Background on Building Innovation

In regard to technology, innovation means finding a better way to do things or improving something that already exists. Innovation is what drives progress in all industries. Can you even imagine our lives without it? Automobiles were a rich man’s toy at the beginning of the 20th century until, through innovation, Henry Ford developed the Model T. Fast forward to the present and we have cars that can be plugged into electrical outlets, drive hundreds of miles, and accelerate to speeds of more than 200 miles per hour. We have clearly come a long way since the horse and buggy. Innovation is responsible for this progress.

The same can be said about the building industry. Shelter is an essential part of human life. Our early ancestors built structures with their own hands from the natural resources available to them. Early Americans built log cabins, a construction method that was advanced for the time. The Industrial Revolution paved the way for faster construction through factories, improved manufacturing, and more durable structures with the creation of new building materials such as steel and concrete. These new capabilities, coupled with the explosion of the global population, the demand for strong, safe, and quickly constructed buildings drastically increased.

Technological advancements continue to offer the opportunity for further advancements in building performance. Today, the market places increased emphasis on constructing sustainable and energy-efficient buildings. New technologies and innovations enable us to construct buildings that consume a low amount of energy and, in some cases, even generate their own. Manufacturing improvements, new materials, improved construction methods and best practices, understanding building science, and renewable energy technology are some areas that provide the ability to construct high-performance buildings.

Many different building components have seen significant growth in regard to technological advancements that offer great benefits to the building industry. Insulation used to consist of straw and mud being stuffed between the spaces of the walls of structures. Over time, new materials, such as fiberglass, cellulose, and foam insulation types, were developed; all of these materials have continued to improve the thermal performance of our buildings. Similarly, in the 18th century, a fireplace was the main source of heating for a building. When Benjamin Franklin invented the Franklin stove, he was innovating. His stove used half the wood a normal fireplace used while generating twice as much heat. Today we have extremely efficient whole-house heating systems that incorporate air-conditioning and ventilation that provide improved comfort at the touch of a button.

The building industry plays a major role in regard to global energy consumption. Whether we live or work in buildings, they are essential to the global population. Innovative building technologies enable us to construct stronger, safer, and more efficient structures. Many of these technologies too often do not experience a high level of market adoption for a wide variety of reasons, however, including high upfront costs, low awareness levels, and a lack of knowledgeable and qualified professionals.