The built environment encompasses all human-made surroundings that provide the places and spaces in which society resides. This ranges from the buildings we work and live in, the parks we walk and play in, and the infrastructure we use to move around, such as roads and bridges. Digitising this environment by integrating digital technologies can enhance the design, construction, management and maintenance of these spaces.
We invite industry leaders and innovators to collaborate with infrastructure owners to create robust data solutions that will guide decision-making and support our countries shift to creating a more efficient, sustainable, and resilient UK built environment.
Working towards better outcomes for people and society
Addressing these challenges requires a coordinated and collaborative approach, leveraging the strengths of different stakeholders and initiatives to create more efficient, sustainable, and resilient built environment for generations to come.
Solutions will align with key challenge areas:
- Climate resilience and nature recovery
- Integrate climate resilience data into urban planning to build communities capable of withstanding extreme weather events.
- Use ecological data to design urban spaces that promote biodiversity and nature recovery.
- Major planning reforms
- Streamline planning processes through centralized data sharing, enhancing transparency and efficiency.
- Incorporate predictive analytics to forecast future housing needs and urban growth patterns.
- Construction and project management
- Building Information Modeling (BIM) can enable more efficient project planning, design, and construction by providing a digital representation of the physical asset or facility – identifying and visualizing its characteristics or functions.
- Advanced cyber-physical technologies such as robotics can enhance construction processes, improving precision and reducing costs.
- Infrastructure management and operational efficiencies
- Smart Building Management Systems can monitor and control building operations in real-time, leading to improved operational efficiencies, reducing costs and energy consumption.
- Data analytics and machine learning can enable predictive maintenance insights, which will anticipate future building or equipment failures and creating efficiencies in scheduling repairs.
- Conducting energy audits can help identify areas where energy is being wasted and implement actions to reduce or eliminate waste within buildings and infrastructure.
- Health and safety
- Environmental monitoring: Sensors can detect and monitor air quality, temperature, and humidity, ensuring a healthy indoor environment.
- Digital tools can enhance safety protocols on building sites and roads, by monitoring compliance and identifying potential hazards.
Contact ryan.goodman@cp.catapult.org.uk to find out more.