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Future Construction and Smart Cities
It’s not enough for the construction industry to deliver smart buildings that are ultra-efficient to heat or cool. The construction industry also needs to focus on how long those buildings will actually last. My own home was built in 1842 and I expect will still be lived in by the year 2300. But I don’t know many commercial tower blocks or factories being built today that have a life-expectancy of more than 50 years - and many buildings being demolished today are less than 40 years old.
This really matters, because 30% of the entire energy consumed in the average life cycle of an office tower is the energy consumed in building it, and 10% more can be consumed in demolition.
We need to see far more life-enhancing, iconic structures that people will love and enjoy using for generations to come. That means regulators, government planners, architects and project owners all working together with longer term vision. As part of this, we will also see rapid growth in repurposing older buildings, refitting their interiors, extending their useful lives.
Secondly, we talk a lot about recycling as being good for the environment. And we will see massive growth in recycling of building waste. But we can go a lot further.
The truth is that most recycling in our communities is down-cycling. For example, plastic drinking bottles converted into lower-grade insulation products. But closed-cycling is where those same plastic drinking bottles are collected, melted down and recast into new plastic bottles.
Can we do similar things in the construction industry? Yes indeed....
* "How AI Will Change your life - A Futurist's Guide to a Super-Smart World" - Patrick Dixon's latest book on AI is published in September 2024 by Profile Books. It contains 38 chapters on the impact of AI across different industries, government and our wider world, including impact of AI on construction, green tech innovation and reducing global CO2 emissions.
Read more: Future of the Construction Industry, rush to Net Zero Carbon (NZC), Smart Buildings, Smart Cities, infrastructure, offsite-manufacturing, modular buildings, modern methods of construction, green tech innovation, changes in use after COVID. Keynote Speaker