Jacqueline Glass MCIOB, School of Civil and Building Engineering, Loughborough University
Scientists at Nanyang Technical University in Singapore have created titanium dioxide (TiOx) nanofibres, which can be made into flexible solar cells and even antibacterial bandages. TiOx also has photocatalytic properties — so incorporating it in building facades and paving is said to “eat smog”.
Closer to home, Aggregate Industries’ Thermastore – a neat concept for seasonal storage of heat generated from micro-renewable sources – looks interesting.
Alvise Simondetti, Global leader of virtual design, Arup
3D printing is an exciting technology that’s now being used to carry out the large-scale manufacturing of buildings using printers such as the D-Shape printer developed by Italian Enrico Dini. We have been working with Dini on a design for a coastal reconstruction project that will print rocks of up to 6 sq m for use in a sea wall.
The possibilities for this technology are mind boggling. I understand that Nasa is just a year away from taking a 3D printer to the moon, using dust from the moon’s surface as a binding agent to build structures there.
David Weight, associate director, Aecom
We are developing a concept for a sustainable multi-purpose canal project that would run from the Southern Uplands of Scotland down to the south-east of England. In light of the UK’s increased water demand it would primarily be used for public and agricultural water supply, but it would also function as a more sustainable transport route by displacing vehicles from roads. It would also move biomass fuel grown in Scotland to “power stations” in the Midlands and incorporate high-voltage direct current cables in a side panel, which, when cooled by the water, become a highly efficient means of transmitting power over long distances.
Michael Baldwin, senior partner, Max Fordham
New EC/DC drives for fan units deliver the same performance for lower energy consumption and therefore lower carbon emissions, they are quieter and more controllable, and the real beauty is that they can be retrofitted into existing units.
Part of our carbon reduction strategy for the refurbishment of the Grade I listed Trinity College, Cambridge, includes the installation of new EC/DC fan units, which will help us achieve an overall 80% reduction in carbon emissions.
John Roycroft, director of civil and structural engineering, BDP
I have an idea for an innovation that can revolutionise the way design teams coordinate information and communicate ideas at the very conception of projects or when buildings are constructed on site. It is the ability to sketch.
Sketching is a learnable tool that has the ability to capture issues and generate discussion and innovation in an incredibly efficient way. For me, the real opportunity is to link it with the extraordinary communicative power of BIM.
David Hayes, head of sustainability, EC Harris
Several big players are starting to look at developing phase change materials designed to mitigate temperature in rooms without recourse to air conditioning.
Another interesting area is the introduction of waterproofing systems to buildings to help them recover from flood conditions. Baca Architects has developed radical new designs for floating buildings and buildings on stilts, and similar ideas have been implemented in Holland.
