Traditionally, we began designing buildings and other structures first. Then, once we had a final design, we would select the materials to use. However, this doesn’t work very effectively today and can actually cause issues. A better option is to look at what to use as early as possible. This can massively improve sustainability and bring other benefits. We want to look at it here, then if you want help from an architect in London, you can speak to us.

Driving change

Using the right materials can bring many positives to projects. Primarily, it can help reduce the impact on the environment. That is very important today because the construction industry uses billions of tonnes of resources every year globally. Collectively we can improve this with careful selection and the use of sustainable resources.

Picking materials first can also offer cost benefits. If you leave the selection late, you minimise the impact and actually often inflate the costs. It can happen because you design yourself into a corner and limit what you can use. Thinking about what you will use at the beginning can help to unlock impressive savings and reduce waste.

You can also speed up the construction time if you choose materials early. When you do it, you’ll know exactly what you are using and what to expect for things like handling and building. There could be incredible time savings with some simple changes in products.

Exploring scenarios

One of the best things in terms of sustainability is you can consider different scenarios and look at the future value of materials. You can do this with help from an architect in London, planners, and other experts.

In the past we would design, build, and then have to figure out what to do once we no longer needed a structure. Lots of materials would go to waste because they had no recycling or reuse value, or were mixed together to make them inseparable. Now, you can look at different options at the start and make sure you use sustainable materials that are reusable or recyclable.

Consider material libraries

A great resource here is digital material libraries. They are an excellent source of information about different materials, often including newer emerging ones that aren’t mainstream yet. Architects, planners, builders, and other experts can use the data to make informed choices about what to use.

The best thing to do is to compare materials in key terms. Look at costs, performance, sustainability, scarcity, and health impacts. You can then ensure you can meet all of your goals. Remember to also consider the location of each project.

Finally, it is a good idea to consider what we could see in the future. It is likely that it will become the norm to choose materials first and then work on the design. There may even be a situation where we have to consider things like taxation on emissions to meet environmental goals. That could completely reshape the landscape of material selection.

Discuss your needs with a top architect in London

Coffey Architects is a business you can work with to carefully select materials and create incredible designs. We can look at various options for all kinds of scenarios. We’ll advise you on the impact they will have on the design, performance, and sustainability. Ultimately, we will help you to decide what to use to ensure the project is successful.

So, if you are thinking of a project, get in touch and work with an award winning architect in London. We’ll be with you whenever you need us.