Contact information
Mr Christopher Allen
Head of Department
Tel: 27 41 504 2155
chris.allen@mandela.ac.za

Built Environment Research Centre (BERC)

An engaged Built Environment aims to do more with less, using technology as an additional tool to achieve this. By employing smart sensors in building equipment or civil engineering infrastructure we can optimise performance, reducing carbon emissions and extend maintenance cycles. Likewise, the very materials used can be teched to be stronger, lighter, cheaper and perform better in our changing climatic environment, thereby reducing raw material use and enabling new manufacturing processes such as 3D printing. Lastly, the business of construction can be streamlined through digital technologies that enhance the communication process, enable mistakes to be made virtually and provide a twin of the final product to enhance the management of those buildings through data analysis and AI.