‘We were able, with Circle Reading, to give the building an aesthetic which was beyond purely functional,’ says Wood..
Pablo highlighted the unique advantage at Bryden Wood, where architects, engineers, and sustainability experts work under one roof.This setup facilitates a more integrated design process, allowing for seamless collaboration and innovation, especially in sustainability efforts.. 2.
Role of modern methods of construction in sustainability.The conversation emphasised the critical link between modern methods of construction (MMC), such as Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA), and sustainability.These approaches can significantly contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of buildings through more efficient designs and the use of sustainable materials.. 3.. Passivhaus as a sustainability benchmark:.
Pablo highlighted Passivhaus as a rigorous standard for energy efficiency in a building, reducing its ecological footprint.It represents a robust model for achieving extreme energy efficiency and comfort via airtight building envelopes, high-performance windows, and ventilation with heat recovery.. 4.
Importance of early integration of sustainability.
Pablo stressed the necessity of embedding sustainability discussions early in the design process to ensure these principles are deeply rooted in the project.It is the world’s first major commercial development to be designed and built using a platform approach to Design for Manufacture and Assembly (P-DfMA).
Bryden Wood has developed P-DfMA over many years..It takes lessons from the manufacturing industry and applies them to construction.
It is based on the understanding that comparable built assets share many common characteristics in the dimensions and requirements of their core elements – floor-to-ceiling heights, for example, or how to connect vertical and horizontal structural elements..Similar to how flat-pack furniture uses standard parts and assembly techniques as integral elements in a wide range of products, P-DfMA designs buildings using a standardised ‘kit of parts’ that can be efficiently combined, while still producing highly customised structures.. By liberating architects from the mechanics of construction, it allows them to invest more of their time to where they can really add value – in creativity.. Optimisation as with other systems that use standardised elements, P-DfMA focused on the optimisation of each one, knowing that the multiple applications of each element will repay massively.. Optimising a standard beam so that it requires the minimum amount of steel, or reducing the depth of the floor slab to minimise the amount of concrete required, delivers substantial reductions in both carbon and cost when applied across entire sites, and even more so over multiple sites..