Innovation

Yves Behar debuts fully customisable tiny homes Designer Yves Behar has launched a range of prefabricated accessory dwelling units that aim to tackle rising house costs and increase urban density in California. The San Francisco-based designer has partnered with custom home company Plant Prefab – which recently gained funding from Amazon – to create LivingHomes YB1, the first in a line of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) intended to fill gaps on existing properties. The micro homes are marketed as potential accommodation for young family members, elderly parents, students or others struggling to afford their own houses. Unveiled at the Summit...

Construction 2025: 3D Printed walls, drones & recycled plastic roofs Renowned futurologist Dr Ian Pearson has given an insight into how the future of the UK construction industry could look. Commissioned by Colmore Tang Construction, Dr Pearson has presented some interesting findings on where technology is taking the construction industry. He suggests that drones carrying building materials to 3D printed walls, and roofs made from recycled plastic bottles from ocean waste will all be mainstream by 2025, while floating buildings or apartments will be possible by 2050 thanks to carbon foam, which is lighter than air. Dr Pearson says that...

Technology trends that will reshape the construction industry The global construction industry continued to make progress this last year on efforts to leverage new technology to tackle its longstanding and well-documented productivity challenges, according to Burcin Kaplanoglu, Senior Director, Industry Strategy and Innovation, Oracle. That trend should accelerate further as forward-looking AEC firms embrace new tools, approaches and data-centric strategies to improve project and business outcomes, he says. Kin to the Bechtel dynasty, Darren Bechtel of Brick & Mortar Ventures recently noted in Wired Magazine that construction is “one of the last massive industries to be disrupted”. There is growing...

Digitising construction BIM technology is revolutionary for construction, bringing together design, planning and infrastructure, and enhancing communication between contractors, sub contractors and supply chain. Its influential nature has become a fundamental in the design, creation and development of public sector buildings, and is increasingly being applied to schemes across the UK. We spoke with Mark Norton, Head of BIM, and Simon Spink, Head of Visualisation, at ISG about the technology and how it has integrated itself into the AEC landscape. Having joined the industry in the 80s as a Mechanical Engineer, and building an interest in CAD, Mark has been...

CSIC aims to tackle ‘sick building syndrome’ through innovation Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC) is urging Scottish construction businesses to innovate in order to improve the quality of air inside our buildings and tackle ‘sick building syndrome’. Scots spend around 80-90% of their time indoors, whether that be at home, school or work. Studies have shown that poor indoor air quality has a negative impact on health, wellbeing and productivity. ‘Sick building syndrome’, a condition which is typically marked by headaches and respiratory problems, is attributed to factors in the indoor environment such as inadequate ventilation or poorly maintained air conditioning. To...