Sustainability in the built environment

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1 Sustainability in the built environment

2 Sustainability in the built environment Policy makers and business leaders are ever more aware of the importance of sustainability. This is especially true within the context of the built environment which sits at the nexus of societal aspirations for social, economic and environmental sustainability. In developed economies, the construction and maintenance of the built environment typically comprises close to 10% of national GDP. In developing economies, it can easily account for 20% of economic activity. The built environment has a crucial role in supporting the competitiveness of industry as a whole. Buildings and supporting urban infrastructure are invariably of central importance to the achievement of government policy objectives in health, education and transport. The built environment has a crucial role in supporting the competitiveness of industry. It is widely acknowledged that buildings routinely account for 40 50% of energy consumption. But buildings do not operate independently of their occupants, and occupant behaviour frequently defies simplistic technological fixes. This is especially true in relation to energy consumption where installed engineering systems are rarely operated in accordance with design intentions. The interaction between policies, people and technology is central to the challenge of achieving a more sustainable built environment. It is also the reason why continued progress is highly dependent upon multidisciplinary research which draws from a range of expertise. There is frequently a need to deliver key infrastructure systems in the face of growing demand, while at the same time meeting challenging targets for cost and carbon reduction. Many countries are faced with an unprecedented series of challenges in terms of their critically important built infrastructure. There is frequently a need to deliver key infrastructure systems in the face of growing demand, while at the same time meeting challenging targets for cost and carbon reduction. For example, the UK Climate Change Act legislates a reduction in the UK s carbon emissions of 80% by 2050 (from 1990 levels). There is also a need for resilience in terms of the impact of climate change and other unforeseen threats and hazards. Much of the physical built environment is contained within cities, which comprise complex socio-technical systems with huge implications for national sustainability agendas. Cities are where the majority of the world s population live and they account for the majority of the world s carbon emissions. Any conversation about sustainability in the built environment must therefore recognise the challenges posed by different scales. The challenges relating to individual buildings are complex enough, but this complexity is magnified several times over as the discussion extends from the neighbourhood scale through to the complex mega-cities of the future. Any conversation about sustainability in the built environment must recognise the challenges posed by different scales. The University of Reading is harnessing its extensive research expertise in order to respond to these challenges. Our multidisciplinary approach addresses the needs of communities, business and government. Through this we will impact the policy, products and behaviour of today and tomorrow.

3 Sustainability in the built environment 12 Planning for sustainability 4 Sustainable behaviours within the community 126 Designing for resilience 6 Urban green infrastructure 8 Promoting sustainable practices 14 Energy supply systems 10

4 A planning perspective is essential for urban sustainability. It helps to integrate and channel the actions of organisations and communities towards environmentally friendly development. Mr Joe Doak Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning and Development Real Estate & Planning Planning for sustainability Planning applies to many dimensions of sustainability in the built environment and the interrelated and often contested processes of community, public and private interventions which are designed to deliver against a range of social, economic and environmental objectives. This cluster focuses on considerations of sustainability in the planning and design of urban settlements and the associated policy impacts. Coverage includes research exploring the interrelationships between communities, buildings, cities and countryside. This encompasses considerations of urban heat islands and airflow, biodiversity and urban agriculture, and the design of urban environmentally friendly and inclusive public spaces. A further aspect emphasises the importance of community-based initiatives and neighbourhood planning. The University s School of Real Estate & Planning has extensive experience in planning and development, alongside a strong research portfolio focused on climate change, and the adaptation and mitigation of its effects. Considerations of community well-being, sustainable urban management and issues of urban governance, as well as a legacy of influencing policy are present within this focus. Given its broad nature, future research will seek to incorporate planning in its widest sense, strengthening research collaborations and extending its impact on the sustainability in the built environment agenda. 4 5

5 To create sustainable built environments, we need to radically change the processes through which buildings and infrastructure are designed and redesigned. Sustainability is not achievable if design and operation are disconnected. Professor Jennifer Whyte Professor of Innovation and Design Director of the Design Innovation Research Centre Designing for resilience This cluster encompasses consideration of micro-climate issues relating to the design and planning of the built environment in response to the climate change agenda. A particular focus is provided by the influence of policy and regulation on design decisions in the delivery of a sustainable and resilient built environment. Coverage includes the design of intelligent buildings and the role of infrastructure in delivering sustainable urban built environments. The overriding objective is to reduce the built environment s carbon footprint and provide resilience to potential disaster scenarios. Research within the Design Innovation Research Centre focuses on digital design interfaces and building information modelling (BIM). This is complemented by the Visualisation and Interactive Technology Centre (VIT-C), and research from the Walker Institute modelling climate extremes and predicted disaster scenarios. Research also addresses the impact of policy on the potential to design, plan and deliver a low-carbon economy within the built environment. It is planned to combine existing expertise in design information modelling with the development of intelligent materials for protective building facades, which monitor and react to potential extreme events. A further aim of this research will be to reduce the impact of such extreme events on the built environment. The materials capability already exists within the University, and plans are in place to develop this further in the future. Ongoing research into the impact of sustainability on modern methods of construction, such as off-site manufacturing will further influence popular perceptions of sustainable construction. 6 7

6 As plants in cities become increasingly valued for the benefits they can provide to the urban environment, our interests are in finding how to maximise their contribution to urban green spaces and to building services, such as air cooling and building insulation. Dr Tijana Blanusa Royal Horticultural Society Fellow green Urban infrastructure The focus of this cluster is on the use of plants for insulation, cooling, shading and pollutant capture in the built environment. Coverage includes the use of green roofs and walls, and the identification of plant species to enable optimum building efficiency. The use of plants within the landscape and for establishing community spaces is also considered, together with the policy implications of an urban green infrastructure. Expertise within the University ranges from plant physiology through to modelling the impact of urban greening on energy efficiency and the reduction of urban heat islands. A key focus is provided by the need to understand the implications of developing an urban green infrastructure for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Associated issues range from surface water drainage to biodiversity as well as interactions with the policy and planning agenda. Core capability is complemented by research on water management, pollution and contaminated soils. In addition, the Centre for Agri-Environmental Research (CAER) provides further expertise relating to policy and public perceptions. Future plans build on cross-disciplinary links to improve the influence of urban green infrastructure research in design and planning decisions, and the further development of predictive modelling of climate change impact. There are also plans to expand existing research into public perception and the social impacts of urban greening, including well-being. Research will continue into pollutant capture and the evaluation of the economic impact of urban greening. 8 9

7 The next 10 years promises a revolution in power supply technologies against a backdrop of uncertain, evolving consumer behaviour and the influx of disruptive innovations in technology. As a university our research into energy generation, smart supply networks, and consumer energy demand provides thought leadership and actionable solutions for our partners to address these challenges. Professor Peter Grindrod Professor of Mathematics and its Applications, Mathematics Director of Innovation & Knowledge Exchange Energy supply systems This cluster of research focuses on energy supply and distribution networks, with particular emphasis on the interaction between the built environment and energy systems. A complementary focus lies on carbon management. The scope of the research embraces both technical and business model perspectives spanning generation, supply and storage of energy. This includes the application of smart grids and challenges of renewable energy generation and its supply within the grid system. Of further interest are mechanisms for directing energy demand to support energy supply systems. The University s research expertise includes the multidisciplinary Energy Group which focuses on understanding how to measure and improve the efficiencies of renewables and challenges in the variability of the supply and demand of energy. This is complemented by research within the Centre for the Mathematics of Human Behaviour (CMOHB), which analyses and models energy usage in order to provide insight into peak demand, and explores new mechanisms for energy tariffs from the supplier perspective. Technological expertise is further demonstrated by research into power electronics and microgeneration inverters. It is planned that research in this arena will extend into the field of technology targeted at providing security and continuity of energy supply, alongside energy storage solutions within the built environment. A particular focus will lie on the challenges of transition management and the impact of regulation on innovation. Consideration also needs to be given to alternative business models for the introduction of new entrants into the supply network

8 Sustainable behaviours within the community Research within this cluster addresses the institutional, social and economic conditions governing the demand and use of energy within the built environment. The focus extends to the way in which choice is influenced by perceptions of risk, and presentation of energy type and supplier. Wider sustainability considerations such as food and transportation choices, plus the influence of well-being on consumer choice all feed into a general research agenda around community and community resilience. To get the best out of changes to the built environment, those changes must work in a way that goes with the grain of how people think and behave. An understanding of the drivers of sustainable behaviours and of how people interact with the built environment is absolutely vital. Dr Rachel McCloy Lecturer in Psychology Director of the Centre for Applied Behavioural Science Current research within the University ranges from understanding user-demand behaviour, through the design of smart meters, to determining the effect of different levers on behaviour related to the changing climate, e.g. energy efficiency and perceptions of risk. Coverage includes the impact on decision making and behaviour on market demand and insights into behaviour modification, including social norms and incentives. Applied research in behavioural science supports the translation of behavioural theory into practical outcomes. Future plans include exploring the role of users in the design of technologies and buildings in order to better improve their sustainability. A particular theme will be to examine behavioural change across communities and the implications for energy use and the wider sustainability agenda. This will include the value to the user of being involved in community initiatives, the influence of informal networks, and how to ensure long-term effects and behavioural change

9 Improving the sustainability performance of the built environment requires a better understanding of how environmental impacts occur along the supply chains that create and maintain it. Not only that, we need to understand the role of business practices in both supporting and inhibiting improved performance. Without this better understanding, progress towards a more sustainable built environment will be limited. Professor John Connaughton Chair of Sustainable Construction and Director of Enterprise School of Construction Management & Engineering Promoting sustainable practices This cluster explores how to integrate sustainable behaviour within the supply system including the incentivisation of long-term behaviour change driven by the low-carbon agenda. It also explores business models and the role of organisational networks in decision making and the move towards long-term sustainable business practices. Established research expertise within the University includes the use of environmental assessment tools and the transition to the use of various sustainable technologies. The University also possesses a strong research portfolio in organisational change and throughlife considerations, including the role of communities of practice in promoting organisational change. Future plans include a sharper focus on the role of procurement in promoting the selection of sustainable products and methods. A related direction of enquiry will explore impacts of informal organisational networks on the development of long-term sustainable business practices

10 This brochure outlines the University of Reading s extensive range of research expertise relating to the challenges of sustainability within the built environment. The University brings together internationally recognised centres of excellence in teaching and research, creating a thriving multidisciplinary environment. Our research addresses the needs of communities, business and government in order to impact the policy, products and behaviour of today and tomorrow. This research is supported by significant expertise in climate systems science drawn together within the Walker Institute. In addition our leading Industrial Doctorate Centre in Technologies for the Sustainable Built Environment (TSBE) helps equip students and their industry sponsors to respond to the environmental challenges of sustainability and climate change. Our current capabilities, along with future directions for research are gathered under six key research clusters: Planning for sustainability Designing for resilience Urban green infrastructure Energy supply systems Sustainable behaviours within the community Promoting sustainable practices. To find out more about academics engaged in these clusters and their specific research interests, please refer to the profile sheets provided in the slip cover of this brochure. For more general enquiries, please see the contact details provided on the back.

11 Sustainability in the built environment For more information, please contact: School Research Manager School of Construction Management and Engineering University of Reading Whiteknights Reading RG6 6AW Tel (0118) B