Minchin says, ‘Businesses can grow in the space.
How will we adapt workspaces, ventilation, lifts and kitchens so that we can keep working if (when) new viruses arrive?What can we do with existing buildings?.
Our Platforms approach to Design for Manufacture and Assembly (P-DfMA) provides some answers here.As a method of construction, it presents many advantages, but in this context three stand out:.The Platforms approach to construction uses standard components for buildings that can be assembled in a number of ways, depending on the purpose of the building.
But because they’re standardised, these parts can be disassembled and reassembled relatively easily within the superstructure.The inherent agility of Platform construction means that final decisions on configuration can be made much later in the process than in traditional construction, allowing for change, if necessary, during design and build..
The use of the same components across sectors allows the possibility of repurposing buildings – so an office block can later be turned into residential with relatively little intervention.. Digital design makes it all possible.
In all of this, digital is our strongest ally.They all have fully glazed facades on the south facing, so it’s trying to get them to think about the fact it’s going to overheat and they have to look at solar shading and passive design measures.
The overarching premise is getting them to think from an architectural perspective about how they can influence the environmental design of the building.If they do it now whilst they’re still at uni, when they get into practice they can apply the principles more easily, which not only makes the M&E teams’ jobs better, but also, ultimately, delivers a better, more efficient, building to their client.. IP: In general, are architects as focused on this area as they could be?.
HH: In general, no.It’s taught a lot more than it used to be and it’s very much dependent on which university you go to.