The Achievement of Sustainability in the Built Environment

Abstract

The built environment presents particular challenges in relation to the achievement of sustainability, not least because of the number of building types and the uses to which they are put. Design issues thus include ensuring that buildings are energy efficient with effective ventilation in relation to use while enabling the maximum utilization of shared spaces and flexibility of use. In this context, many of the underlying technologies, as for instance those involved in energy management and use, are mechatronic in nature while developments such as Building Digital Twins are supporting real-time responses to changing conditions. The chapter examines the background to these issues and places them into the context of the developing approach to building construction, operation and management. In doing so, it draws on as an exemplar the award winning, including at COP26, design and development of the Antonio Brancati School in Pesaro in Italy to illustrate how innovative approaches to design and the use of technology have enabled the creation not only of a place of learning, but also a shared resource for the local community.