Wednesday 31 October 2012

Structured data and sustainability

I hate it when you get a question on Twitter that is impossible to answer in 140 characters...

Excellent question....

...but no chance of answering in 140 characters. So here we go - quick blog response and some screenshots...

The 37% waste figure came from a slide at our RIBA Insight Manufacturer Consultancy Day.
Can BIM/well-structured digital data reduce this figure?
Three examples below where at NBS we try and put the right data in front of the right person at the right time.

1. Recycled content
For a full article on this please see - http://www.thenbs.com/topics/Environment/articles/nbsWRAP.asp
The screenshot below shows how the user is prompted to specify what minimum recycled content is required for individual products. The values suggested are taken from the WRAP website and this initiative is promoted throughout NBS in Create, Building and Scheduler.
Recycled content and NBS

2. Manufacturer content
The NBS Plus specification information is so much more than just the clause required to specify the product. The key performance data is also delivered to users and we work with the manufacturers to display this in a structured way. Examples include third party accreditations, BRE Green Guide ratings, recycled content and this will continue to develop where available for carbon and water data.
Manufacturer's environmental credentials
3. Refurbishment/Alteration work
The third screenshot below shows that in the suggested values for stripping-out in NBS - reuse and recycling again is an option that is there for the user to consider.
Reuse and recycling
  • Is the figure of 37% far too high? Yes.
  • Is BIM the silver bullet to solve the world's problems? No. But well-structured digital data at the decision makers fingers will improve things. Manufacturers with more sustainable products will be specified more. At NBS we will continue to promote this information clearly and concisely to users in a digital form that they can really make use of.
Also, check out NBS Head of Sustainability John Gelder's thoughts:

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