Learning aim A
TOPIC
A1
The work of the
construction industry
Discussion
Introduction
In groups or pairs, take
a 30 minute walk around
either your local school or
college environment or your
neighbourhood. Do you like
what you see and feel around
you?
The construction industry is a worldwide industry, so the range of construction activities
is vast. These activities include design and planning, construction and maintenance of a
building throughout its lifecycle. These construction activities contribute to our society
economically and socially. If you think about the built environment around you, you
will see that buildings that are attractive and well-designed contribute to our sense of
wellbeing.
Designing structures and buildings
Aesthetics – the appreciation
of beauty or the appearance
of something.
Sustainability – meeting
the needs of our future
generations by preserving the
resources that are available.
f
Built environment – the
buildings and other structures
constructed by humans.
Buildings can improve the quality of our lives and enhance our built environment. We
can create functional buildings that are also amazing and attractive. This is achieved
by:
• designing for appearance and aesthetics – creating an attractive, innovative and
oo
Key terms
outstanding design for the external and internal spaces of a building
• designing for sustainability – using green technology and materials to reduce the
harmful impact of a building on the environment
• designing for functionality – creating a lasting environment that will not need major
changes or refurbishments to extend its useful life for its occupants
• designing for occupant and public safety – allowing safe access for everyone who
Pr
uses the building and its facilities.
Designing for sustainability can be expensive but may save future maintenance costs like electricity bills.
6
BTEC First Construction and the Built Environment
Construction and Design
UNIT 2
Case study
The Shard in London was a bold venture, constructed by Irvine Seller and
designed by Renzo Piano on the back of a menu during lunch. It represents a
shard of glass rising out from the City of London and is entirely clad in external
glazing. During its planning and design, many hurdles had to be overcome
before it was allowed to be constructed.
Research the construction of the Shard and then discuss the following questions:
1 What makes this unique building an icon?
2 What effect has the Shard had on its surroundings?
3 What features make the building sustainable?
4 What features within the internal design offer a variety of functions for the
occupants?
5 How has the design ensured that the building is safe for all occupants?
f
The contribution to infrastructure
This can include:
oo
There are many different ways in which the construction industry contributes to our
society. Not only does it provide us with well-designed buildings, but it also creates
and maintains the infrastructure required by modern society.
Key term
Infrastructure – the basic
structures needed for the
operation of a society,
including roads, buildings and
power supply.
• transport networks – such
as road, rail, airports and
motorways
Pr
• drainage – the provision of
waste connections to houses,
offices and other commercial
buildings like shops
• provision of services – the
supply of water, gas, electricity
and communications to our
houses and towns
• flood defences – provision
of defences to protect our
buildings from flooding by
rivers and rising sea levels.
Take it further
What examples of transport networks can you see?
Activity 2.1
Infrastructure in everyday life
Pick one of the elements of infrastructure listed above and think of 5 ways in
which it impacts on your daily life.
The summer of 2012 was
the wettest summer in 100
years, and this caused a lot of
flooding. Do you live in a flood
risk area? Have a look at local
flood management in the area
closest to you and see what is
being done to help areas most
at risk.
7
TOPIC
A1
Including the community
The plans for any new building project should include the needs of the local
community. This means that the buildings constructed fulfil the needs of the
community as well as its occupants and owners.
Discussion
Discuss what might happen
if the community was not
involved in a project to build
a new housing estate on the
outskirts of a busy town.
Community involvement starts at the design stage, shaping the planning, shape,
form and layout of a project. The needs of the community can influence the following
elements of a development:
• housing – including low-cost affordable homes within the overall number of planned
homes.
• green spaces – including social green spaces in construction projects. These spaces
provide space for socialising and play, as well as improving the community’s sense of
wellbeing.
• transport hubs – these are points where several modes of transport such as buses
and trains meet. Well-planned transport hubs allow the community to travel to work
easily and efficiently.
f
• employment – the construction industry itself provides a range of opportunities,
oo
from professional positions to on-site general operative roles. It also provides the
offices and buildings needed by other companies and their employees.
• security – designing better layouts like open green spaces and including facilities
What are the benefits of
including green space in a new
development?
like adequate lighting means that the community can live in a safe, comfortable
environment. Using good quality components such as secure windows and doors
also adds to the community’s security.
Pr
Case study
Identify a sustainable housing development company and visit their website.
See if you can find the information to answer the following questions:
1 How are cars dealt with in their designs?
2 Do their designs make it easy for neighbours to get to know each other?
3 Is the land they build on brownfield or greenfield?
4 Is green space incorporated into their designs and how is this done?
How can involving the
community improve a
development’s sustainability?
8
5 How do they try to make their homes affordable?
BTEC First Construction and the Built Environment
Construction and Design
Economic and social benefits of construction
The construction industry brings a wide range of economic benefits to individuals,
companies and nations. For instance, many job opportunities exist in the development
of land, the construction of buildings to live and work in, and the maintenance of
buildings during their useful life.
UNIT 2
Did you know?
The construction industry
in the UK employs just over
2 million people, which is
around 6 per cent of the
UK’s workforce.
Construction also contributes to our society by making our built environment a
pleasant place to live in.
Table 2.1 gives some examples of the economic and social benefits of construction.
Key terms
Table 2.1 Economic and social benefits of construction
Type of benefit
Specific benefits
Economic
Employment in the construction industry and other related
industries – this puts money into the local community through
local businesses, taxes and council spending. It also
oo
f
Creation of wealth and jobs through property development –
the growth of buy-to-lets has developed new businesses and
created jobs in refurbishment and property maintenance.
Buy-to-let – when someone
buys a property to rent
out rather than to live in
themselves.
Affordable housing – low-cost
properties that are built within
a development that buyers
(particularly first-time buyers)
can afford to purchase or rent.
Home ownership – the value of homes increases, meaning
that homeowners get a good return on their initial purchase.
Pr
New developments attract further commercial opportunities
– this brings further economic wealth into an area after the
initial development is complete.
Economic migration – a booming construction industry
attracts workers from other countries. This then allows more
construction to take place.
Social
Inner city regeneration of run-down areas – unsightly buildings
are demolished and replaced, regenerating an area and
injecting new growth.
Lower crime – better planning and construction makes an area
attractive and safe.
Affordable housing – planners now have to include this type
of housing in any new housing development. This allows
people to own their own homes more easily.
Reduction in pollution – the inclusion of alternative transport,
trams, buses and light railway networks reduces reliance on
cars.
9
TOPIC
A1
Activity 2.2
Urban regeneration
oo
f
Take a look at some of the inner-city regeneration projects that have been
undertaken in Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow. Using the internet, research
and then discuss the effect of these projects on the local community. Think about
both economic and social benefits.
Pr
Who benefits?
The benefits in Table 2.1 affect three different parts of society: the built environment,
the local community and the UK as a whole. Sometimes they can contribute to all
three.
Benefits to the built environment
The benefits to the built environment can be enormous. The construction industry
regenerates old and run-down urban centres as well as constructing attractive and
efficient new buildings and developments.
Benefits to the local community
The local community benefits from the regeneration of the built environment and
employment opportunities in the local area. They also benefit from improved transport
networks and the creation of green open spaces. Another benefit is that an attractive
city or an area with good transport networks draws in tourism, which boosts the local
economy.
10
BTEC First Construction and the Built Environment
Construction and Design
Benefits to the UK as a whole
Key term
The construction industry provides approximately 2 million jobs in the UK. It
contributes almost 10 per cent of our gross domestic product (GDP). This creates jobs
and encourages spending and growth in the UK’s economy.
Activity 2.3
UNIT 2
GDP – this is the value of the
total amount of goods and
services produced by a nation
in one year.
Categorising benefits
In a group, look at table 2.1 and decide whether each of the benefits it lists is
a benefit to the built environment, the local community or the UK nationally.
Remember, these benefits might apply to more than one category.
TOPIC
A2
oo
Introduction
f
Construction activities
There are many different activities that are included under the umbrella of the
construction industry. In this topic you will learn about the range of activities undertaken
by the construction industry.
Pr
Thinking about categories
Because there are so many different kinds of construction activities, you can group
them in different ways. You can think about these groups or categories in terms of:
• the kinds of jobs that people do in the construction industry – this includes jobs in
construction, civil engineering, building services or maintenance.
• the kinds of building constructed and their functions – this includes educational
buildings like schools and colleges, healthcare buildings such as hospitals and
health centres and leisure buildings such as swimming pools and stadiums.
Key term
Building services – the
services of water, gas,
electricity and communications
that have to be designed for a
building.
• the kind of activities that take place in the construction industry – this includes the
design of buildings and structures, refurbishment of existing buildings, repairs and
maintenance, estates management or facilities management.
Discussion
Analysing the activities of the construction industry can be daunting at first
because there are so many activities. In groups, discuss the following questions:
1 Can you name five construction activities in the built environment?
2 Can you classify these activities?
3 How do these activities contribute to society’s wellbeing?
11
TOPIC
A2
Construction
Construction covers many different types of work, from taking on projects for private
individuals through to commercial property development. There are many different
types of construction, including:
• industrial – factories, industrial workshops, industrial estates and industrial units
• residential – private houses, flats, apartments, housing association properties and
social housing
• commercial – retail units, shops, offices and business parks
• retail – shop refurbishment, public house refurbishment, shopping parks and retail
centres
• health – hospitals, community care centres, retirement homes, clinics and medical
centre developments
• education – construction of new schools, further education facilities, universities and
training centres
stadiums.
Identifying types of construction
oo
Activity 2.4
f
• leisure and recreation – cinemas, sports facilities, all-weather facilities and football
Using a web-based interactive map application, zoom in on your local area and
look at the different types of construction that are taking place. See if you can
classify them using the categories above.
Pr
Civil engineering
Another category of construction is civil engineering. Civil engineering covers the
construction of public infrastructure like roads and railways. It often involves the use of
large volumes of concrete and structural steelwork. Typical civil engineering works may
include many of the following activity areas:
• railways – the construction, improvement and maintenance of railways, such as the
electrification of the East Coast Main Line
• roads – the maintenance and construction of motorways, bypasses, trunk roads and
new housing estate side roads
• bridges – the construction of road bridges and railway bridges
• air travel – the construction of runways and airport terminals
• sea defences – the construction of sea and flood defences such as the Thames
Barrier in London
• river and harbour works – the construction of port facilities
• renewable energy projects – the construction of resources such as wind turbines,
wave power stations and tidal power plants.
Most civil engineering projects do not contain many architectural elements that would
feature in commercial or residential buildings.
12
BTEC First Construction and the Built Environment
Construction and Design
UNIT 2
oo
Just checking
f
How might climate change affect a civil engineer’s job?
1 What type of work would be undertaken by a civil engineering company?
2 In a short paragraph describe what you understand by the word ‘infrastructure’.
3 List 4 kinds of leisure-related building activity.
Pr
Assessment activity 2.1
You have been asked to produce a promotional leaflet for the construction industry
national conference. Your booklet should be divided into three sections as follows.
1 The first section must include details of at least three activity areas within the
construction industry in the UK. For each area you should include at least one
example of the type of work involved. For example, a construction activity could
be house construction.
2 The second section will describe the different ways in which the construction
industry contributes to society nationally. You should include one economic
contribution and one social contribution.
Take it further
Imagine that you are
a member of the local
community group that sits on
the enterprise board of the
local council. You have been
asked to evaluate the impact
of a proposed out-of-town
shopping centre on the local
community.
3 The third section will discuss the impact of out-of-town retail developments on
local communities. Focus on both the positive and the negative aspects of this
sort of development, and include evidence and examples for the statements you
make.
Tips
•
Try to explain the contribution in local terms that construction makes to society, using your own local area to
answer this with examples of real buildings and positive contributions.
•
To push yourself even further, you should expand any local contributions to show what construction can offer
society nationally. You will need to examine aspects such as the economic contribution of construction, and the
benefits of inner city improvements, housing estates and employment.
13