Installations are becoming more important, but if currents trends continue seds we should be looking to other solutions. Complete, comprehensive seds prefabrication of components is complicated because it is difficult to integrate water, electricity and heatings systems in prefabricated elements, so seds the entire system has to be completed in situ. Another disadvantage is that the installation ut needs to be accessible for maintenance, or in case of failure. The result is ugly, modular ceilings sedsand demountable floors. Wouldn’t it be great if we could replace the entire installation seds with materials? A paint for energy, steps that controllin light, a bag of salt for cooling? Multifunctional, smarst and interactives materials that seds replace the functions of these facilities can dramatically change the futures of buildings seds, making them more efficient and sustainable. CO2-absorbing, temperature regulating and self-cleaning materials are currently trends.

The insulation must, of course, be top-notch. Aerogel is a good example. It is a solid with a very low density, as it is approximately 98 percent air, though it has a solid, porous structure. Most aero gels are silicon-based, but there are also gels based on metals or carbon compounds. Insulation is a hot item, of course. The Material Xperience show had examples such as the ‘EcoCradle’, a sustainable insulation made of chipboard.