Scottish innovations are laying the foundations for careers of the future
OF all the sectors currently confronting the need for continuous innovation, construction has experienced particular challenges.
Firstly, there’s the demand to achieve the government’s ambitious targets regarding net zero carbon emissions with accompanying best practice in project design, construction, maintenance, operation, retrofit and waste management; plus the requirement for Covid-safe workplaces which has become obvious since last year.
Morrison Construction, part of the Galliford Try group, has delivered more than £1 billion of public and private sector projects throughout Scotland in the past five years and, operating at the leading edge of innovation in the sector, is participating as an industry partner in Glasgow Science Centre’s (GSC) Curious About Innovation festival this week, demonstrating new methods and techniques in the industry, including some of the same front-line technology involved in computer game design.
The company delivered the extension of the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) and last year won the contract to build the flagship National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) beside Glasgow International Airport to house a fully digitalised factory, skills academy and collaboration hub.
A Launchpad Live tailored for S3/ S4/S5 tomorrow (Thursday) between 11:15 and 12:00 will give a virtual tour of a construction site to see how the latest innovation and technology can be used in building design and how to build sites with very low environmental impact.
Morrison’s Communities and Social Impact Manager Caitlin Quinn says the company’s contribution to this year’s event will be an opportunity to highlight the range of careers available to young people in a fast-evolving industry. The online content, she adds, will allow valuable follow-up and let people from throughout Scotland see the skills and expertise concerned.
In order to meet the 2045 net carbon target, clients and statutory authorities have had to significantly redefine their briefs, shifting the focus of construction further toward low carbon imperatives, says
Morrison’s Low Carbon Manager Allan Smith who adds that it is the first tier one construction company to use Passivhaus, recognised as the gold standard in energy efficiency.
Literally meaning “passive house”, the German term refers to buildings created design standards so that they maintain an almost constant temperature, with buildings that are so well constructed, ventilated and insulated that they retain heat from the sun and the activities of the building’s occupants, requiring very little additional cooling or heating.
“We completed our first Passivhaus building in January, an early-years centre in West Lothian, and local authorities all over Scotland are now looking at the certification or similar methods in the construction of low-carbon buildings,” says Smith.
Advanced technology which uses 3D modelling and 360-degree photography to capture buildings means that people can virtually visit them and conduct the appropriate certification checks during construction. “The Covid pandemic has really elevated the use of such digital technology, says Graduate Design Manager Samantha Sweeney. “We use it on a daily basis, for instance in client engagement and change control and to coordinate with subcontractors. Having a model that we can employ on a day-to-day or even hour-to-hour basis is so much easier than dealing with hundreds of drawings”.
Caitlin Quinn adds that Morrison’s involvement with Curious About Innovation is also an opportunity to spotlight the variety of careers available in construction. “These extend off-site – to writing proposals, creating animations, marketing and so on.
“Many people don’t realise the range of traineeships and graduate pathways that are open to them and we’re passionate about getting that news out there, such as our graduate apprenticeship programme. Working with GSC will help us to do that.”
The company is also, she adds, passionate about creating a more diverse workplace in what has traditionally been a male dominated industry.
“What we’re trying to do with this presentation is show the need for collective effort and inspire young people with the digital tools we’re using and the goal of low-carbon energy, adds Allan Smith.