This has to be done on a project-by-project basis because decisions vary accordingly, demanding different amounts and kinds of work and design elements.
But when we build smarter we can do this.Repeatable building modules which can be switched in and out depending on requirements, such as glazing vs solid cladding modules, or heating vs heating and cooling fan coil unit modules, are simple features which may prevent a building from being torn down mid-way through its life expectancy.
Through a small number of new parts, the building has a whole new lifespan, limiting its embodied carbon when compared with the alternative of a new build.. Building less volume reduces costs, embodied carbon and operational carbon.And with more thought to whole life performance, low carbon, sustainable buildings can keep delivering benefits even after their lifetimes.Truly a win-win scenario..
If you'd like to continue to learn about our Design to Value approach and Modern Methods of Construction, sign up for our monthly newsletter here:.http://bit.ly/BWNewsUpdatesWe’ve talked extensively about the benefits a Platforms approach to Design for Manufacture and Assembly (P-DfMA) can bring to a construction project.
Transforming Infrastructure Performance: Roadmap to 2030. , published in September 2021, the IPA has announced that the Government will mandate a platforms approach within two years for social infrastructure..
The benefits of the platforms approach include cost savings, increased safety on-site, better quality, and more sustainable buildings.Due to the many benefits offered by adaptive reuse architecture, the practice should be embraced as part of the industry’s shift towards more sustainable design.. Over the last few years, the construction industry has focused on the improvement of Building Regulations (including planned changes in Part-L in 2022 and 2025) and the adoption of more ambitious standards and carbon targets for new construction, following initiatives from LETI, RIBA and UKGBC.
The impact of existing buildings, however, has been left unattended.New initiatives, however, are highlighting the importance of adaptive reuse, which focuses on the refurbishment.
of existing buildings (retrofitting) in order to help the UK meet its carbon targets.. To give a sense of the scale of the importance of adaptive reuse: according to LETI’s analysis, 80% of residential buildings that will exist in 2050 have already been built; and most of the buildings currently under construction will need to be partially or totally retrofitted before 2050.. A substantial proportion of the carbon emissions from existing buildings can be reduced by adopting simple retrofit measures, which could potentially be subsidised by the government.These would include: adding thermal insulation, upgrading windows or exchanging gas boilers for electric heaters and air source heat pumps..