BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE

Original article published 12/18/2020 in gulfconstructiononline.com

Stephan Degenhart, Associate Partner and Managing Director Middle East & Asia Pacific, provides an insight into what developers can do in 2022 and beyond to increase their green rating and reduce their carbon footprint.

A responsible attitude towards nature, climate-friendly energy technology, economical use of sources and acc?s to clean drinking are criteria that will decide our future. This applies particularly to the design and construction environment, given that buildings have an operating life of 40 to 80 years. Hence, sustainability is increasingly becoming a strategic priority for developers and the best way to approach this is holistic, with buildings being a visible manifestation of this.

It's important to bear in mind; however, sustainability is more than buildings being as energy efficient as possible - it involves everything from architecture and design to material selection and the health and well-being of users. There is no end in sight for the smart trend in which a fusion of technology, innovation, engineering and environment is created to enable a smarter future.

To design sustainable buildings, Drees & Sommer embraces the Cradle to Cradle (C2C) design principle and aims to reduce the consumption of resources and waste to nil and consider the materials used as "nutrients". Buildings and their materials are selected either because they are entirely biodegradable or because they can be repurposed or recycled. C2C also directly impacts the users of a building - with companies that have set up offices in sustainable buildings reporting lower incidents of illness and employee turnover. The Cradle to Cradle principle is the basis of the circular economy and industrial system that's regenerative by design and ensure that the resources used can serve as starting materials for new, pollutant-free products after usage.?

Alongside this, the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart technology are fundamentally changing how buildings are developed, operated and controlled. There are many smart technology solutions already available, from 3D laser scanning and digital modular fabrication to intelligent construction equipment and BIM (building information modelling) models, besides IoT systems and robotics. The financial benefits of intelligent, sustainable buildings are considerable for the asset owner. According to research by McKinsey & Company, adopting digital solutions throughout every phase of the construction process could increase market productivity by as much as 15 per cent and reduce life cycle costs by up to 45 per cent.

The combination of ecological and economic sustainability is critical to the future of the real estate industry. The concept of sustainable construction is nothing new; it's something developers and investors know they should be doing; Covid-19 has accelerated this and put a new spotlight on how we can design and build sustainable developments. Nonetheless, there are many questions on the path to sustainable development. To help developers, below are three concepts that are worth exploring for those interested in sustainable development and construction:

• Engage a sustainability consultant:?A sustainability consultant can advise on targeted measures you can use in your development and production processes to reduce both energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions while curring any manufacturing costs. Thet can also help you decide on the appropriate Green Building Label for your Green building certification and review the costs, risks, and opportunities associated with your project. In addition, a sustainability consultant can provide support with the certification process following all the established systems. The outcome of sustainability consulting is a perfect balance between profitability and sustainability.
• Consider going modular:?Modular design involves the construction of buildings via prefabricated sections, built remotely and then delivered to the construction site. Modular building is innovative, cost-effective and incredibly time-efficient. It's suffered from being stereotyped as quick and lower quality, but this doesn't have to be the case. The controlled plant conditions used for off-site mean results can be achieved in half the time of conventional methods. If C2C principles are also implemented, the benefits multiply.?
• Embrace digitisation:?Digitisation has the power to have a substantial impact on the real estate industry. In a recent Drees & Sommer survey, 91 per cent of respondents said digitisation would have either a strong or very strong impact on the real estate sector. Firstly, digitisation will play an increasingly integral role when it comes to the design and construction of sustainable buildings. Secondly, digitisation will go far beyond architecture; it will support the operation of a building. Driven by more demanding user requirements, increasing desires for efficiency and the need for reduced operating costs, digitisation will bring about new business models for a property. No longer is an asset simply built, leased, rented or sold; a building is capable of so much more. Essentially, technology can give buildings a brain, bringing them to life and opening up new possibilities of how we use them.?

Drees & Sommer's advice is to future-proof yourself now. The increasingly competitive environment will result in more demand for quality products, driving the transformation of sustainable design and construction. The systems and technology are there, meaning it's your opportunity to be at the forefront of change.?