Putting data centres at the heart of Smart Cities and making use of the waste heat they produce could generate a host of benefits – and it’s not as far-fetched as it might sound.
Everything from banking and cloud services to telecoms and television is now driven by data, which must be processed in data centres. Such is the scale of data processing that it has a significant impact on global energy consumption and carbon emissions. And yet, until recently, opportunities to improve data centres’ green credentials were often overlooked.
As co-leader of Arup Associates, I lead engineering and sustainability at the practice.
My work involves wrestling with the difficult...
Technology may have moved on since the 1970s, but...
Making better use of stone for building could be...
Since the global financial crisis in 2007, the UK’s political discourse has been greatly concerned about rebalancing the economy and moving away from a London-centric worldview with an economy overly weighted on financial services. Yet the...
In these times of unprecedented societal and technological change, markets are evolving in radical and unexpected ways. Business leaders of today need a new suite of tactics. And that got me thinking about the tactics of the...
Sport is competition and competition, for me, should be about sport. In business though I believe there is a better way. It’s called collaboration.
I certainly feel that thrill when positioning for a project; getting on the bid list,...
I first encountered Ove Arup in 1964 when I was...
How do you decide on the perfect energy source to...
Base isolation is seismic...
Imagine if buildings were electronically tagged...
Large natural disasters severely damage power infrastructure and hundreds of minor storms regularly disrupt power networks around the world. As we face a future made less certain by the effects of climate change, I believe microgrids can help us...
It’s amazing what you need to do to keep...
If we’re to tackle the impacts of climate change, we must make water sensitive urban design (WSUD) a legal requirement.
By combining a range of different measures, WSUD captures, stores, uses and slowly dissipates water – reducing...
Too often transport planners are focussed on...
3D printing can make us better designers and...
School buildings play an important role in...
The advent of automated vehicles offers us a...
One of the most popular questions that healthcare facilities professionals are often asked is “what will the hospital of the future look like?” Historically it has been about finding a fit between population and bed distribution and the...
Is the answer to the energy demands of our...
Some people say that the UK can’t afford to be the first country to develop a low-carbon economy. I say that we can’t afford not to be. We must do what’s right and take the brave decision to lead the way.
Much like the Shackleton...
Another year, another World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. As an attendee, the first thing you notice is just how busy it is. Economists, politicians, business leaders, journalists, trade groups and NGO specialists, all rushing between...
If infrastructure is to be truly sustainable, we...
A booming Asia creates opportunities to export Australia’s sustainability skills and knowledge. But first, we must show through independent assessment that we can build more sustainably in Australia. Key to this will be sustainability ratings...
It's time more chief executive officers owned up to the need for, and embraced, point-to-point navigation to steer their businesses. This means going forward in logical, small steps – and turning back to look for another direction if it...
Although leadership is taught at more...
Airports around the world are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Rising sea levels and temperatures, plus changes in precipitation, are all putting airport infrastructure and operations at risk. Airports need to address this urgently, and...
In 1984 I picked up a book that changed my life....
The recent devastating bushfires in Tasmania show...
‘What is the role of an engineer?’ I...
Sam Goldwyn once said, “Never make...
The UK’s brave ambitions to complete its 80% reduction in total carbon dioxide emissions over the next 38 years will have major implications for the UK’s infrastructure networks.
One of the main ways to reduce carbon emissions will be...
Thoughts /
The best solutions can only come about by continually listening, learning and challenging. That’s why we’ve created Thoughts - a place for experts, practitioners and enthusiasts to talk about the issues affecting the built environment now and in the future. Please join us.
