We could design these for a 100-year total life span, while the use of standardised components would make an interior refit possible every five to ten years.

As the building gets smaller, so does the air handling plant.This creates a reduction in running costs - heating and lighting.

In other words, we create a virtuous circle of benefit.. What is the future of the construction industry?.Ultimately, we suspect that over time buildings will become flexible configurations of components, rather than large, fixed assets.We may end up creating loose-fit superstructures.

The superstructure contains the majority of the embodied carbon in a building.We could design these for a 100-year total life span, while the use of standardised components would make an interior refit possible every five to ten years.

In its initial configuration a building might function as an office block, but components could be taken out and the building changed into a residential building or school.

At the end of its life, the various standardised components would be recycled, reused or redeployed, creating a circular economy.This allows the application of manufacturing techniques and processes, with consistent quality achieved, as well as facilitating greater economies of scale..

The manufacturing industry has long enjoyed the benefits of this design to value approach.At BMW and Volkswagen a common car chassis is used across all models.

It’s the finer details that change from car to car - the wheels, trim, engine, bodywork… Similarly, Ikea use a limited kit of components to create their various pieces of furniture.It doesn’t matter whether you’re making a bed, wardrobe or bookcase, most of the connecting pieces are the same.