{"id":25253,"date":"2024-03-17T07:27:54","date_gmt":"2024-03-17T14:27:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/embedding-better-urban-living-an-interview-with-annalise-johns\/"},"modified":"2024-03-17T07:27:56","modified_gmt":"2024-03-17T14:27:56","slug":"embedding-better-urban-living-an-interview-with-annalise-johns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/embedding-better-urban-living-an-interview-with-annalise-johns\/","title":{"rendered":"Embedding Better Urban Living &#8211; An Interview with Annalise Johns"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/files\/membership-default-internal\/\" class=\"memberhide\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/01\/20220718_175041000_iOS.jpg\" alt=\"-\"><\/a><br\/><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p><strong>We sat down with Annalise Johns, Housing Lead of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" aria-label=\"undefined (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/cp.catapult.org.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\">Connected Places Catapult<\/a> to find out a little more about her work in the built environment, health, and regeneration.\u00a0 We discussed the challenges facing those operating in the industry, and what COVID-19 has revealed about how the sector is structured.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p> <span id=\"more-1011111\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Can you tell us a bit about your background and what got you interested in design for human health?<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/03\/Annalise-Johns-1.jpg\" alt=\"-\" class=\"wp-image-1011120 lazyload\" width=\"400\"><\/noscript><figcaption><strong>Annalise Johns<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>My first master\u2019s thesis focused on best practice liveable residential high density. I studied the Vancouver example which was one of the first places to explore the best way to extract developer contributions to maximize amenities for the local community. It\u2019s an excellent example of embedding health into planning and how appropriate levels of density contribute to healthy communities if designed appropriately.<\/p>\n<p>Professionally, I\u2019ve worked for over a decade in local government which is a system built on the principles of social equity, but it wasn\u2019t until I was seconded to public health where I was able to connect the scientific evidence behind healthy places that dictate social determinants of health. I\u2019ve carried that reliance for evidenced base design with me since.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What element of design do you think you\u2019ll be focusing on in the years ahead?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s interesting because when I came to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/cp.catapult.org.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"undefined (opens in a new tab)\">Catapult<\/a>, they were merging their future cities and transport divisions \u2013 so I was actually creating a program for housing. We\u2019re trying to understand what direction things should be heading in \u2013 it\u2019s sort of a movable feast.<\/p>\n<p>Basically, I\u2019m developing a lot investigative research through different strands. One involves the typologies of homes to help us devise a retrofit kit for 2050. This prompts questions about building existing technology and ideas such as digital twins and IoT. Basically, we\u2019re aiming to answer the questions around what an \u2018IKEA version\u2019 of a home would look like.<\/p>\n<p>In short, we\u2019re looking at what sort of technology and adaptations you would need to make your home 2050 worthy and worth living in.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How well do you think we understand the impact of urban design on human health and well-being?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Since urbanization sped up, many people have moved into urban scenarios. But we haven\u2019t outlived our biological DNA and are still operating as the same creatures we were tens of thousands of years ago. We\u2019ve clearly pushed ourselves into these scenarios and now the evidence is showing us that our current urban framework is completely deteriorating the way we function.<\/p>\n<p>We know this because, globally, the rate of infectious disease has been replaced with a rise in non-communicable diseases simultaneously to our rapid urbanization. The rise in cardiovascular disease, cancers, and diabetes are the effects of our urban lifestyle and causing the premature death of 41 million people each year, equivalent to 71% of all deaths globally. These diseases are preventable if we only designed our urban places with more evidence to deliver what we need to function as human beings.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stacking this with Europe\u2019s ambitious climate goals, the sector seems to have a lot of work to do. How do you see the housing sector rising to meet the demand for more sustainable construction?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I think it\u2019s difficult. The housing industry is not very innovative by nature so, for me, it\u2019s an issue of reinvention.<\/p>\n<p>For example, I watched a TED talk the other day about how BMW completely reworked their ideas about selling their products. They decided they were selling \u2018mobility\u2019, not commercial products. I think there\u2019s something to learn there for housing \u2013 specifically the built environment. We\u2019re selling accommodation when actually we responsible for providing an eco-system for human beings.<\/p>\n<p>We really need to start valuing our approach as well as our execution when it comes to the built environment. When our business model balances environmental, economic, and human health the outcomes are more resilient and fruitful.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Existing buildings have a huge impact on energy consumption of the built environment and the well-being of the inhabitants. Can we make them perform better?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Firstly, we need to have a clear understanding of the \u2018type\u2019 of home before we can do anything about performance. We must understand what the future energy provision of that will be and across the UK. However, even if we built our 2050 home today with what we know, it\u2019s not just going to be affordable.<\/p>\n<p>Secondly, I don\u2019t think that it will be a home that is \u2018fit for the future\u2019 because you\u2019re still going to have to make some adaptations to account for the unaccountable. This means using materials that have zero embedded carbon and have the flexibility and smart capability to protect the occupant while providing a transparent readout of how that home is <em>actually<\/em> operating. This helps ensure our carbon levels stay low and that\u2019s something that isn\u2019t happening right now.<\/p>\n<p>So I think we are getting there with our materials, energy supplies, and housing IOT. No one is measuring the impacts of space standards on long term health and or the toxic impacts of materials on health. Once they are, I think that will start to provide an answer.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What has the COVID-19 pandemic revealed about our urban environments and should we change something as a consequence?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One major observation is that we\u2019ve basically recognized our infrastructure is really siloed. We\u2019re just not agile \u2013 which is serious because climate change is ramping up. We need to be more prepared so we can protect those who are vulnerable as they are the true cost of this epidemic; we\u2019ve failed them. We need to be combining the efforts across disciplines, that includes transport, housing, and health to address weaknesses \u2013 and strengths \u2013 with real agility.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/03\/catapult-1.png\" alt=\"-\" class=\"wp-image-1011123 lazyload\" width=\"400\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/03\/catapult-1.png\" alt=\"-\" class=\"wp-image-1011123 lazyload\" width=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/03\/catapult-1.png 890w, https:\/\/aec-business.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/catapult-1-849x1200.png 849w, https:\/\/aec-business.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/catapult-1-768x1086.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 890px) 100vw, 890px\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Your work focuses on homes \u2018fit for the future\u2019. What does it mean, and what are you doing in that respect at Connected Places?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We are trying to accelerate and scale up the retrofitting of homes in the UK. At Connected Places, we are convenors. That means we\u2019re bringing everybody together as best as we can and doing this by evidencing the way forward and supporting those budding industries to deliver the innovation to address the challenges in scaling up the retrofitting of our homes.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re also using the opportunity to focus on homes and healthy aging by focusing on what the home for Generation Z looks like \u2013 what is the multigenerational home that support the vulnerable but is adaptable to the human lifecycle.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What developments in the built environment excite you most at the moment?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Whenever I hear stuff about the circular economy, that\u2019s always interesting. For example, Circular Economy Material passport the BRE Group are is doing with the EU right now is pretty impressive. I\u2019m fascinated by Biomimicry and the rise in building materials that are non- toxic with energy-storing capabilities. The launch of the Dublin City University\u2019s Biodesign program in July is one I will be watching closely.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m curious to see what impact COVID-19 will have on our approach to residential high density. Many of our towers are contrary to government standards for social distancing. Will this inspire a rethink of reconfiguring urban densities to more liveable levels? I really hope so. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can you give us a clue about what are you going to talk about at <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/kirahub.org\/en\/wdbe2020\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"undefined (opens in a new tab)\">WDBE 2020<\/a> in September?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>What would you like me to talk about? (laughs) I wrote a book last year that I\u2019ve not published on rapid urbanization and health, it seems so relevant now. I think it\u2019s a fascinating issue and one of the reasons I\u2019m on the path I\u2019m on is because I\u2019m desperate to point out that we <em>can<\/em> design healthy alternatives into our urban environments that will make all the difference in the world. \u00a0 It doesn\u2019t need huge government regulation; it just means built environment professionals need to seek the piles of evidence illustrating how to design better cities. If you put in more green walls it affects the acoustics, \u00a0increases productivity, reduces illnesses. Evidencing \u2018liveable\u2019 built environments, it\u2019s something I can talk about \u2018til the cows come home.<\/p>\n<p><em>This interview article was originally published at <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" aria-label=\"undefined (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/kirahub.org\/en\/wdbe2020-embedding-better-urban-living-an-interview-with-annalise-johns\/\" target=\"_blank\">WDBE.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Get your ticket for the online <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" aria-label=\"undefined (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/kirahub.org\/en\/wdbe2020\/\" target=\"_blank\">World Summit on Digital Built Environment WDBE 2020<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p> <span class=\"et_social_bottom_trigger\"\/><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5143531171910809\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- News - Bottom -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5143531171910809\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"8320848692\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/aec-business.com\/embedding-better-urban-living-an-interview-with-annalise-johns\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">This article was originally posted at Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We sat down with Annalise Johns, Housing Lead of Connected Places Catapult to find out a little more about her &#8230; <a title=\"Embedding Better Urban Living &#8211; An Interview with Annalise Johns\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/embedding-better-urban-living-an-interview-with-annalise-johns\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Embedding Better Urban Living &#8211; An Interview with Annalise Johns\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25254,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1062,1066],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aec-business","category-all-posts","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25253"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25253\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25254"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}