It’s only after passive design strategies are considered that we look at efficient equipment selections, renewable technology and low/zero carbon technology.
It’s also lightweight, strong, stable, easy to handle, suitable for prefabrication, has thermal properties, as well as great aesthetic appeal..Extract of data published by Price and Myers for the embodied carbon of superstructures in projects with 2 to 10 storeys and excluding basements.. Today, engineered timber is a suitable solution to reduce embodied carbon in buildings but this may change in the future once the construction industry moves towards new materials as an alternative to standard concrete and steel.. Constructing with timber presents its own technical challenges, but using a science-based approach to find the best solution means we can deliver not just an honest building but a resilient, high-quality asset.. End of life global warming impact.
Although timber captures carbon, if left to rot naturally in an open-air landfill, it releases the stored carbon as well as methane, which has a greater global warming impact than CO2.If incinerated, it generates energy and does not release methane but still releases the stored carbon along with other pollutants.However, if reused or upcycled, carbon remains stored offering long-lasting environmental benefits..
Some of these end-of-life difficulties with engineered timber relate to its size.The use of screeds, which are bound to the surface of timber and structural fixings also make it difficult to dismantle and reuse.. Long span engineered timber elements also undergo non-reversible long-term deformations that can limit its feasibility to be reused as a structural element.
However, upcycling of these elements is still a viable solution.. Our response is to:.
- Engage early with contractors to plan deconstruction scenarios and reduce waste sent to landfill.. - Adopt circular economy strategies for deconstruction and reuse, including:.Although this partially supports design for wellness principles with patients benefitting from the connection to the outdoors, the layout is detrimental to the staff-patient connection and operational efficiency..
The third option, preferred by Bryden Wood, arranges the toilets in a nested position between wards.An excellent example of healthy architecture, this option fully supports design for wellbeing with beds open to both the façade and corridors.
In this situation, patient wellbeing is prioritised on every level, as the nested toilet positioning provides a connection to both the outdoor environment and hospital staff, improving both wellbeing and hospital management.. As shown in the following diagrams, daylight levels are better in the outboard and our preferred nested solution, and the nested option has an improved uniformity ratio.An adequately designed ward would also facilitate a variety of active views out, both to the outdoors and circulation areas, creating a connection to nature in line with biophilic design principles, as well as a better thermal experience.. Further ideas to improve visual comfort in hospital wards are: the adoption of circadian lighting, a better user experience of artificial lighting control and the use of further biophilic design techniques (colour palettes, patterns and vegetation)..