The need to educate the construction professional in design and construction concepts in a sustainable future

![CDATA[In the construction world, in our western culture, it is now not unusual to recycle whole or parts of buildings rather than their component materials. The philosophy and the practicalities of designing and constructing new buildings as recyclable or even dismountable is still relatively recent even though the concept as an objective may be seen as fundamental to sustainability. The time urgency of educating our professional in planning and designing such structures within a framework of dwindling resources within the developed and the rapidly developing nations such as China and other nations within the Asia Pacific is becoming apparent. How to educate successfully in any area remains an ever developing and dynamic science, challenging the time scale in education commitments compared with a professional's perceived working life and considering the requirements of continuing professional development required for accreditation. Many issues including community demands and perceptions, cultural precepts drive the changes in educational curricula but may be hampered by the educators' educational background. This paper attempts to examine the educational priorities that may have to be established and synthesised in a lifetime educational process, it will try to demonstrate the rationale for recycling in design, construction practice and documentation. It will also look at some of the issues that have to be faced by professionals when practical and economic realities are expected to override the 'wish' list implied in the concepts of sustainability.]]