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The value of such technology has become ever clearer in lockdown, offering opportunities to enhance collaboration between designers and improve consultation
by using carbon-efficient and carbon- neutral materials.
A further technique increasingly being leveraged by the architecture and construction industry is 3D printing, enabling architects and builders to respond to requirements immediately. With the greater degree of accuracy that is possible through 3D printing, waste is minimised and only the materials needed are used, often making use of discarded materials. At astudio we are fascinated by this concept, and have partnered with Brunel University to develop new thinking in construction, assisting students in pioneering a tool that can use waste material from limestone excavation and building it into 3D printing. With these innovations, 3D printing can deliver not only small-scale projects, but entire communities and even cities that make use of the natural resources around them.
Tech & living sustainably Of course, if the end products themselves are not environmentally friendly, our efforts to deliver buildings sustainably risk being wasted. However, modern design has the ability to enhance the habitability of a building in a way that empowers sustainable living and working practices. For example, on new build projects, architects can leverage technologies that promote the use of renewable energy including solar power and heat pumps. This can even extend to building smart technologies into the fabric of the building to regulate and monitor temperature and the use of energy.
But there are technologies and new innovations that can take this one step further. Multi-purpose green facades are an exciting innovation that is likely to become a common feature across communities internationally, changing the face of construction for the better. We have been working with Brunel University to pioneer algae facade technology that can simultaneously absorb pollutants in the
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atmosphere, produce its own biofuel, and improve the insulation of a building. The benefits of biotechnology aren’t limited to the outside feature of a building. Using natural substances such as mushroom fungus mycelium, we can literally grow structures without producing any construction waste, while supplying a useful food resource to the building’s users.
Looking to the future With the right attitude across the industry,
innovations like these can become the new sustainable normal. We have some way to go, but already innovations from VR to living walls are emerging that can support us as we make those vital first steps. To truly achieve a green recovery from Covid- 19, sustainability must be woven into the fabric of our designs, into our construction practices, and in the way we live and work in buildings.
Richard Hyams is director at astudio ADF NOVEMBER 2020
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