Emerging Trends in Sustainable Architecture and Construction
In the wake of the technological revolution the world has been going through for years, both construction and sustainable architecture industries are expanding their methods way beyond tradition. The eyes of both industries now look toward the realms of artificial intelligence, BIM modeling services, virtual and augmented reality, etc.
Some studies indicate that the global construction output will increase by 85% by 2030, thanks to modern technologies such as architecture BIM. The truth is, advanced technology has become the main driving factor of development worldwide, and both construction and architecture aren't excluded.
Current State of Things
While the construction industry requires further expansion that will be based on broad needs, some market experts agree that we will see some significant developments by 2025, mostly in the realm of housing.
Due to the ever-increasing population numbers, we will need more than 30 million new housing units all over the world in the next five years. But here is a real problem - such a vast number of housing units with all necessary utilities would pose a devastating risk for our environment.
Professional architects and contractors have to look to sustainability to remedy these consequences and avoid increasing landfill waste, water, and air pollution. According to the
most recent studies, nearly 40% of global energy consumption per year goes on various construction projects and buildings.
New times call for new measures, and the best solution lies in the emerging trends that will bring innovations that allow construction and architecture industries to come up with solutions and deal with modern time problems.
Since there's an environmental impact to think about, professionals must combine their efforts to develop more sustainable practices that are easily implemented to prevent further damage.
Our environment has become vulnerable, and the only solution to keep expanding and evolving is in finding a balance between economical design and sustainability. With all this in mind, here are three emerging trends that will help improve construction productivity on a global level.
1. Next-Level Efficiency - Architectural BIM and BIM Modeling
Building information modeling or BIM modeling has become a vital component in both sustainable architecture and construction. In fact, this innovative and advanced technology has become a cornerstone of the digital revolution that is transforming these industries with each passing day.
While architectural BIM doesn't wholly lean on sustainability per se, this technology successfully delivers a wide range of various benefits that give an incredible boost to efficiency.
One of the best aspects of BIM is its exceptional ability to reduce an environmental footprint of almost every project related to both architecture and construction. Let's take 4D BIM as the best example.
This incredibly powerful technology necessitates the importance of integrating the most accurate scheduling information into 3D BIM design. By doing so, contractors can create step-by-step project development instructions in a timely and orderly manner.
In case that any design element needs an update or upgrade, it can be easily enriched with all additional details regarding other area interdependencies, sequencing, drying and curing allowances, installation and construction periods, and lead-time.
BIM technology brings an unprecedented level of sophistication in scheduling, and it helps professionals altogether remove the need for any last-minute on-site intervention. On top of all that, it also improves design coordination, eliminates rework while compressing project deadlines, and reducing waste at the same time.
In other words, BIM technology reduces the time it takes to complete a construction project, which means that the heavy machinery and crew are automatically required to spend less time on the worksite. This significantly reduces emission and power usage, which substantially lowers the overall project energy consumption.
2. Prolongation of Life of Durable Building Materials
While the eyes of almost every industry on the planet are looking to find the most sustainable solutions, the construction industry and similar areas have reassessed their resources.
Since the industry depends on the durability of the materials used in the construction of buildings, structures, and objects, the experts found one shocking thing. More than half of the documents deemed durable were hazardous to the environment.
Since we're talking here about sustainability, the next thing is to find durable building materials that will reduce the footprint on our natural habitat. This is also where BIM technology helped. It helps facilitate a new concept in construction called circular construction.
Why does this matter so much?
It matters because studies indicate that over 160 million tons of non-industrial waste end up in landfills, further polluting the air, soil, and water. And this happens every year. Then, there's also the fact that a significant number of new construction projects take place on the ruins of old buildings.
The process of demolition causes enough damage already, without mentioning all the waste. Instead of dumping all that used material, it's possible to salvage it and use it for recycling. Aside from saving costs and materials, recycled materials are far less expensive than new ones.
Still, the most significant benefit of recycling is reducing the greenhouse gas emission impact. So, this new emerging trend includes approaching construction and building structures as material banks. These are additional storage houses for sustainable materials that will be used in the projects to come.
3. Off-Site Construction
Since environmentally-friendly has become a new motto for every industry in the world, architecture professionals and sustainable contractors are joining efforts to pioneer a completely new approach that includes modular, off-site, or prefabricated construction.
The main goal is to eliminate the need to bring heavy machinery and construction crews on working sites as this is definitely the best way to reduce the environmental footprint. Therefore, the best solution is to assemble all construction sections in any controlled environment like a factory with minimal scrap and overage.
On the other hand, if the entire construction worksite is reduced to plain assembling, without any need for on-site crafting or building sections, this incredibly saves the time it takes to complete any project, regardless of its size.
Conclusion
With sustainability becoming an increasingly demanded element of almost every project, the prevalence of this and other trends requires both sustainable architecture and construction industries to reorganize their workflows, frameworks, and business methods.
The next emerging trend that will skyrocket, if not already, is the demand for off-site prefabrication. In this new order of things, architecture BIM and BIM modeling will play a massive role in the revolution to come.
All industries will have to make a transition toward more sustainable, environment-friendly business models and methods, but this effort won't be an easy one. It's more than clear that the only way to move forward is to advance toward a whole world as no one can profit from a sick and dying planet.
With that in mind, it is expected that the most significant innovations and revolutionary advancement will occur in industries such as medicine, science, AI, construction, and architecture. The technology we have can help us build a better world; we only need to feel its pulse and listen to the echo.
Author : Mr. John Victor
About Author : John Victor has been an avid blogger for 5 years, with particular interests in CAD and related technologies. He got a good interest in the particular subject -BIM- since it is exciting and is a trending topic for the last few years. Today he is an expert on the subject and over the years he has consistently contributed articles to some top technology websites.
