Digital technology reducing impact of built environment

CRTKL, a global cultural agency specializing in architecture, planning, and design, has highlighted three key ways digital technology is reducing 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions the built environment is currently responsible for producing, in an industry-leading annual sustainability report.  

According to CRTKL’s report, effective use of technology in the built environment ensures more sustainable outcomes and CRTKL has pledged that 50 percent of projects will utilize building simulations by the end of the year. The performance of these projects is being innovatively measured and tracked through a digital dashboard.

This comes as part of CRTKL’s wider mission to ensure all of its projects are climate positive in operation by 2030, and in materials by 2040. It is aligned with efforts being taken across the region, with a recent survey highlighting that as per 82 percent of UAE-based IT decision-makers sustainability is now one of their organization’s most important drivers with commitments made to science-based targets. 

The three key ways digital technology is reducing the impact of the built environment on our planet include:

CLIMATESCOUT

A web-based application that helps users design buildings that uniquely respond to a site by providing climate-specific design advice at the building scale. CLIMATESCOUT connects architectural responses and expressions with the climate in real-time and aids in the ability to interact through a diagram between sustainable design strategies and climate conditions. 

Performance Driven Design (PDD)

PDD is a data-driven design process that combines analog and digital tools to design low-carbon buildings that are also more resilient and responsive to climate.

Data analytics and computational design

Harnessing the power of data, the computational design aims to provide as much value as possible by tailoring design solutions to the needs of specific clients and communities. Analyzing data in design improves the sustainability in-built environment by reducing the impact on the natural environment.