The Future of Office Construction

Kelly Harrison, Structural Engineer and a director at the Timber Research and Development Association.

We’re currently living in a period of change, Climate Change, Healthcare and lifestyle Change, Political Change. Change that every industry, including the property and construction industry, needs to respond to.

Throughout my career I’ve worked on office developments. Drivers in design have historically included floor to floor heights leading to structural zones and clear heights, long span column free space, controlled environments and large glazed facades for light and views.

I find myself wondering how this period of change will affect these drivers?

Let’s start with Climate change or as it’s perhaps better described, the Climate Emergency. On this I have several questions. Is the constant turn-around of developments required? If so, how can we adapt existing buildings to suit the market trends and needs? If they can’t be re-configured in an effective and sustainable way, then how can we design a new building to have low embodied carbon and be flexible and adaptable to meet future market needs?

Healthcare and lifestyle change, I mean this is difficult to predict as we adjust to the ‘new normal’. Early indicators seem to suggest we’ll be working more flexibly going forwards and therefore office spaces need to work hard to attract people back. Different types of spaces within a development with wellness attributes provided by biophilic design such as natural materials, fresh air, outside spaces, and unusual and inspiring areas to occupy, are likely to be key.

The current political change in the UK will likely reduce labour levels, material availability and now with an impending recession, increase competition. At this point I feel it’s important to raise that we are also on the brink of another change, a technological one. Designing in a digital environment is becoming more common, point cloud surveys, drone footage, BIM models, off-site manufacture, virtual reality. If we use these technologies wisely we can be more efficient, understand existing buildings better, get the most out of the materials available to us and spend less time on the actual construction where labour is tight and disruption to the surrounding environment is high.

Over the last year in particular I’ve been involved in several projects which are absolutely embracing the challenges of these changes. Existing buildings have been thoroughly researched, surveyed and investigated. BIM models have been commissioned by the client and procurement routes which de- risk the unknowns of re-using an existing building adopted. Option studies looking at retention of existing, carbon, cost and structural zones have been undertaken early in the design stages to make informed decisions on how best to meet the brief.

Low embodied carbon materials have been key and engineered timber has been embraced, not only for it’s impressive strength to weight ratio when extending existing buildings but also for new build structures. Engineered timber is high tech, manufactured off-site, quick and easy to erect, and a natural, breathable material shown to increase attention spans and reduce stress. Its panelisation, accessible connections and low density means that opportunity for later adaptation, maintenance and extension is embedded. It’s embodied carbon is well documented with the majority being in transportation. Importantly it also acts as a carbon store, locking carbon into our buildings, if rolled out across cities along with a large reforestation/re-wilding programmes we’d have carbon sinks not only in our countryside but also our urban areas.

Engineered timber’s benefits are more and more appreciated across the industry. As a relatively new technology, and when rolled out on large, sometimes tall buildings it’s performance in key areas such as fire, acoustics and durability need tackling at the very start of the project with the right advise from the design team, industry and trade bodies. This is absolutely achievable and something we all should be working towards. Learning and sharing knowledge is invaluable, a plethora of conferences, university engagement and cross industry studies are underway to communicate findings and discover new opportunities to improve current systems.

An openness to the new and willingness to question, try and suggest from all can only be the best way forwards.