The focus was not the building and its aesthetic value, but the process it allowed for, and the lifesaving drug it produced.

Improving indoor air quality and hygiene.The impact of the pandemic and the interest in wellbeing, combined with higher pollution levels in urban areas, have increased the importance of improving indoor and outdoor air quality..

In order to improve outdoor pollution, local planning policies in some areas of the UK are requesting that buildings become air quality neutral and even air quality positive.This can be achieved via the adoption of fully electric HVAC systems that do not pollute the local environment, the use of green infrastructure and vegetation, and facilitating the use of sustainable modes of transport..It is widely reported that indoor air pollution is 3.5 times higher than outdoors.

This is due to the lack of ventilation, cooking, the use of chemicals for cleaning and emissions from construction materials and furniture, which cause an increase in the density of pollutants.The range of measures to improve indoor air quality and hygiene is quite wide.

Primary prevention measures should include the selection of non-toxic materials, products with low levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), furnishings without fire retardants and cleaning products without harmful chemicals..

In areas with potentially high pollution levels, the adoption of adequate monitoring is recommended, combined with air filtration systems (HEPA filters for PM2.5 particles, carbon filters for VOCs and UV light filter for airborne pathogens)..Moreover, organisations need to create space for people with these skills, because this isn’t always the case at the moment.. It’s also important to acknowledge the work that is already being done in this area.

Bryden Wood’s digital configurator apps are deliberately aimed at lowering the barrier to entry, while Professor Glass notes that at UCL there’s a part of the faculty entirely composed of data scientists looking at the built environment.There’s work for everybody to do on this, we just need to make a home for people in the sector.

On a somewhat similar note, the industry also needs to start making better use of its existing data.We can’t expect to get into digital twins and smart assets, if we aren’t making the most of the data we already have access to.. Further exploration into the future of construction.