Sandbox from Buro Happold

Planning your next getaway? Before you book, take a moment to consider: how can you travel in a way that leaves a lighter footprint?  In this week’s Sandbox FOMO5, taken from our episode ‘Sustainable Tourism: Travelling to a Greener Future’, our expert panel unpacks the small choices that make a big difference. From flights to food to where you stay, discover how to be a more conscious, responsibl...

Sustainable Tourism: ‘It’s a different way of travelling, more of a conscious way’. Grab an iced drink, find just five minutes, and jump ‘aboard’ this week’s ‘Sandbox’ FOMO5 to learn more...  With the Spring Equinox upon us and the weather warming up, the summer season is within reaching distance, where many of us will be travelling to destinations abroad via bus, boats, trains and planes.   Our m...

What does ‘Sustainable Tourism’ actually mean and how can we all re-think the way we travel to create a more sustainable future?   These questions and more were put to our expert panel in this week’s episode of Sandbox.  There is nothing quite like the thrill of a holiday. From savouring new cuisines to exploring historic sites, many of us will hop on a train, plane or other modes of transport to...

‘There has to be a driver from the residents of London to really make a change’: What could the capital cities of the future look like, with people power behind the ideas? Find out in this week’s ‘Sandbox’ FOMO5... A quick five-minute listen, perfect for your coffee break!  Whether it is giving more consideration to pedestrians, or bringing nature back to the city, there are many ways in which the...

From hybrid-working to a de-centralised city, how is the living and working landscape in London changing? Find out more in this week’s ‘Sandbox’ FOMO5...  In a post-covid era, the way our cities operate has changed. Hybrid working has become the norm, meaning there is a reduced need for London residents to travel to the city centre on a daily basis.   In this week’s ‘Sandbox’ FOMO5 episode, taken...

How could London take inspiration from other major European cities? Find out more in this week’s ‘Sandbox’ FOMO5...  With Berlin implementing efficient ‘Sponge City’ initiatives, and Copenhagen leading the way for cycle-friendly cities, what can London learn from its European counterparts?   In this week’s ‘Sandbox’ FOMO5 episode, taken from our most recent episode, ‘Heart of the City: Re-thinking...

How can we re-think our cities to create best possible conditions for the people who live and work there? Find out more in our latest ‘Sandbox’ special...  In a post-covid landscape, the way we live, work and operate in our cities has changed. London, as the UK’s capital, is a prime example of this transformation.   Due to a number of contributing factors, there is now less reliance on the city ce...

What are the challenges behind designing venues and how can these be overcome? For instance, how can you balance the ideal temperature for storing archival materials with visitor comfort? Find out more in this week’s ‘Sandbox’ FOMO5 episode...  In our latest ‘Sandbox’ episode, Christine Lowry, Partner, Buro Happold, noted that there are, ‘two significant’ challenges when it comes to venue design....

From the way spaces guide your movement to the thoughtful details that make visitors return time and again, venue design is a powerful tool for creating unforgettable experiences.  In this week’s Sandbox FOMO 5, we discuss the psychology behind creating memorable spaces and the subtle design choices that enhance visitor satisfaction.  The ‘science’ and psychology behind venue design is key in enha...

‘People don’t realise how much difference the space makes to what you are doing’, Alistair Barrie, stand-up comedian, performer and actor. So how can venues be built or retrofitted to become truly exceptional for the performer, as well as the audience? Find out in this week’s ‘Sandbox’ FOMO5...  Creating a fantastic venue involves many factors, from efficient temperature control, external noise re...

Do you have a favourite venue? If so, what makes it so special? Join us for our very festive and most recent episode of ‘Sandbox’, where our panel goes behind the scenes...  In our latest podcast episode, ‘Echoes and Flow: The Science of Memorable Venues,’ we dive into this question from multiple angles. Join our experts as they discuss how engineering helps to elevate experiences for both the per...

Digital twins are changing the ‘game’ for the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. From looking at how assets can be re-utilised at the end of a project lifecycle, to creating a ‘virtual library of materials’, Digital Twins are crucial in providing foresight into the circular economy of a project.  Digital Twins are also significant in creating places which are determined by...

How video games led to an incredible leap in engineering design: What are Digital Twins, and why are they crucial to the future of the built environment? Find out more in our latest ‘Sandbox’ episode, ‘Digital by Design: From gaming to virtual buildings'...   The Unreal Engine from Epic Games is used, not only in games such as Fortnite, which has over 650 million registered users worldwide, but al...

“When you work in the built environment, it’s not just ones and zeros and black and white, it's real stuff that affects people's lives - it's where people live.” Darren Conboy, panelist on our most recent Sandbox episode, ‘Revolution in Retrofit’.  How could we keep vacant buildings in use and relevant for communities, without changing their character?  And how could this lead to the transformatio...

Retrofit, material reuse and the circular economy – how can we, as individuals, play our part? Find out more in this week’s ‘Sandbox’ FOMO5...  We can all adopt the basic principles of retrofit across our existing assets to help tackle the climate crisis. Examples include making more sustainable changes in our homes, mending rather than replacing, to upcycling a piece of IKEA furniture (there’s ev...

‘It needs to be a very broad definition of making changes to keep a building occupied, relevant, and as efficient as possible’: How can ‘retrofit’ be defined? Find out more in our latest ‘Sandbox’ episode...  The definition of ‘retrofit’ has evolved over time – and even to this day the interpretations vary. In our latest ‘Sandbox’ episode, ‘Revolution in Retrofit: Beyond Bricks for a Greener Futur...

From historic structures to more contemporary developments, how could our buildings be retrofitted to stand the test of time for future generations? And how will they be used? These ideas, and more, are explored in our latest ‘Sandbox’ episode...  Whether it is ‘refurbishment’ or ‘repurposing’, there are many terms to describe the concept of ‘retrofit’. With the UK’s net zero targets in mind, ther...

Retrofit, Refurbishment, Restoration: What actually is retrofit and how does repurposing older buildings keep them current and in use for future generations? Find out more in our upcoming ‘Sandbox’ episode...  Our buildings are integral parts of the places in which we live. Whether they be heritage buildings which have stood for hundreds of years, or newer buildings from the last decade, they are...

‘We have most of the solutions we need already, if we only were brave enough collectively to use those’: From SMART Tech to retrofit, what solutions are we already utilising to help prepare our UK building stock for the effects of climate change? Find out in this week’s ‘Sandbox’ FOMO5… Technology, along with both active and passive solutions to adapt our buildings, are current methods being used...

What can we do to be more comfortable inside during extreme weather? From cooling down in the more extreme summer temperatures, to staying warmer in winter – all without relying on fossil fuels. Find out more in this week’s ‘Sandbox’ FOMO5...  From understanding more about our buildings to changing behaviours around the way we consume energy, there’s something we can all do to create better condit...

Have you ever thought about how climate change affects your home and other buildings across the UK? Find out more in our latest ‘Sandbox’ episode... From heatwaves to Arctic Blasts, we’re seeing more extreme weather events than ever before – so how can we keep warm in the colder winters, and cooler during intense heat, without falling back on fossil fuels?  In our latest episode, ‘Weathering Heigh...

How could SMART technologies regulate our building temperatures and reduce demand for grid capacity, whilst preparing our UK buildings for the effects of climate change? Find out more in our upcoming ‘Sandbox’ episode...  In the UK, a significant topic of discussion is around how we reduce the heat demand of our buildings, and switching from heating by fossil fuels, to using electricity instead. I...

Climate change is currently resulting in the UK experiencing increases in temperature and more frequent heatwaves, but also spikes in cold weather.   Lara Balazs, Associate, Cities Energy, Buro Happold, discusses how we could look at refurbishing our existing building stock in the UK to meet the needs of our changing climate. Due to a reliance on passive measures, such as opening windows, we now n...

One of the key takeaways from ‘Sandbox’ so far, is the power of the individual to collectively help mitigate the impact of climate change.   Our latest episode - ‘Life’s essentials: Water, Power and Plants’, covers unmissable moments explored in each episode so far, from why we’ve got to where we are now, what local authorities, professionals and even the individual can contribute to improving the...

‘Sandbox’ so far: Revisiting thought-provoking ideas on what could be done to roll back some of the negative impact human activity has had on the Earth’s ecosystem...  Over the last three episodes, we have explored some of the main aspects of the fundamentals of life within the built environment; from water and its management in the UK, to biodiversity and re-greening our cities, and finally, to o...