Bryden Wood’s long-term commitment to design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) shows how it is entirely possible to design varied and beautiful buildings using standardised, component-based designs that naturally promote reductions in materials, optimisation of components, reductions in embodied and operational carbon, and plan for end of life reuse..

Of course, there was griping, anger, and frustration about the situation.There was also a humble reflection that our plight was nothing like those stuck in conflict and humanitarian disasters.

What struck me most, though, was the very human and humane way people came together - caring about those wishing to catch their flight to New York, caring about one of the passengers who started to feel ill, finding space where there seemed to be none; and the humour, sharing stories, and keeping each other’s spirits up.. My sense is that we can always see the future as dark and full of threat.It can feel like walking into a cave, where, given the darkness, our imagination takes over to ready us for all the potential threats.We listen for the fall of rocks, we see flashes of images that may or may not be there, we feel the air around us, and we search for odours which could point to pending doom.

Indigenous Americans used to describe each of these fears as friends who helped us to stay safe.The fear of falling is a friend who reminds you to stay away from the edge and to keep hold of something.

The sorts of friends who I met on the train were concerned about those around them.. Of course, when we start to shine a light into the cave, then we can see where there may be danger, but also where there may be richness and treasure..

It is certainly more frightening to travel into new territory alone.They need to work out how to address the vast, global market that’s on the way.

We are now starting to see people considering these issues.. P-DfMA for the future.From the aging demographic to the impact of COVID-19, the challenges facing the construction industry have never been starker.

This reality, coupled with a climate crisis the construction industry is significantly contributing to (producing 39% of global carbon emissions), means that we are faced with an urgent need for action.The good news is that all of the enablers needed to take the industry forward are already in place.