Lockdown may have recently ended, but a lot is happening under the covers, and innovators are coming up with great ideas to meet the Government’s net-zero goals. The Climate Change Committee’s ambition is to have 5.5 million heat pumps, recognise hydrogen and decarbonise heat. Here are a few tasters of exciting developments and thoughts.
It’s been around for nearly 50 years, but glass-reinforced concrete (GRC) remains an enigma to many architects and contractors in the UK, says James Butler of Pura Facades.
In these dramatically changing times, it is remarkable what there is to find by simply using the word ‘innovation’ as a digging tool.
Roland Jackson, Commercial Director of roofing, waterproofing and insulation specialist, Soprema, discusses alternatives to copper and why they should be considered to create stunning design features..
Writing in the Times last month, Architect Norman Foster relates how he was asked in a BBC documentary to name his favourite building. Without hesitation, he cited the now disappearing Jumbo 747. Six storeys high at the tail, with about 3000ft2 of space, five lavatories, three kitchens and room for 367 guests, he believes the 747 is genuinely architectural both in its design and its thinking. And, what’s more, it flies!
Last month, the UK Government announced its plans to encourage the nation to “build, build, build” as part of its efforts to kick-start the UK economy post-coronavirus. While there is much to be admired in this sentiment, we must not lose sight of other important issues the construction and building product manufacturing sectors need to address, particularly around sustainability.
2020 will not be easily forgotten. With the loss of so many loved ones, the financial impact of being furloughed or losing one’s job, as well as witnessing the struggles of officials attempting to manage the situation, it’s certain that the impact of coronavirus will stay with us for a long time. However, from the depths of this crisis and its negative impact, there are hidden pockets of positivity, says Alan Dowdall, Associate at Ramboll UK.
In a new podcast series, world-leading sustainable flooring manufacturer Interface will explore exactly what it means to design with climate in mind. Hosted by Jon Khoo, Interface’s Regional Sustainability Manager, each episode will feature an in-depth, informative conversation with a range of leading figures from the worlds of design, sustainability and the built environment.
For the housing industry today, the problems of the ‘Third World War’ (i.e. COVID-19) mirror somewhat those of the Second World War when the aim was to come up with a quick, efficient and modern answer to a problem. In 1942, it was the bombed-out housing crisis. This was when the UK took inspiration from the USA and their very advanced and modern prefabricated houses for workers and families working on huge dam construction projects. UK prefabs were temporary homes built in the factory – they were the MMC (modern methods of construction) of their day.
