Chilled water systems offer significant flexibility:.

In order to substantially reduce embodied carbon, our designs will adopt the following hierarchy:.Build Nothing: identify opportunities to reuse existing structures, refurbish and reuse demolition materials onsite.

Build Less: optimise the building’s form, structure, structural grid, WWR and DfMA components; recommend the use of durable materials, design-out basements and false ceilings (exposed soffit); design spaces which are adaptable and can be easily deconstructed..Build Clever: specify low carbon materials with a focus on the recycled content of steel and concrete and the use of timber; maximise the recycled content of finishes, use reclaimed floors and explore system’s rental; where possible use low GWP refrigerants and avoid VRF systems..Build Efficiently: implement innovative construction strategies such as Modern methods of Construction (MMC) and use a DfMA approach to reduce waste onsite..

Offset: Any remaining carbon should be offset via recognised carbon offset schemes.Offsets used should be publicly disclosed.. An example of design strategies that follow the proposed embodied carbon hierarchy is shown in Figure 5..

Step-by-step hierarchy for net zero embodied carbon.

Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA).It’s just an idea that’s coming back, growing in scale, and becoming more mainstream.. Another issue we have in the construction industry, she explains, is that when we talk about this type of industrialised construction work, we tend to focus on the projects we consider to be the sexy, quirky ones.

We talk about the asterisk, which will never be done again..In actuality, her volumetric modular company had built hundreds of schools for New York City.

It was a case of lots of buildings and big applications.She says these are the industrialised construction projects we need to be talking about - the ones that everyone needs to do.. Kit-of-parts architecture and the benefits of standardisation.