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Future Build

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What to expect

Future Build exposes the devastating environmental impact of modern construction while offering a bold vision for change.

Construction shapes the world we live in, but also leaves one of the heaviest footprints on our planet. From the relentless heat of cement kilns to the towering steel and concrete skeletons of our cities, Future Build reveals how our dependence on five key materials has led to soaring carbon emissions, waste and ecological destruction.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Structural engineer Will Arnold offers a bold vision for change, revealing how every stage of construction - from design to demolition - can be transformed for the better. Through a global journey of pioneering projects and groundbreaking innovations, he showcases buildings that do more than just minimize harm: they actively heal the planet. From schools built of bamboo, to concrete floors designed with plant-like efficiency and houses made from waste, a better future is not only possible, it is already being built.

Critics Review

A wonderfully positive book that shows how we must transform the way we construct buildings to work in harmony with the natural environment. There are lessons in here for us all!
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George Clarke, architect and presenter of Channel 4's George Clarke's Amazing Spaces
Not enough of us understand just how massive a contribution construction and the built environment make to the climate crisis – and we really need to! Will Arnold puts the whole construction story in perspective, in his user-friendly, jargon-free, solutions-rich Future Build.
Jonathon Porritt, environmentalist and author
Design as medicine; architecture as healing. Will Arnold's intriguing thesis is that the building industry can already be part of the solution, not part of the problem. His ambitious tour through the world of the possible is entertaining, authoritative and thoroughly readable
Tim Jackson, author of The Care Economy
Will Arnold brilliantly shows how radical innovations in materials and engineering are creating a brighter and more sustainable future for human civilisation. Superb.
Mark Miodownik, materials scientist, broadcaster and author
Compelling, global, and profoundly hopeful. We all inhabit buildings, and we should all care about how they are made.
Roma Agrawal MBE, engineer and author
This book reframes sustainable construction, providing clarity on the steps need to transform buildings and infrastructure from the cause of a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, degrading the natural environment, and exploiting labour to addressing climate change, restoring nature and improving lives.
Dame Jo da Silva, Global Sustainable Development Director, Arup
A great read for anyone interested in the future of buildings and cities
Michael Pawlyn, regenerative architect and writer
Thoughtful and entertaining, this book reveals the impacts of the world we’ve built.
Dr Anna Ploszajski, materials scientist and author
Fun and accessible, this is essential reading on why and how the way we design buildings needs to change.
Professor James Norman, professor of sustainable design
Thoughtful, hopeful, and deeply informed, this is vital reading for anyone committed to a regenerative future.
Duncan Baker-Brown, architect, academic and climate activist
Future Build is a wonderfully readable exploration of how our world is built, filled with so many fascinating ‘Oh, I hadn’t thought of it like that’ moments. Will Arnold is a masterful storyteller and expert guide through the world of construction. He takes the reader from the depths of the materials chemistry and up to heights of the Burj Khalifa via discussions of ‘structural gymnastics' and bio-inspiration. This book provides a compelling and engaging argument for why we must change how we build, and provides inspiration by showing how things could - and are slowly - changing for the better.
Tim Minshall author of 'Your Life Is Manufactured'
Future Build is a revelatory guide to building with a conscience. Rich with real-world examples, it goes beyond critique to offer tangible solutions for a net zero future in architecture. It brings together and addresses the complexities of construction, from demolition to resource extraction, in a way that could genuinely reshape how we build. A compelling and progressive book.
Priya Khanchandani, writer, curator and broadcaster
Author Will Arnold
Narrator Will Arnold
Duration 5 hours
Release Date
ISBN 9781399429504
Format Audiobook
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre Building construction and materials, Building physics and energy-efficient construction, Environmentally-friendly (‘green’) architecture and design, Impact of science and technology on society, Industrial applications of scientific research and technological innovation, Popular science
Availability AU, GB, IE, US

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