Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)’s Post

// New work // It's no secret that meeting all of Ireland's national climate targets by 2030 is an urgent challenge that will impact every level of our society. Recognising this urgency, the six architecture schools in the Republic of Ireland at Technological University Dublin, University College Dublin, Munster Technological University & University College Cork, University of Limerick, Atlantic Technological University, and South East Technological University have joined forces for a transformative project called Building Change. Building Change aims to empower future generations of architects in Ireland with the expertise and capabilities needed to forge a sustainable future, by emphasising design principles that prioritise sustainable building practices. With TU Dublin as the lead partner, it will revolutionise architectural education by placing climate literacy and climate action at the forefront of curricula. We worked with our partners in Alice Public Relations on the project's naming before designing an adaptable identity based on Voronoi patterns that appear everywhere in nature and the concept of biomimicry – the emulation of the models, systems, and elements of nature to solve complex human problems. We subsequently designed and developed a website for Building Change that aligns with the overall initiative's sustainability principles by: ⭐ keeping file sizes down by using SVG files rather than relying heavily on imagery or video ⭐ implementing minification techniques and static page caching to optimise performance ⭐ hosting the site with a Green provider that uses renewable energy-efficient methods to reduce consumption By incorporating these measures, Building Change's website has achieved a carbon rating of A from the Website Carbon Calculator and is 85% cleaner than all global web pages. Building Change is an exceptional coalition of dedicated individuals from architecture schools across Ireland, and we're proud to be involved with a collaboration that promises to radically revise how future architects are qualified to navigate and shape a sustainable world. You can see the complete Building Change case study at https://lnkd.in/eUF68rcA

Over the past several years, Circular Berlin has been dedicated to advancing awareness among construction practitioners about buildings that adhere to circular principles and the diverse methods and practices needed to realize them. Today, I am thrilled to share the fruits of our efforts: 👉 https://lnkd.in/e-bXjTEU This journey involved significant engagement and cooperation, navigating various challenges along the way. Despite these ups and downs, our excitement to share the current insights for Circular Material Systems remains undiminished. One of the biggest lessons we've learned about circularity in construction is the importance of considering materials and design principles. However, to truly realize circular buildings, multiple enabling factors need to come together, such as team cooperation, logistics, and innovative approaches to project execution. To establish a circular economy, construction projects must be fundamentally rethought. We aim to continue collecting case studies and would love to hear your feedback on our preliminary project stage. Please leave a note with your thoughts! #CircularEconomy #SustainableConstruction #CircularMaterialSystems #CircularBerlin

HDR’s Six Architecture & Design Megatrends for 2024 - As society continues to tackle issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, waste and pollution, designers are being encouraged to rethink design processes and adopt a triple net-zero – net-zero energy, net-zero water, and net-zero carbon – design mindset within a circular economy framework to reconnect humans with nature and enable people, communities and natural systems to regenerate. https://lnkd.in/gUknJ73b

🌍Climate change presents a formidable challenge, and as architects, we have a unique opportunity to address this pressing issue. Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the construction of our built environment is essential. But a critical question remains: how can this be achieved? 🤔 This session will explore various aspects of what can be done, citing knowledge transfer, development of skills, tools, and working frameworks, and the ethos of firms that are advancing more effective climate action every day. 🌱 👨💼 Alan Lai from Allied Environmental Consultants, Hong Kong, will discuss the importance of airflow and natural ventilation in sustainable environments. 🌬️ This will include case studies on the application of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in urban contexts, with a focus on microclimate studies and air ventilation assessments—especially in relation to wind-influenced design. 🏙️ 🏗️ From Taipei, Jason Chun Ouyang of JJP Architects + Planners, will explain how his firm is currently designing projects based on environmental considerations and how they delineate sustainability standards in Taiwan. 🌱 This will address the identification of suitable solutions and illustrate a framework that allows an architectural firm to go beyond mere regulatory compliance through cross-disciplinary collaborations. 🤝 🏢 Finally, Jiexin LI from Architecture 2030, Shanghai, will speak on the systemic transformation within our industry, particularly in Greater China and Asia, guiding us towards the shared objective of achieving net zero carbon emissions in the building sector. 🏡🌍 Details 📅 Date: August 31, 2024 (Saturday) 🕥 Time: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM 💻 Venue: Online via Zoom 🎓 CES: 1.5 LUs/HSW 💸 Fee: Gratis 🔗 Sign up for the webinar here! https://lnkd.in/gt3jDzc6

I am very pleased to share the results of our research paper, which has been published in Sustinere: Journal of Environment and Sustainability. The paper is titled "Bio-cooling Facade in Tropical Climate." This research was written in response to the increasing concerns about energy consumption and construction waste in the building industry. We hope that this paper can serve as a valuable source of knowledge, encouraging further consideration of the environmental impacts of construction processes and building maintenance, which are closely related to the ongoing climate change affecting our beloved planet. You can access the full study here: https://lnkd.in/gMRG2mS8 #architecture #facades #sustainablearchitecture #sustainability #biobased #materials #tropicalclimates #research #climatechange

Join us at Education Estates® Exhibition | Conference | Awards Net Zero conference tomorrow ( Thursday 16 May). Hugo Marrack will be joining Lucy Townsend and Michael Riley of BDP (Building Design Partnership Ltd) to talk about Delivering high quality, sustainable campuses, chaired by Trevor Wills University of Plymouth. Hugo will be a proposing "A holistic approach to sustainable building and landscape design, with an emphasis on Passivhaus and very-low carbon" His talk will focus on three Higher Education projects of varying scales: a small social-learning building, a medium scale student residential project, and a student village for over 1000 students which targets net-zero-carbon. He will describe key design principles that should be considered from project inception, and the journey towards achieving these alongside cost challenges and the quality of their users’ experience. The variety in the three project approaches will demonstrate that there is unlikely to be one particular method towards very-low or zero carbon, but more likely a holistic combination that can align with the site, the building’s function, the budget and the broader aspirations for the project. All three projects are #Passivhaus design, and the talk is an opportunity to explain the benefits of this approach, the challenges it also brings, and the lessons learned from each. Sustainable building design has a central role to play in the drive towards net-zero carbon and it is hoped that this sharing of past-experience can help inform thinking about the next generation of projects tasked with bridging the carbon gap. We look forward to seeing you there.

Feel up to entering a circular building competition? The "Trophées Bâtiments Circulaires" (Circular Building Awards for non-French speakers!) is a competition for #construction projects geared towards #reuse. It's part of the Booster du Réemploi project, which was set up by Action for Market Transformation - A4MT and companies in the construction sector keen to lessen its significant #carbonfootprint. Construction21 - International is working with them this year. This year, the Awards will be highlighting large-scale and, above all, reproducible buildings. The competition is open to all types of building (public or private, residential, tertiary, commercial, industrial, cultural, health-related, etc.), public space developments and infrastructure or reuse projects. Projects may be submitted from 8 April to 5 July 2024, and must be located in France, Belgium, Canada, Switzerland or Luxembourg and delivered no later than 15 July 2024. There are other criteria too – see our webpage! There is a Circular Design category, where projects will be evaluated according to circular economy principles: 🏡Responsible consumption 🏡Functional economy 🏡Extending the lifespan of materials 🏡Industrial and territorial ecology 🏡Eco-design 🏡Sustainable sourcing 🏡Recycling.   Think you have a winner? Then apply and see! See our webpage for more details: bit.ly/3UVfGqZ

Fabulous opportunity to enter a new competition for Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland, that aims to build and support an ecosystem of creatives with an interest in using design to tackle the major challenges faced in coastal contexts. Proposals welcome on six themes: BUILDING; How do we build and what do we build with? PRODUCTS; What products or services are needed, or possible? EVENTS: What events can highlight & communicate the risks of climate change? LANDSCAPE; What landscapes and nature-based solutions will support and enhance the environment and the quality of life for residents? INFRASTRUCTURE; How will infrastructure support de-carbonisation and foster new lifestyles? REPRESENTATION; What forms of representation will communicate the risks of climate change, or integrate circular economy principles? Register by 8th January 2024 and submit by 15th January 2024! Part of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Green Transition Ecosystems funded Future Island- Island project by Ulster University Belfast School of Art and Queen's University Belfast, with the Rathlin Community Development Association and many other parters/supporters. https://lnkd.in/eDRNQ6xy Queries should directed to futureislandisland@qub.ac.uk

We recently chatted with our friend Alexander Loyer Hughes, AIA, an architect with a unique perspective. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺? Alex shared an interesting story. He's from Chile, a country where energy is scarce. Conserving energy is on everyone's mind! 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 In Chile and places like Germany, energy efficiency is part of life. Buildings are designed to save energy. It’s a necessity. But in the U.S.? Many old buildings leak heat like crazy. Ever cracked open a window because the boiler runs non-stop? It’s mind-boggling to those from energy-conscious countries. 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 With new regulations and a focus on sustainability, the lessons Alex learned in Chile are now critical. Modern technologies and techniques, like Passive House, are game changers. Retrofits to make old buildings energy-efficient? It's a whole new world and a fascinating challenge. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 Alex finds retrofitting old buildings to be incredibly motivating. It’s about fixing the past to build a sustainable future.

“There are no infinite resources on a finite planet and the AEC sector is beginning to feel the squeeze.” Healthy Building Network celebrates this recent piece by Martha Lewis, which explores how built environment professionals might respond to ecological limitations impacting the sector: “A key to addressing the dilemma is acknowledging that industry challenges are essentially a question of consumption. Characterizing architectural design and the built environment as a form of consumption presses the point. Embarking on new projects often involves consumption of land, destruction of natural resources cleared from the site, consumption of resources from near and far in construction, and consumption of energy. This consumption follows a primarily linear trajectory—take-make-waste—with devastating environmental consequences.” Read more: https://loom.ly/lhHNLvM