Scenarios have the power to anticipate potential systemic transformations, enable the necessary strategic dialogue between key stakeholders, to analyse change and as a consequence unlock novel and visionary approaches. According to the OECD “The goal in using scenarios is to reveal the dynamics of change and use these insights to reach sustainable solutions to the […]
Digitalisation has found its way into timber construction, with entire elements already being fabricated by computer-aided systems. The raw material is cut to size by the machines, but in most cases it still has to be manually assembled to create a plane frame. In the past, this fabrication process came with many geometric restrictions. Under […]
The collapse of Britain’s second-largest construction firm, Carillion, is symptomatic of a larger problem. Globally, construction performs poorly compared to other sectors. The underlying cause of the sector’s underperformance: construction lives in the 19th Century. Across any measure of process or technological advancement—be it software tools, big data, modularization, digitalisation, or the use of lean […]
The region can learn lessons from first movers to leapfrog to success Digitising the built environment could revolutionise service provision and how we build and deliver the underlying infrastructure and real estate assets. Figure 1: Percentage urban and location of urban agglomerations with at least 500,000 inhabitants, 2014. Source: UN, World Urbanisation Prospects: The […]
BIM is the centerpiece of the construction industry’s digital transformation, however BIM adoption is still too slow Download the full report here In the last decades the construction industry has failed to keep up with productivity gains made in other industries, hampering national economies’ wider growth, societies’ well-being and the solution of environmental issues. Emerging […]
Researchers use AI to identify how expert bricklayers develop ‘physical wisdom’ to both work fast and reduce wear and tear on their bodies Carl Haas has always thought it’s a terrible shame when workers in skilled construction trades, including many of his own friends and relatives, have their careers cut short by wear-and-tear injuries. Now, […]
We are all familiar with presentations bemoaning the archaic nature of the construction industry. Something radical must be done! The story is that the construction industry has experienced decades of stagnant productivity growth, at least in the US. There has been some push back. Output measures have been questioned. Metrics that allocate benefits associated with […]
The construction industry needs to take actions to close its talent gap as one major hurdle for its digital transformation Recently, transformative technological developments, like 3D-printed houses, automated construction equipment and pre-fabricated skyscrapers, emerged. The digital transformation of the construction industry has the potential to uplift the decade-long stagnating productivity of the industry which is […]
With an imbalance today between national government funding and the growing demand to update basic public services like water, power and transportation, our major global cities are challenged more than ever to look creatively at funding solutions for infrastructure. Private sector involvement is a key strategy, and it is manifest in the use of public-private […]
How NEOM could set a new lifespan record for its future Citizens by designing a $500-billion-megacity community of rejuvenation and happiness. Following the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 to transition into a post-oil economy, his country has just announced a plan to build a megacity on the coast of the Red Sea, NEOM, […]
More commercial disputes happen in energy, mining, infrastructure and urban development than in other industries. Projects in these sectors demand long timeframes and the co-ordination of large numbers of organisations, both of which cause friction. Consequently, conflict management and dispute resolution techniques have advanced fast. Why do disputes matter? Commercial disputes are like toxins. They cause […]
Rethinking how we build shelter may be an important step in increasing sustainability. One such possibility involves creating permeable buildings that interact with the natural world. Traditional buildings are designed to provide protection against a savage world, with us safe on one side and our waste on the other. Architects have long relied on ‘hard’ […]
Our built environment and its entire value chain are in the wake of a severe transformation. Artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things, robotics and other technologies are not only responsible for the emergence of smart cities, automated processes and new business opportunities, but a change to the rules underpinning the real estate industry. The impact […]
The walls are coming down in Finland’s schools – but not just the physical barriers between classrooms. Also going are divisions between subjects and age ranges, and students have more of a say over what will be learnt than children in many other countries. According to CityLab, an architecture website, the country is undergoing an […]