The GLA requires the preparation of a WLCA pre-planning and at post-construction and requires the analysis of the results both with the current carbon factors and a decarbonised scenario.. Additionally, bodies such as the London Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI), RIBA, GLA and UKGBC, have developed guidance documents on embodied carbon, which include specific targets and roadmaps to zero carbon prior 2050.
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.
We have a focus on building physics, with the aim of reducing energy costs for occupiers, as well as reducing carbon emissions.
We’re also particularly committed to looking at the whole life of a building, so this also encompasses the embodied carbon within materials — from construction methods all the way through to how that material operates.However, all of them require data, and that data needs to be collected and mapped spatially.
While the industry is excited about the general digitisation of the built environment, asBuilt feels that what we really need to be focusing on is spatial mapping.Knowing at what point a photograph was taken unlocks where the data lands and therefore adds value.
It’s at this point that data becomes truly useful information.. asBuilt’s spatially connected database, Vault, enables them to consider an entire digital ecosystem.Working with the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the company is currently using cameras and other technology to map point of sale flows through a spatial model, enabling detailed knowledge about the amount of money flowing through tills and bars at particular points.
(Editor: Eco Drawers)