Masters' fund projects: 23-24
Case studies from the work our students do through the Accelerate to Zero Scholarship.
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Andrew Parker, MSc Sustainability and Environmental Studies, University of Strathclyde
Project
Andrew’s research focuses on the influence of uncertainty in whole life carbon assessments (WLCAs) in the built environment. The built environment accounts for around 40% of carbon emissions globally. As measures to reduce the influence of operational emissions take effect, the influence of embodied carbon emissions becomes more significant. WLCAs take a holistic view of the carbon emissions generated throughout the lifecycle of a building project from those associated with the procurement and manufacturing of materials right through to considerations of reuse and disposal at the end of the building’s life. Whilst no national policy or regulation on embodied carbon emissions currently exists in the UK, several local authorities are starting to request WLCAs to benchmark future targets. It is therefore important that submitted assessments are robust and complete.
Innovation
Accounting for embodied carbon emissions is the next frontier in the fight against climate change in the built environment. With no regulatory requirement to provide WLCAs currently, engagement is limited to those who are invested in achieving sustainable outcomes. Many countries in Europe have begun regulating embodied carbon emissions and a number of local authorities in the UK are starting to encourage participation in the process. Once regulation materialises, the industry will have to move quickly to adapt working practices and understand the implications of certain design decisions. Providing a framework to account for uncertainty will aid practitioners and stakeholders in producing and assessing reliable outcomes. The research shows that a lot of assumptions currently made in developing WLCAs are unreliable, incomplete and not aligned with best practice guidance. The development of a framework to assess uncertainty helps to rectify this.
Benefits
Initiatives to engage with WLCAs are becoming prevalent on the continent and in England. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the practice will continue to see growth across the entire UK. As accounting for embodied carbon emissions becomes common practice, those working in the built environment will need to engage with the process. Architects in particular need to be accountable for their design decisions and understanding the influence of those decisions relative to embodied carbon emissions will be critical. Andrew’s research will be able to improve the reliability of WLCAs, making their inclusion in the decision-making process an aid to improving accuracy as well as improving sustainable design outcomes.
Partners
University of Strathclyde
Graeme Nicholls Architects
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Shabnam Ashraf, Spatial Planning with Sustainable Urban Design MSc, University of Dundee
Project
The 20-minute neighbourhood concept has gained global attention, particularly in the wake of COVID-19 and as a significant strategy for accomplishing sustainable urban design. The idea highlights the critical importance of accessible public spaces, walkable neighbourhoods, local living, and reducing carbon emissions. Within this context, understanding women's perceptions of and experiences within the 20-minute neighbourhood framework is paramount. Women often have distinct needs and priorities regarding urban spaces, influenced by factors such as safety, and access to essential services.
In Scotland Edinburgh’s 20-Minute Neighbourhood Strategy introduced in 2023 aims to cultivate vibrant, sustainable communities that prioritize well-being, equity, and environmental responsibility. By ensuring residents have easy access to essential services and amenities within a short walk, wheel, or cycle from their homes, this approach tackles various societal challenges, including climate change, poverty, health disparities, housing demand, and transportation issues. As part of this initiative, Dalry is one of the neighbourhoods being considered for enhancing local living.
Innovation
This project is innovative by introducing gender-responsive urban planning that prioritises women’s needs. Technically, it integrates women’s voices and addresses the challenges they face in public spaces to improve quality of life and create sustainable, inclusive environments which are crucial for achieving sustainable urban environments. Addressing this issue innovatively contributes to the current initiative of City of Edinburgh Council on the ‘Dalry Living Well Locally’ project. Furthermore, the 20-minute neighbourhood concept offers a replicable framework for global urban development, addressing contemporary challenges like climate change, health disparities, and the need for sustainable living environments from a feminist perspective.
Benefits
The project offers numerous benefits, enhancing the community's quality of life by providing easy access to essential services and amenities within a short distance from homes. The gender-responsive design prioritises women's safety and accessibility needs, fostering an inclusive environment that promotes sustainable living, healthier lifestyles, and stronger social cohesion. Ultimately, the findings from this project will significantly benefit the ongoing local living project in the Dalry neighbourhood.
Partners
University of Dundee
City of Edinburgh Council
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William White-Howe, Master of Architecture, Glasgow School of Art
Project
This project will use existing Passivhaus retrofit case studies to evaluate whether the UK’s government decision to adopt the Passivhaus standard in new-build construction can be implemented across the existing housing stock to meet their goals of net zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
Innovation
William’s project sets out a series of recommendations across practice, research and policymaking. In practice, the project recommends that training for industry retrofit professionals be accessible, affordable, and high quality, as well as calling for standardisation of the terminology related to Passivhaus. To achieve a successful retrofit, industry professionals must work with occupants to determine their priorities, needs and expectations before planning a retrofit. Further to this, the recommendations include all certified dwellings being published in a regulated Passivhaus database, an increase of EPC target from C to A, and a focus on reduction before carbon-free production among others.
Benefits
The research sets forward interventions that encourage Passivhaus to be implemented in practice. Having the relevant dimensions for describing Passivhaus retrofit interventions and outcomes for energy demand is a significant lever in driving forward retrofit and reducing CO2 emissions in residential dwellings in the UK.
Partners
Glasgow School of Art
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Hardev Singh, MBA, University of the West of Scotland (UWS)
Project
The global temperature has significantly risen over the last century with noticeable spikes being more prevalent within recent times. This pattern has been directly correlated with the rise of the planet's carbon footprint. One suggestion behind such an overnight increase in carbon use could be the shift in development regarding infrastructure within countries where nations are striving to become self-sufficient and retain all services in-house.
One industry which is revered as the backbone of progressive development within the UK is the construction sector as it employs in one capacity or another approximately 7% of the UK’s inhabitants with a remit to advance the infrastructure within the country. Conversely, it has been recognised that the construction sector accounts for around 37% of the UK’s carbon emissions which supports the drive for the industry to migrate towards net zero practices.
Innovation
Considering that the thematic topic of note is net zero in relation to the UK construction sector, the primary mitigation strategies that will be reviewed are cultural advancements, project administration and finally technical innovation.
To ensure that the thesis is inclusive and can be perused by all parties including interested individuals that don’t possess prior net zero knowledge, a systematic approach will be adopted. This will consist of outlining the concept of net zero including its origin, justification, critical pathway for success and finally progress to date, all of which will be in conjunction with the UK construction sector. As part of the review, the assessment of current progress will also ascertain whether the uptake to date is sufficient for the UK to meet their 2050 net zero goals as stated in the 2008 Climate Change Act. If not, it will explore the shortfalls and determine which party is responsible for ensuring they are attended to. In conjunction with the evaluation, available innovative strategic options will also be highlighted.
Benefits
Considering the nature of the report, specifically the opportunities available, barriers in place, transitional efficiency, primary stakeholders and holitstic review of the net zero situation, the project could be key in providing help to a significant pool of construction stakeholders. This could be other researchers who aim to use an existing report for further in-field research, governments who need contemporary data to influence regulations and policy, members of the public who desire to keep abreast of the current issues at large and finally professionals within the construction sector who would benefit from best practise guidance and migration advice.
Partners
Morrison Construction
University of the West of Scotland (UWS)
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Amy-Felicity Horsey, Real Estate Management and Investment, Edinburgh Napier University
Project
Scotland was one of the international pioneers in systematised, modern urban housing development from the 18th century onwards. Over these two and half centuries, responding to a succession of radical social, economic and demographic changes, it built up an unrivalled legacy of complex and varied high-density housing solutions. However, this cumulative heritage is significantly divided in fortune between the ‘traditionally’-built and relatively uncontroversial 18th and 19th century tenements, and the sometimes more problematic and controversial legacy of mid-20th century public housing.
This dissertation will directly compare and contrast the retrofit experiences and challenges of these 2 past phases of urban housing, with the aim of encouraging a more integrated and truly sustainable long-term urban housing policy for the 21st century, both in the context of climate change and of the social and economic pressures of affordability and regeneration - for example, by showing how retrofit of public housing can combat both climate change and fuel poverty.
Innovation
With a few exceptions, previous research has been quite sharply divided, between three main approaches: policy-type reports; technical and engineering studies on building retrofit; and historical heritage studies. This dissertation is innovative in that it will try to make meaningful connections between all of these, and more broadly between the 3 pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic.
Benefits
An overview synthesis of the historical background and retrofit challenges and opportunities of the C18-19 and C20 housing stocks can help Historic Environment Scotland in its support for rehab of heritage housing, and the extension of listing to include postwar blocks, for example, in Aberdeen.
For the benefit of the wider real-estate development and construction industry, it could demonstrate that the inherited housing fabric, of all ages, can significantly contribute in the quest for a sustainable long-term urban housing policy for the 21st century, responding both to climate change and to contemporary social and economic pressures.
Partners
Historic Environment Scotland
Edinburgh Napier University
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Ross McFarlane, MSc Spatial Planning with Sustainable Urban Design, Dundee University
Project
Public spaces are incredibly important to cities and are being increasingly utilised as a way of creating sustainability and successful places. However, their creation and use have been constricted by car-centricity and privatisation in the last century. More recently their importance has been rediscovered, and city waterfronts have been identified as ideal areas for new public spaces due to their central location and historic importance. Therefore, with minimal research identified surrounding the experiences and perceptions of public space in waterfronts, my research will evaluate public space within the development of Dundee’s Central Waterfront. It will evaluate the public space in terms of its urban design, sustainability and the perceptions and experiences surrounding it, from both industry professionals and the public. Through doing this, the research will be able to conclude the negative and positives surrounding public space in Dundee’s Central Waterfront. This will allow for lessons to be identified, both positive and negative, which can be taken forward to improve the chances of the Eden Project’s success and sustainability, a project which aims to connect to the Central Waterfront and will utilise public space itself. These lessons will help to ensure the project is developed and designed well, sustainably, and to benefit of both locals and visitors.
Innovation
Costing over £1 Billion when completed, the Dundee Waterfront is at the forefront of regeneration projects, not just in Scotland but also worldwide, using innovative urban design, planning, and construction techniques and methods to achieve this regeneration. The huge scale of this project and the proposed Eden Project provide new challenges and opportunities never seen by Dundee City Council before.
Benefits
This research could provide benefits to Dundee City Council, through providing evidence of what has worked and what hasn’t within the Dundee Waterfront Development. This could then be used by Dundee City Council and its partners to help in the creation of a successful Eden Project.
In terms of the wider Scottish construction market, the lessons concluded within this research could then be applied to similar or related projects nationally and even worldwide.
Partners
Dundee City Council
Dundee University