Andy Coward - Fabrication Futures

Hearing Architecture

The Hearing Architecture podcast, proudly sponsored by Brickworks, presents Again and Again and Again, a mini-series hosted by Hilary Duff.

Each week, we will bring you interviews and conversations as we seek better ways to understand, harness and deploy the expertise and knowledge of professionals currently within the design community, at home and abroad. Our guests are all experts on circularity within the building industry and share the aim to display that waste is not an accident but the consequence of decisions made at the design stage. Here is our opportunity. We, as designers, have an opportunity to do better.

The architectural endeavour yields two distinctive outcomes, the addition of a building and the subtraction of a void. As construction takes shape -a curated assembly of materials, a corresponding void emerges in a location where these materials originally sourced, generally from elsewhere in the world. For years, designers have only been asked to consider result one: the building. But we've entered an age where architecture can no longer look over the impact of where and how materials are exploited.

In this episode, I meet with Andy Coward, a Danish and UK-based structural engineer with 17 years of experience designing buildings and bridges, burning man installations, Apple stores, football stadiums, and architectural offices.

Andy spent many of these years as an associate partner at Foster + Partners in London, where he first dappled in architectural projects. A shift to Scandinavia with his appointment as head of engineering at Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) in Copenhagen continued this trajectory, ignited his search for innovation within practice, and furthered his investigation into how structural materials can address climate change.

His search for a fresh approach to making, designing, and using concrete led to the founding of his current practice Net Zero projects and one of his first offerings: the low-carbon structural system Minimass.

Many within this circularity field talk about the requirement to move away from concrete and cement as a material. But here, we see Andy taking a different approach. Recognising that the world cannot stop its addiction to concrete overnight, he is instead advocating within the existing system helping it shift towards a better future. He asks how we can best use this material, how we can reduce our quantities, and be tactical in our composition of materials to allow concrete structures to live for longer. It’s a logical evolution of a design philosophy: use the right material in the right place for the right purpose – no more, no less.

In our discussion, Andy talks about two big challenges faced during construction:

1. The cost of materials: people have and will always fret about this. It’s not new.

2. Carbon – A matter finally and importantly garnering more interest.

It is becoming more and more apparent that these two items are intrinsically tied to each other and will only become more so as the availability of materials decreases, and the impacts of carbon become more apparent on our environment.

Andy was challenged to create a system that focuses on reducing both at the same time. Andy notes that he is not a materials scientist – he will leave the invention of new materials to others.

He is not a ‘robot’ guy, not a software programmer, but is a designer. He has questioned how he can use this background to create a system which uses less. Less material and less labour.

Today we begin our discussion with an analysis of our past, and how there may be clues to suggest the types of thinking we should apply to our current practice. Among other things we discuss the spectrum of beautiful and innovative concrete structures which emerged during the 20 century and modernism. Parabolic shells and thin arches with their fantastic use of minimal material and with a focus on forces in tension and compression. They emerged from a time when materials were scarce but labour was cheap.

Our discussion today queries what will happen in the future where materials are again in short supply, but the cost of construction means we must think differently.

This has been Again&Again&Again, a mini-series of Hearing Architecture, proudly sponsored by Brickworks, made possible with the support of the Alastair Swayn Foundation, and recorded during a period of residency with the Danish Arts Association in Copenhagen. Thank you so much for listening and thank you to our international guest Andy Coward, of Net Zero Projects. Thank you for sharing how your innovative structural solutions open many benefits, opportunities and push the boundaries of the rigid systems we work within. Let’s watch this space and we look forward to speaking with you again in the future.

Our sponsor Brickworks also produces architecture podcasts hosted by Tim Ross. You can find ‘The Art of Living’, ‘Architects Abroad, and ‘The Power of Two’, at brickworks.com.au or your favourite podcast platform.

If you’d like to show your support please rate, review, and subscribe to Hearing Architecture in your favourite podcast app. If you want to know more about what the Australian Institute of Architects is doing to support architects and the community please visit architecture.com.au

This is a production by the Australian Institute of Architects Emerging Architects and Graduates Network, in collaboration with Open Creative Studio. The miniseries Again&Again&Again is proudly supported by the Alstair Swayne Foundation. The Institute production team was Madelynn Jenkins, and Claudia McCarthy, and the EmAGN production team was Daniel Moore and Hilary Duff. Music by Blue Dot Sessions released under Creative Commons Licencing.

This content is brought to you by the Australian Institute of Architects Emerging Architects and Graduates Network, in collaboration with Open Creative Studio. This content does not take into account specific circumstances and should not be relied on in that way. This content does not constitute legal, financial, insurance, or other types of advice. You should seek independent verification or advice before relying on this content in circumstances where loss or damage may result. The Institute endeavours to publish content that is accurate at the time it is published, but does not accept responsibility for content that may or will become inaccurate over time.