Articles:

There is a pressing need to reduce carbon emissions in the short term, so although having an efficient building over a 50-year period is a good outcome, it is insufficient if it causes a huge emission of CO2 in the next few years.

And yet the system we use has not changed since the 1940s.It is arcane, complex, fragmented and hard to access and navigate – especially for the public who are, ultimately, its most important stakeholder.

It has not even adopted technology that is virtually standard in other areas.. As such, planning is an excellent example of a process ready for digitisation.Many elements could be digitised and therefore automated, reducing friction (which causes delay and cost) and streamlining activity from project design through consultation, to planning approval and construction.Modernising the planning process in this way would drive efficiency, enhance quality and benefit everyone involved, directly and indirectly..

This project has concrete and practical deliverables, therefore, but will also make a significant contribution towards a digitally enabled development industry.A key principle for us is collaboration and engagement with others in the field..

This project has been a collaboration between the London Borough of Southwark, the Centre for Digital Built Britain, Bryden Wood and 3DRepo.. Benefits of a digitised planning process.

The benefits of a seamless end-to-end digital planning process will be many and wide-reaching.This might be improving the optimisation factor of steel, reducing the thickness of concrete slabs, or balancing insulation thicknesses of walls, floors and roofs with operational energy savings.

A reduced quantity of building materials reduces a building’s weight.This in turn reduces the load on the foundations, allowing a further reduction in materials used in the substructure.

Lean design places a renewed emphasis on optimum sizing, without unnecessary redundancies or capacities.This is an important component of sustainable architectural design..