Welcome to the May edition of PBC Today. In this edition, we explore everything from the need to improve not only the quantity but also the quality of new homes, the pressures facing construction SMEs and the challenges in delivering the 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy to the role of AI in architecture and a project developing robots for complex projects.
In our cover story, Mike Reader MP, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Excellence in the Built Environment, discusses its latest report, Place to Call Home, which examines the challenges of delivering 1.5m homes – that people love.
We also hear from David Barnes of the Chartered Institute of Building, who reflects on the key findings of the latest State of Trade survey, conducted in partnership with the Federation of Master Builders, and what could be in store for construction SMEs amid ongoing conflicts abroad and policy changes in the UK.
Elsewhere, David Porter, president of the Institution of Civil Engineers, writes that if the UK is to deliver its 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy, the industry needs to change.
The Warm Homes Plan and Future Homes Standard have place rooftop solar front and centre of housing policy. But, asks Gray Gibson of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors, with fires caused by solar panels already rising at twice the rate of installations, is the industry ready to safely deliver this step-change?
In BIM & Digital, John Clarke of the Digital Buildings Council examines semantic modelling, a key foundation for any building intended to move beyond simple automation and intro real-world intelligence.
In addition, we take a look at the MARIO project, a collaboration between the Myers-Lawson School of Construction at Virginia Tech and Procon Consulting that is developing a team of robots to bring remote, real-time monitoring to complex construction sites.
In MMC & Offsite, Jackie Maginnis, chief executive of the Modular & Portable Building Association, makes the case for modular construction as a strategic answer to rising inflation, costs, complexity and supply chain issues.
Here’s a selection of what’s in store:
1. Talking about high quality placemaking is not enough – it’s down to delivery
Mike Reader, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Excellence in the Built Environment and Member of Parliament for Northampton South, on why more needs to be done to drive quality in housing.
2. Cost pressures mounting for construction SMEs
The Chartered Institute of Building and the Federation of Master Builders have released the results of their latest State of Trade survey. CIOB head of policy and public affairs David Barnes reflects on the key highlights and what could be in store for construction SMEs in the coming months amid ongoing conflicts abroad and policy changes here in the UK.
3. What’s needed to deliver the 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy
If the UK is to deliver the infrastructure it needs over the next 10 years, the industry needs to change. David Porter, president of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), looks at how asset owners can contribute to this mission.
4. The Sheffield Declaration: Putting principles back into planning
The Sheffield Declaration aims to provide a hopeful pathway to healthy placemaking, which can restore public and professional confidence in the planning system.
5. Safety and regulation gaps must be addressed for rooftop solar to thrive
The Warm Homes Plan and Future Homes Standard have placed rooftop solar front and centre of the government’s housing policy – but with fires caused by solar panels already rising at twice the rate of installations, is the industry ready to safely deliver this step-change in the role of the roof?
6. Construction firms avoid £92.6m in lost value through GIRI training pilot
Error undermines construction productivity – but our pilot programme has shown that with the right behaviours and error reduction training, we can crack it, writes Cliff Smith, executive director of the Get It Right Initiative.
7. Semantic modelling: The foundation of outcome-first cognitive buildings
Semantic modelling is the essential foundation for any building that aims to move beyond simple automation and into real-world intelligence. It is the framework that allows us to turn a collection of disconnected data points into a meaningful digital asset, writes John Clarke of Digital Buildings Council founding member One Sightsolutions.
8. MARIO: Unlocking the potential of AI and robotics in construction
The MARIO project is developing a team of humanoid, quadruped, and aerial robots to bring remote, real-time monitoring to complex construction sites.
9. AI becomes increasingly embedded in project delivery across the construction sector
Project management professionals working in the construction sector are rapidly embedding AI into their day-to-day work, transforming how projects are planned, delivered and managed, according to new research from the Association for Project Management.
10. Advancing offsite construction for housing
The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) and industrialised construction consultancy MOD X Advisory have been engaged by the US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) on a series of connected research and pilot projects examining how offsite construction can play a greater role in addressing the US housing supply and affordability crisis.
