Five ways drones will change the way in which buildings are designed

Drones are already shaping the face of our cities – used for constructing planning, heritage, construction and safety enhancement. But, as studies by the UK’s Department of Transport have found, swathes of the general public have a limited understanding of how drones is perhaps practically applied.

It’s crucial that the ways drones are affecting our future are understood by the bulk of individuals. As experts in design futures and mobility, we hope this short overview of 5 ways drones will affect constructing design offers some knowledge of how things are more likely to change.

1. Creating digital models of buildings

Drones can take photographs of buildings, that are then used to construct 3D models of buildings in computer-aided design software.

These models have accuracy to inside a centimetre, and may be combined with other data, akin to 3D scans of interiors using drones or laser scanners, so as to provide a totally accurate picture of the structure for surveyors, architects and clients.

Using these digital models saves money and time in the development process by providing a single source that architects and planners can view.

2. Heritage simulations

Studio Drift are a multidisciplinary team of Dutch artists who’ve used drones to construct images through theatrical outdoor drone performances at damaged national heritage sites akin to the Notre Dame in Paris, Colosseum in Rome and Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

Drones might be utilized in the near-future in an identical approach to help planners to visualise the ultimate impact of restoration or construction work on a damaged or partially finished constructing.

3. Drone delivery

The arrival of drone delivery services will see significant changes to buildings in our communities, which is able to need to supply for docking stations at community hubs, shops and pick-up points.

There are more likely to be landing pads installed on the roofs of residential homes and dedicated drone-delivery hubs. Research has shown that drones can assist with the last mile of any delivery within the UK, Germany, France and Italy.

Architects of the long run might want to add these facilities into their constructing designs.

4. Drones mounted with 3D printers.

Two research projects from architecture, design, planning, and consulting firm Gensler and one other from a consortium led by Imperial College London (comprising University College London, University of Bath, University of Pennsylvania, Queen Mary University of London, and Technical University of Munich) named Empa have been experimenting with drones with mounted 3D printers. These drones would work at speed to construct emergency shelters or repair buildings at significant heights, without the necessity for scaffolding, or in difficult to succeed in locations, providing safety advantages.

Gensler have already used drones for wind turbine repair and researchers at Imperial College are exploring bee-like drone swarms that work together to construct blueprints. The drones coordinate with one another to follow a pre-defined path in a project called Aerial Additive Manufacturing. For now, the work is merely an illustration of the technology, and never working on a selected constructing.

In the long run, drones with mounted 3D printers could help create highly customised buildings at speed, but how this might change the workforce and the potential consequences for manual labour jobs is yet to be understood.

5. Agile surveillance

Drones offer latest possibilities for surveillance away from the static, fixed nature of current systems akin to closed circuit television.

Drones with cameras and sensors counting on complex software systems akin to biometric indicators and “face recognition” will probably be the following level of surveillance applied by governments and police forces, in addition to providing security monitoring for homeowners. Drones would likely be fitted with monitoring devices, which could communicate with security or police forces.

Drones utilized in this fashion could help our buildings turn into more responsive to intrusions, and adaptable to changing climates. Drones may move parts of the constructing akin to shade-creating devices, following the trail of the sun to stop buildings overheating, for instance.