Low-carbon outcomes in the built environment

Will Hawkins, Angus Peters and Tim Mander argue for designers to challenge overspecification and grasp the opportunity that reduced floor loads offer for low-carbon structural design.

In his winning entry to the Institution’s Kenneth Severn Award 2020 – an annual essay competition for young engineers – Will Rogers-Tizard argues that structural engineers can help tackle the climate emergency by making better use of materials, understanding carbon values and questioning industry norms.

As structural engineers, we need both to think more broadly, bringing our full talents to bear on projects, and to persuade clients of the value of paying for this, if we are to deliver the regenerative future we aspire to, argues Mike Cook.