How the First Industrial Revolution revolutionised the world of architecture and construction.

Image 1- The Industrial Revolution (Arun, 2018)

The industrial revolution was an extremely innovative time period and marked the start of a new era with the rise of new materials, new technology and new inventions being brought to light. Although the initial industrial revolution occurred during the late 18th and early 19th century, the years following it also came with their own innovations so this era continued into a second, third and (currently) a fourth industrial revolution (Xu, M., David, J. M. & Kim, S. H., 2018). This blog post will look at how the first industrial revolution time period initially started a innovative time period, which is still continued today, and how it changed the world of construction and architecture forever.

Image 2- Steam Engine (Abdelmegid, M., 2014)

The first industrial revolution began in the late 18th century, around 1760, and continued until the early 19th century, around 1840 (Xu, M., David, J. M. & Kim, S. H., 2018). This time period focused on the transition from farming to manufacturing, with the introduction of coal and iron to aid the innovative and technological advances (Xu, M., David, J. M. & Kim, S. H., 2018). The UK faced a shortage of timber throughout the country, and therefore required a new source for fuel, which led to the reliance on coal- this required innovative solutions and led to the invention of the steam engine (see image 2 above) (Wrigley, E. A., 1972). The steam engine was an immediate response to the demands of industrialisation, and was driven by a shortage of raw materials and a reliance on coal (Wrigley, E. A., 1972). Thanks to the steam engine invention, productivity was increased and production became more efficient, helping to move into the idea of mass manufacturing- which we still use today (Wrigley, E. A., 1972). As a result of the steam engine invention, transportation was now able to move away from horse & carriage or boats, as well as allowing factories to be built anywhere, not just along fast-flowing rivers (Whipps, H., 2008). This initial era also brought with it, urbanization and the mass movement of people from the rural country to cities, in search of employment opportunities- which helped to improve the economy and marked a transition to exponential economic growth in the UK (Wrigley, E. A., 1972). Materials such as: cast iron, steel and glass were developed and used as a result of the growth of heavy industrial materials- furthermore, the improvements in iron-making procedures encouraged the building of bridges, which developed new structural techniques that are still used today (Rethinking the future, n.a.).

Following the first industrial revolution, three more followed- with each one building on the previous, which led to an explosion in technical development and even more innovative work. The second industrial revolution occurred during the 20th century, and saw the invention of the internal combustion engine and turned to oil and electricity to power mass production (Xu, M. David, J. M. & Kim, S.H., 2018). This time period discovered a capacity to design structures with previously unheard-of heights and spans, in order to house the growing population of cities- this idea is still used today and remains unchanged in big cities (BIMCommunity, 2023). The way that cities were structured and organised was also developed as a result of the amount of new buildings being built and the population, which continued to grow (BIMComunity, 2023). The third industrial revolution built on the second, and used natural gas, fossil fuels, and electronics and information technology to power production- it was during this time period that we saw the first automated mass production occur, which greatly affected the way mass production and automation is used today, leading to the eventual use of AI being integrated in architecture and construction (Xu, M. David, J. M. & Kim, S. H., 2018). The fourth, and current, industrial revolution introduces more green and renewable energy sources, as well as the inventions of 3D printing, BIM, AI and an overall increase in usage of computer aided design and manufacture (BIMCommunity, 2023). Currently, we are seeing an increase in more sustainable, useful and aesthetically pleasing solutions, which bring to light issues within our current world, as well as building on innovative ideas within the previous industrial revolutions (BIMCommunity, 2023).

To conclude, the initial industrial revolution paved the way for innovative design, with the introduction of new materials, new technology and new structures. These were all built on during the second, third and current fourth industrial revolutions, in order to allow for our current technologies to be developed and used to make the architecture and construction industries more accessible and easier to navigate.

References:

Abdelmegid, M. (2014). Steam Power and the Industrial Revolution. Bibalex. https://www.bibalex.org/SCIplanet/en/Article/Details.aspx?id=71

Arun. (2018). 10 Interesting Facts About The Industrial Revolution. Learnodo Newtonic. https://learnodo-newtonic.com/industrial-revolution-facts

BIMCommunity. (n.a.) Impact of the Industrial Revolution on architectural design. https://www.bimcommunity.com/community/impact-of-the-industrial-revolution-on-architectural-design/

Rethinking the Future. (n.a.) What is the impact of Industrial Revolution on architecture? https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/designing-for-typologies/a3740-what-is-the-impact-of-industrial-revolution-on-architecture/

Whipps, H. (2008, June 16). How the Steam Engine Changed the World. LiveScience. https://www.livescience.com/2612-steam-engine-changed-world.html

Wrigley, E. A. (1972). The Process of Modernization and the Industrial Revolution in England. The Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 3(2), 225–259. https://doi.org/10.2307/202329

Xu, M., David, J. M., & Kim, S. H. (2018). The fourth industrial revolution: Opportunities and challenges. International journal of financial research, 9(2), 90-95