second life through refurbishment, reduces the need to use yet more building materials for its replacement.
Designing adaptable buildings enables the function to change depending on its users’ needs.If COVID has taught us anything, it’s that workplaces and homes both need to be flexible to account for changing work patterns.
It’s a balancing act to make sure a building can be adaptable without over-designing the structure, architecture and MEP.
But when we build smarter we can do this.Sharp says we need to get better about taking the quick wins.
The sooner we start, the sooner we’ll reach our goal.The rewards will be worth it.. To learn more about our Design to Value approach to design and construction, sign up for our monthly newsletter here:.
http://bit.ly/BWNewsUpdatesDesign to Value.approach means we are always looking for new ways to deliver the best value solutions for clients.