FOREWORD The way we build is evolving dramatically, with new materials, systems and technologies making it possible to create architecture that is more energy efficient, resilient and sensitive to the needs of its inhabitants than ever before. Building better is the single most important action we can take against our present environmental emergency. Where prowess was once measured in tonnes of concrete and steel, today’s stand- out architecture boasts of how little the toll of its construction has weighed on the environment. There has been huge innovation in combining new building materials like cross-laminated timber, graphene and carbon fibre with emerging digital technologies to challenge ingrained processes, and of creating experimental smog-eating, floating and passive buildings that work with, not against, the environment. But there has also been a quiet revolution in upgrading the workhorse components most buildings will in reality be constructed from. Researchers are finding less wasteful ways to use traditional materials, developing recyclable formwork for building structures, creating paints that deflect heat, and incorporating recycled raw materials into hidden products like insulation to keep waste out of oceans and landfill. Smart water management is helping conserve this scarce resource, and high-performing envelope systems are reducing the reliance on artificial heating and cooling with benefits for both the environment and the pocket. A surge of interest in off-site and modular building has been spurred on by the possibilities afforded by advances in digital design, and the ever-present pressure to build quickly and with accuracy. The environmental activism of Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion, and the ensuing Global Climate Strike, has given a renewed impetus to these developments, and rallied architects and construction experts to find solutions. Collectives like Architects Declare have taken up the baton, committing to “meeting the needs of our society without breaching the earth’s ecological boundaries” by changing the way they work. Among the signatories are Foster + Partners – the designer of Bloomberg’s European headquarters in London, one of the world’s most sustainable office buildings, which is featured later in the book. Buildings such as this, and others featured in the book, maximise natural sources of energy and light, not only to reduce energy consumption, but to provide an enjoyable working environment. Standardised components that give clarity to their design can also hasten construction times and will eventually help future proof them against adaption and damage. It is clear that responsible manufacturing has a weighty role to play in architecture achieving its sustainability credentials. The shift towards adopting a circular economy is seeing suppliers reintegrate materials previously considered waste in the production process, develop ways to elongate the lifespan of their products and come up with ways to divert materials from landfill on demolition. The projects that follow exemplify innovative and future-proofed design thinking, using some of the most advanced materials and technologies available to us today. They are stepping stones towards tackling the issues that the buildings of tomorrow must solve – lowering carbon emissions and creating spaces that support wellbeing for everybody.
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