In this issue we have four articles from authors based in Denmark, Egypt, France and the UK. Topics covered range from building lifespan and the link between sustainability and building information modeling (BIM), to kinetic architecture and 3D printing.
In our first article Marsh makes the point that the scientific literature is lacking when it comes to addressing building lifespan. His comprehensive research explores different lifespans of buildings, using life cycle assessment for typical construction solutions in Denmark. The results point to the need to design buildings for a longer service life than the typical 35–60 years if we are to reduce the environmental impact of construction. Although the context is specific to Denmark the method could be used for other countries. The results suggest that clients and designers need to rethink some of the fundamental parameters that inform their decisions when it comes to building life cycle and component selection.
We continue the environmental theme in our second article. Much has been written about the benefits of BIM and in this article the authors extend the discussion by linking sustainable building design processes to BIM. Zanni, Soetanto and Ruikar are primarily concerned with integration and collaboration, with emphasis on transparency and shared understanding within the design process. Using an abductive research method, the work provides an insight into the workings of distributed project teams. The conclusions point to the need to clearly specify roles, responsibilities and deliverables, identify repeatable tasks and redefine the design process for BIM enabled sustainable design.
Staying with technology Megahed’s research is concerned with understanding kinetic architecture. This is the first time that the subject has been explicitly addressed within the journal, and one that, no doubt, will be explored in the future as our building designs become more fluid and dynamic. The author postulates a conceptual framework for kinetic architecture before exploring the issues further via a case study. Five design strategies for kinetic architecture are put forward, starting with formalization, through innovation, evaluation, reality and policy. This helps with better understanding the complex design and engineering inherent in kinetic architecture.
In our fourth article Dakhli and Lafhaj explore the 3D printing of complex geometry formwork for cement columns. Their research is based around a small-scale printing test to build a prototype. This enabled the authors to assess the feasibility of their approach. The work explains the challenges and practical approaches of 3D printing, compared to existing methods. It concludes with the observation that 3D printing will not replace existing technologies but will sit alongside them as a complementary option for complex formwork.