44 Ways #07: Create an Efficient Structural Design, Collaboratively

Hello, this is Episode 407 and this is way number seven of the 44 Ways to Create Your Sustainable Home Series and we're continuing through section two sustainable design strategies. Now the ways that I'm sharing in section two are about the bigger picture decisions that shape a project from a strategic level before we get into the detail of specific systems, materials or construction. In the last episode, way number six we covered the importance of choosing an aligned team and this episode way number seven is about something that you're aligned team needs to do together which is create a structural design that is genuinely efficient. So way number seven is creating an efficient structural design collaboratively. Now this one tends to surprise homeowners because structural design often feels like something that happens in the background of a project and rarely gets discussed with the client directly. But the decisions made around your home structural design have direct consequences for cost, material use, durability and longevity and consequently the sustainability of your finished home. Now whether these decisions are made in the most efficient way usually comes down to one thing when and how your designer or architect and structural engineer collaborate and integrate their work. In this episode I'll take you through what structural efficiency actually means, why it typically doesn't happen by default, what collaborative structural design looks like in practice and the questions worth raising with your own team. Now as always you can grab a full free transcript download of this episode plus other resources I mentioned. You can find that at www.undercoverarchitect.com 4/407 that's the numbers 407. Now let's dive in. Before we begin I acknowledge the Bungalung people at traditional custodians on the land on which I live and work and I pay my respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders past, present and emerging. I'm Amelia Lee the architect behind Undercover Architect and award-winning online education platform that shares free resources such as this podcast and online courses and programs such as my signature program home method to help and teach you how to get it right when designing building or renovating your home. Undercover Architect is your secret ally whoever you are working with and whatever your dreams, your location or your budget the goal here is the same. To give you the knowledge and tools to make confident informed decisions at every stage of your project so you can create a functional, fantastic, sustainable and feel good home that works for you now and into the future. You're listening to the 44 ways to create your sustainable home podcast series. Each episode covers one specific practical and actionable way to improve the sustainability of your renovation or new build and if you'd like to follow along with the whole series you can download the free 44 ways eGuide at undercoverarchitect.com/ways that's W-A-Y-S. Each episode in the series expands on the information shared in the eGuide. Now let's get into the episode. So let's look at what structural efficiency actually means. Now every project involves structural design and it can be the home's roof and wall framing, its flooring structure, the footings that extend below ground, the bracing to prevent twisting and torsion in the home and the structural components that handle larger spans in open plan areas, candle levers or heavy elements on upper floors. Whatever form it takes, your home's structure exists. As much as structural engineers will tease architects and designers about it, a building is not held up by sky hooks and often especially in residential homes, these structural elements are hidden within the walls, the floors and the roof of your home. Convention or residential construction rarely expresses the structure as a design element, it's often concealed and covered up instead. Now the structural engineering of your home is the discipline that determines what size each element needs to be, what material it should be and how it should connect to everything around it and this can only be done by a structural engineer. Builders and architects or designers, they can have opinions about the structural design of a new home or renovation project, but the structural engineer is the only one able to officially design and sign off a building structural components and construction. And when we think about structural design and construction with efficiency in mind, it means that every element in the structure is doing its job without excess. So there are various ways that you can hold up a home and enable it to be structurally stable and durable and you can spend a lot of money on your home structure which can understandably feel frustrating as it's an expense that creates the space and form that you live in, but not necessarily feels like the thing that you're interacting with, touching and seeing on a day to day basis, like the finishes, the colours and the fixtures are. Designers, builders and architects, they'll often joke that a structural engineer deliberately overdoses their structural design and compliance and risk management certainly has us including much more robust structural design in our homes and buildings than even a few decades ago. However, structural efficiency approaches the structural design strategically. It considers how it can minimize materials, use products and components that keep costs and that component tree down and creates site specific and design specific solutions that mean nothing is wasted, over-designed or included just in case. Structural efficiency is not about cutting corners or compromising safety though, the safety requirements in structural engineering, they're non-negotiable and they should be. Efficiency is actually about the intelligent design within those requirements, not around them. Now when you seek and achieve structural efficiency, you avoid structural waste in many ways. Financial waste, material waste and embodied carbon that didn't need to exist in the project. So let's look at why this doesn't usually happen by default. Now it's really common for homeowners to handle their project sequence in a sequential, siloed way. They'll get their architect or designer to develop their home design, including making decisions about its overall form. Assumptions are then made about the structural design when doing that and they're baked into the design and then given homeowners are often asking for lots of light, indoor outdoor connections and large open plant spaces, you can end up with homes with large internal spans and big holes cut in their walls for glazing. The design gets resolved like this and then those design drawings go to a structural engineer who then makes the architecture work structurally. Any conflicts that do occur say where a structural beam is deeper than the space allowed for it so they'll end up being a drop ceiling, that can then come back to the architect or designer to work out how it can be included. But for the large part though, the structural engineer is simply making their structure fit the way the home is already designed. Because when the floor plan is already determined where the walls are, what spans exist and what the overall structural requirements are, the engineer's job is primarily to specify the elements that meet those requirements. There's nothing wrong with this from a structural safety perspective but it means that significant opportunities for efficiency, simplicity and material reduction have often already been closed off by the time the engineer is involved. Sometimes at this point too, the structural design will get done, the drawings will then go to the builder and then the builder has feedback about how they might do it differently. They have intel about their planned site access or their own construction methodology and that means that they can want to build things in a specific order or erect the structure in a specific way. And so the builder input can also change things. And this can mean that you're bouncing your project back and forward between your team members, trying to coordinate their involvement, but basically you're shunting it around within an existing design that you've already committed to and possibly even had approved by council. I actually had an architectural boss say to me once a very long time ago that every line I draw on a page as an architect is a piece of material that someone has to load on and off a truck and carry into place before fixing it permanently. Now when you include structural elements that are large and heavy and you can no longer handle them manually, the build team will then need to involve cranes and machinery that can then bring on traffic control requirements and a raft of other additional costs and timing requirements as well. Instead when the structural engineer is part of the conversation early, the design itself can be shaped differently. Advice can be sought which can be integral and strategic, especially if you're being creative with the design or you're working with an existing house that you're renovating. If the soil conditions or the site topography is challenging, it can have a dramatic impact on the structural requirements. So this can also be thought about before you're locked into a design. Consequently, the floor plan can be influenced by what makes structural sense. Spans can be kept manageable. Lighter, simpler and more readily available structural members can be prioritised which assists with efficiency, costs and timing. The design or architects' assumptions about what might speed up construction or simplify the design, they can actually be tested and confirmed by the structural engineer as the design is developing rather than after it is locked in. So choosing a simplified, rational and efficient structural design does not mean that your home will be boring or oversimplified. Please don't confuse rational and logical with boring. The result can actually be a structure that is leaner, simpler and more efficient and potentially faster to build as well because it was designed to be rather than engineered after the fact to accommodate decisions made without it in mind. So let's look at what this can mean for your project. Now I remember when I was a project architect at Mervak. We actually did a cost and time analysis that broke down a project into its various components, looking at earthworks, structural components, glazing, finishes, etc. Now it was amazing to see just how much of the construction cost and timing was sitting in the upfront work of earthworks and structural components and where we best needed to focus our efforts to save money. We would spend so many meetings arguing over the interior finishes when we were working on a project and across hundreds of apartments you could actually achieve some savings but we found this analysis that we were actually working at the wrong end of the job. Now I see this play out in individual renovations and new builds as homeowners tie themselves in knots over their finishes. They're trying to save $100 on a tap or $50 per square meter on a tile but when you actually target your efficiency efforts in the structural design and how your home's construction gets out of the ground, ready to be wrapped and fitted out. You'll find that's where truly chunky savings in time and money can be made as well as material use as well. Inside home method involving a structural engineer early is one of the approaches that our members have have found most impactful. Working collaboratively with the structural engineer during the design phase, rather than treating engineering as something that happens after the design is done, it has delivered savings of over $50,000, over $70,000, sometimes more on individual projects. Now, these savings are the results of decisions made during design development when the design was still flexible, that reduce the structural complexity, rationalize the use of steel or engineered timber, and simplify the construction process overall. Now, the savings come from two places. So the first is material, less steel, fewer engineered beams, a simpler footing system, and an approach that takes into account the conditions of the site, and how to best accommodate them in the structural approach. These are real cost savings at procurement. The second is construction. A simpler structure can be faster to build. Connections can be easier. Sequencing can be more straightforward. There are fewer opportunities for error and fewer elements that require specialist installation. Now, alongside the financial savings, there is the sustainability benefit of reduced embodied carbon. Every structural element that doesn't exist is carbon that wasn't produced, manufactured, or transported to the site. So let's look at where your builder fits into all of this, because I do find that a lot of people rely on their builder for structural design and input. Now, the most effective version of this approach, it will extend beyond the designer or architect and the structural engineer to include your builder as well. When the builder is involved in the design conversation during pre-construction, they can flag, buildability, concerns before they're locked into documentation. They can identify where the structural approach creates complexity on site, or doesn't follow their own construction methodologies, and they can suggest alternatives. And they can also give you real cost information based on how the structure will actually be built, not a theoretical estimate. This collaborative approach, where the builder, the designer or architect, and the engineer are in conversation during the design phase, rather than in sequence, is what the pre-construction process can be designed to facilitate. Now, I've got other podcast episodes on how to involve a builder during pre-construction, either as a paid consultant in something like the paid-as-consultant process or the pack process, or early contractor involvement or ECI. And I'll pop those links in the resources for this episode so you can check them out. We also explicitly teach this collaborative process with both your builder and your structural engineer inside home method so that you can execute this well, because it does make a massive difference to the collaboration, the cost, your budget management, and your team confidence for your project as well. Let's have a look at what to ask your team. Because if you're early on your project, or you're already in the design phase, it's really important to start discussing your structural design. Ask your designer or architect, at what point will the structural engineer be involved in this project? And will there be an opportunity for them to give input before the design is resolved? I suggest ensuring your structural engineer is also contracted to you directly. Your designer or architect can collaborate with them, and they can coordinate them and their work. That doesn't have to be your responsibility when you set your team up with the right people. However, for legal reasons, it is better to have a direct contractual relationship with your structural engineer, rather than being via a subcontractor agreement under your designer, your architect, or your builder. And it's better risk management professionally for those team members as well, to also have the structural engineer directly contracted to you. Now, working with your structural engineer, actually ask them, are there aspects of this design that create structural complexity or require more material than a simpler approach would? What would need to change in the design to address that? You ideally want to do this in a meeting with your designer or architect as well, so that the collaboration of design and structural engineering can be happening in real time, and you're not having to act as the go-between. And if your builder is involved during pre-construction, ask them as well, based on the current structural design or assumptions that you're making about it, what are your concerns about buildability or cost, and what would make it simpler to construct? Also, get them involved in your design meetings, getting your whole team, design, construction, engineering, actually working together collaboratively and collegially. It is the best way to streamline the design, its efficiency, its sustainability, and its management of cost and time overall. You'll find that these questions often open conversations that wouldn't happen otherwise, and they give your team members the opportunity to workshop efficient solutions that can improve the sustainability, affordability, and constructability of your future home. Now, if you are renovating an existing home, getting a structural engineer involved early is a key way to conduct effective due diligence on your existing home, and ensure that any assumptions you're making about what you'll keep or demolish and how you'll connect new work to existing building are actually informed by that structural investigation. Old homes can be a bit of a pandora's box. I've seen builders believe that the structure will be doing one thing, only to discover when walllining was removed or flooring lifted that big structural rectification work is required. Now, the costs associated with the structural rectification work in a renovation project that often is sitting in allowances in your contract because they're hard to accurately estimate without effective due diligence. So, even when those allowances are exceeded because the builder might find that the situation is worse than they anticipated, then they get charged as variations within your project, and that's when big budget blowouts can occur. Many will make decisions about their project based on a builder's assessment if their home's existing structure as well, but a structural engineer is the only professional who can do this properly, as well as prepare the required documentation and certificates for you. So, if you're renovating and thinking about whether you can remove walls, cut openings in others, change your roof form or add a second story or extension, a structural engineer can often be a great professional to touch base with input and advice to ensure that your structural approach is efficient, strategic and well considered. Now, let me leave you with a final thought. Structural design is one of the parts of a project that most homeowners hand entirely to their team and never ask about, and I understand why. It feels technical, remove from the design decisions that you're making and easy to leave to the experts. But the question worth sitting with is this, when in my project will the structural engineer first be involved, and will there be an opportunity for that input to actually shape the design? If the answer is after drawings are substantially complete, there may be efficiency that you're leaving on the table. Get your team working collaboratively instead, so that the design approach is informed by structural efficiency that is specific to your site and design and can simplify construction and save time, materials and money. Stay tuned for episode 408, because in the next episode, we are covering way number eight, future proofing your design with accessibility. Design choices that make a home accessible, they also make it more livable for families with young children, for anyone recovering from an injury and for guests of any age. And they also help a home be more durable and flexible long term, helping occupants age in place. Many building codes and regulations are also requiring accessibility measures to assist with an aging population, and how they'll be accommodated into the future. These accessibility measures are significantly cheaper to build in from the beginning, rather than retrofit later. And so we'll be talking about that in our next episode. If you haven't already downloaded the Free 44Way's Guide, it gives you a complete overview of all 44 things that we're covering in this series on the podcast. You can find that at undercoverarchitect.com/ways, that's W-A-Y-S. I've also got a free downloadable transcript of this episode, as well as links to other helpful resources. You can find that at undercoverarchitect.com/407, that's the numbers 407. And of course, knowing when to ask for structural collaboration, how to raise it with your team. And the two-phase process that you can use with your engineer is the kind of informed approach that we teach inside home method. So make sure you check out more about home method at homeethod.com.au, or you can head to the undercoverarchitect website, or I've also popped it in the resources for this episode. Lastly, if this episode has been useful, please share it with somebody else who needs to hear it, or leave a review wherever you are listening. It is so appreciated. As always, thank you for tuning in, and for letting me be your secret ally. Until next time, bye. Just a reminder, all content on this podcast is provided by undercoverarchitect for reference purposes and as general guidance. It does not take into account specific circumstances and should not be relied on in that way. You should seek independent verification or advice before relying on this content in any circumstances, including but not limited to circumstances where loss and damage may result. The views and opinions of any guests on the podcast are solely their own and may not reflect the views of undercoverarchitect. Undercoverarchitect endeavours to publish content that is accurate at the time it is published, but does not accept responsibility for content that may or has become inaccurate over time.