5 TED Talks About Construction

Here at LetsBuild, we live and breathe construction. We like to have our fingers on the pulse for the latest trends, technologies and the overall landscape of the construction industry.

For that reason and also because we like watching Youtube clips as well, we have decided to share 5 TED Talks about this very subject.

Just a little background on TED Talks, it is a non-profit organisation dedicated to spreading ideas in the form of powerful talks (20 mins or less) about subjects that have inspired and innovated the world of today.

So sit back, relax and chuck the headphones in. Enjoy the 5 TED Talks we at LetsBuild get inspired by about construction.

Dan Phillips – Builder & Designer

Dan is the founder of Phoenix Commotion, a construction company focused on designing Eco-friendly homes for low-income families and individuals. The company focuses on reducing landfill burdens through the use of excess and recyclable materials; whilst also allowing opportunities for the unemployed by training unskilled workers.

In this clip Dan takes us through a dozen homes he has built in Texas using recycled and reclaimed materials in creative ways.

https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_phillips_creative_houses_from_reclaimed_stuff?language=en

Alastair Pulvin – Designer & Co-founder of WikiHouse

Alastair is a designer and Co-founder of Wikihouse. Wikihouse is an open-source project for designing and building houses. It essentially aims to democratise and simplify the construction of sustainable dwellings. Alastair also advises on strategic design, housing policy and what the digital revolution means for cities.

In this clip Alastair poses a controversial question: what if, instead of architects creating buildings for those who can afford to commission them, regular citizens could design and build their own houses?

https://www.ted.com/talks/alastair_parvin_architecture_for_the_people_by_the_people?language=en

Behrokh Khoshnevis – Industrial & Systems Engineering

Dr. Behrokh Khoshnevis is a Professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering and Civil & Environmental Engineering. He is also the Director of the Center for Rapid Automated Fabrication Technologies (CRAFT). His work now currently focuses in CAD/CAM and robotics.

In this clip Behrokh talks about Rapid Prototyping through Contour Crafting and automated construction of civil structures.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25rrNrkn2pg

Michael Green – Architect

Michael Green is an architect looking at meeting the housing demand without increasing carbon emissions. In this clip Michael talks about what he loves building with most – wood. He delves into the idea of building 30 story structures out of wood; it’s not only possible to be safe, he believes it is necessary.

https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_green_why_we_should_build_wooden_skyscrapers?language=en

Doris Kim Sung – Architect

Doris Kim Sung is a biology student turned architect interested in thermo-biometals. Basically smart materials that respond dynamically to temperature change.

In this clip Doris explores the idea that buildings should no longer be static and climate controlled but rather they should be able to adapt to their environment through self-ventilation.

https://www.ted.com/talks/doris_kim_sung_metal_that_breathes?language=en

Well there you go, the 5 TED talks we at GenieBelt enjoyed most. We hope you enjoyed them too and got you thinking about the innovations and industry of construction. We would love to hear your thoughts on the videos or if you have some videos you were inspired by or interested in.