We need everyone to contribute and collaborate:clients, policymakers, the market.
But agility can’t simply be reactive.We have to design it into our built environment.
Future-proofing is no longer about thinking how we might repurpose a building in twenty years’ time.The question now is how we allow for changes that may well cycle round in a matter of months..In a world where everyone may need to work from home, what does that mean for designing and building flats and houses?
If every occupant has to have the space, power and connectivity to work effectively?And what will we do with that space if it’s not needed, if the occupants have jobs that can’t be done at home?.
How will we design and build offices, if there’s the possibility that they might have to be re-purposed for domestic, healthcare or manufacturing purposes?
How will we adapt workspaces, ventilation, lifts and kitchens so that we can keep working if (when) new viruses arrive?The spaces between heated, humid, pool halls and cooled gyms, or external areas, are particularly challenging.
Condensation can cause staining or mould growth on the building fabric, and saturate insulation layers, degrading their performance.There are also health and safety risks from mould spores or people slipping on surface water.
Working closely with Grahams, MSL and Saunders Boston, Bryden Wood used AnTherm software along with finite difference numerical modelling, building thermal modelling and probabilistic weather data, to assess condensation risk.As a result, design changes could be made to reduce condensation.. As these two excellent new facilities open their doors, the communities that they serve can feel the benefits of a well-managed indoor climate, and the client can be confident that they have assets that manage energy efficiently.Engineering matters.