Lean design: 10 things to do now

Natasha Watson explains how structural engineers can produce designs that make efficient use of material to reduce their environmental impact.

The June issue of The Structural Engineer introduced six themes for climate guidance. One of these was ‘Lean design’, calling on structural engineers to strive for designs that minimise the demand for new material wherever viable.
This article gives pragmatic advice on reducing the impact of your buildings on the environment today, in order of magnitude of savings.