ABSTRACT
Developments in materials and manufacturing processes are literally reshaping our urban environment. They are helping us adapt to the vagaries of life in more innovative ways – from the effects of earthquakes to the debilitation of Alzheimer’s disease. The real prospect of intelligent, self-repairing, biomimetic structures, operating in a highly energy-efficient and waste-free manner, is enabling a fundamental shift in how we design our living environments. Ultimately, the cost and availability of energy and natural resources and the capacity of the Earth’s ecosystem services to continue absorbing our activities will determine the nature of our urban infrastructure.
