These products have been available for decades but have gained popularity in recent years as a sustainable alternative to traditional materials like steel and concrete.. At Bryden Wood, we’re continually exploring the use of sustainable materials and are committed to the delivery of ‘honest’ buildings where all technical challenges are well-known, and thoroughly analysed and addressed to avoid unwanted architectural or environmental impacts in design and operation.. Our design approach supports construction systems where each component is designed for purpose, without the need for additional redundant materials that generate unnecessary waste or additional embodied carbon.

Some of the recommendations widely accepted in the industry for the re-occupation of buildings post-pandemic have a direct impact on energy efficiency.In order to improve indoor air quality and reduce the likelihood of pathogens, fresh air rates need to be increased and air filters should be installed.

However, that increases energy consumption from fans.In naturally ventilated buildings, the recommendation is that windows should be opened frequently, even during winter, but this causes substantial heat loss and the inefficient operation of heating and cooling systems.It is also advised that in the event of further virus outbreaks, heat recovery devices are switched off – affecting the efficiency of HVAC systems.. Additionally, the recommendation to switch off recirculating cooling systems (fan coils and passive chilled beams) to limit the movement of airborne particles would affect thermal comfort and wellbeing due to overheating..

These healthy design requirements can have a large impact on energy efficiency and increase pressure on carbon reduction targets and aspirations to design Net Zero Carbon buildings.It is very important to balance these needs and think carefully about our HVAC management and controls.

But most importantly, we need to design buildings which are resilient and adopt the principles of passive design.

Buildings that adopt adequate solar control measures, good thermal insulation, good daylight levels and openable windows via narrow plates have the capacity to reduce peak heating and cooling gains and the dependence on mechanical ventilation, where feasible..We need to connect makers and designers, she says.

We need to look across everything we’ve built and find the consistencies.We can’t do it by hand, we need to use algorithms and machine learning.

We need to decouple some of the process, which is done differently every time, to create certainty.. To illustrate her point, Marks raises the example of a generator, built consistently to a 250 horsepower capacity.With a generator, we already know its size, shape, and the way it will act.