Sustainable thinking with a Design to Value approach
If we can just expand our minds and ambition, the only thing left is to gain.. John Dyson, who works closely with Bryden Wood, is ex VP of Capital Strategy at GSK and currently Professor of Human Enterprise at the University of Birmingham.. You can also listen to John talk about Process Engineering and Design to Value on Episode 3 of our podcast, Built Environment Matters,.
In our work with Crossrail we designed to zero tolerance with very good success.This unlocks vast potential in terms of manufacturing a better quality of building - structures which are more air- and weather-tight, energy efficient and overall better performing.
Further, standardisation allows us to do a better job of integrating our mechanical and electrical engineering systems, which then has the knock-on effect of reducing the overall volume of a building by 30-40%.As the building gets smaller, so does the air handling plant.This creates a reduction in running costs - heating and lighting.
In other words, we create a virtuous circle of benefit.. What is the future of the construction industry?.Ultimately, we suspect that over time buildings will become flexible configurations of components, rather than large, fixed assets.
We may end up creating loose-fit superstructures.
The superstructure contains the majority of the embodied carbon in a building.All of these factors combine to deliver cost and material savings, while using fewer people and increasing productivity.
We’re already seeing evidence that it’s possible to build a superstructure with half the number of people in half the time, representing a four-fold increase in productivity, as well as a 25% reduction in overall material and a 20% reduction in embodied carbon.And there are other benefits, such as the ability to minimise tolerances.
In our work with Crossrail we designed to zero tolerance with very good success.This unlocks vast potential in terms of manufacturing a better quality of building - structures which are more air- and weather-tight, energy efficient and overall better performing.