Social infrastructure: Transforming Construction Challenge

Imagine a future where our children are learning in schools that are optimised to maximise their health and ability to concentrate. Where patients in our hospitals get to recover faster because their surroundings boost their mental health. Where hospital layouts are optimised to make routine work efficient so doctors and nurses have more time with patients. Where those buildings are net-zero carbon, have been built faster and are easier to upgrade. A digital rendering of a GenZero design. This conception of social infrastructure is the vision of the Transforming Construction challenge (TCC) , part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund , with the aim of making that future nearer. How much nearer? Well, work is well underway with all government departments that construct buildings with taxpayers’ money to provide critical social services to society. This social infrastructure is largely owned and run by government, and thus, optimising the running costs and performance of it (such as how it affects people using it) has a powerful business case. To do this, the TCC is accelerating several system changes for the construction sector at the same time. Design detail from GenZero. Construction Innovation Hub Value Toolkit First, government as a client needs to be able to define and procure buildings on their whole-life value, rather than for the cheapest build as is done now. To enable this the TCC funded Construction Innovation Hub has worked with 120 stakeholders to develop the Value Toolkit , a way of considering societal and environmental outcomes alongside economic ones.