Ben Pilkington

Feature Writer

B.A. (Hons) English Language and Literature, M.St. English Language and Literature

Ben Pilkington is a freelance writer who is interested in society and technology. He enjoys learning how the latest scientific developments can affect us and imagining what will be possible in the future.

Since completing graduate studies at Oxford University in 2016, Ben has reported on developments in computer software, the UK technology industry, digital rights and privacy, industrial automation, IoT, AI, additive manufacturing, sustainability, and clean technology.

Ben is happiest on a bicycle, loves sleeping in a tent or under the stars, and can’t function properly without coffee.

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Articles from Ben

Looking Back at Building Emissions During the 2022 Winter Olympic Games

The Ice Ribbon, sited in the Olympic Village from Beijing’s 2008 Summer Olympic Games, was the only major indoor building constructed for what organizers claim is the most sustainable Olympic Games ever.

28 Feb 2022

Project Staging with Augmented Reality

The built environment is made of 3D space, and so AR has found many significant applications in the architecture and construction sectors since the 1990s – with more use cases coming from advances in technology ever since.

24 Feb 2022

Plant-Based Rigid Foam: Use in the Construction Industry

Today, a new breed of plant-based rigid foam products has entered the market, allowing developers to make use of the desirable characteristics of rigid foam without the environmental downsides.

13 Jan 2022

Adapting Buildings to Communal Living

Today, architects are returning to communal living models which promote personal connections, sustainability, and – say proponents – the good life.

7 Jan 2022

Slate: Applications and Advantages

Slate is formed when high pressures are exerted on a sedimentary rock like shale. It is a dark, fine-grained stone made up of thin, sedimentary layers that allow it to be split into thin slabs, often used for roof tiles.

23 Dec 2021

Vertical Cities: Innovations to Overcome Urban Space Shortages

Urban populations are increasing, but building sites are finite. The concept of vertical cities has risen to the foreground in response to this conundrum.

22 Dec 2021

Innovating with Shipping Containers

In the last decade, an artifact from the marine and transportation industries has landed squarely on our shores.

21 Dec 2021

AI and Architecture: Optimization with Smart Technology

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has made its mark in almost every industrial sector today, and architecture is no different. Algorithms now automatically process information to help architects design new buildings – and the trend toward more AI-based architecture has risen sharply in the wak

17 Dec 2021

Green Building: Where Are We Now?

The construction industry is responsible for 11% of all global carbon emissions, and 40% of all greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to the built environment as a whole. More sustainable buildings and building practices – and deciding not to build – are vital if we are to avoid the worst-case

8 Dec 2021

What are Some of the Best New Community-Led Building Initiatives?

Architecture in Development – a media platform for the architecture industry – just announced the six finalists of its 2021 Global Challenge. The community-led building initiatives are pioneering a new approach to architecture, according to the challenge organizers.

29 Nov 2021