ABSTRACT
Many commentators believe that we are living through an age of profound technological change on the proportions of a second Industrial Revolution. Social, economic, environmental and political trends that we are witnessing now in the UK and Europe reinforce this belief. In the main, designers respond to clients’ and society’s needs and thus they need to be aware of the new challenges and opportunities that the new trends are likely to bring with them. A brief résumé of some of the issues relevant to the construction industry is given below.
