Environmental Building Group research

In the Faculty of Arts and Humanitites
Environmental Building Research

The main research concentrations of this group are in the fields of building performance analysis and construction management. Individual researchers also work in specific domains like construction law and sustainability literacy. Projects deal with a breadth of sub-topics, like for instance building performance simulation, thermography, laboratory and in-situ measurements of thermal and humidity properties of building materials, building operational conditions and control (including occupant behaviour and climate change), and values and attitudes regarding sustainability.

Ongoing research

CobBauge  CobBauge Project - Cob houses – made from a mixing of earth and natural fibres with water.Led by Professor Steve Goodhew, a traditional building method is being repurposed through an international research project with a view to constructing a new generation of energy efficient homes.
CobBauge Project
A view to constructing a new generation of energy efficient homes
DeViz: Defect Visualisation via Thermography
DeViz: Defect Visualisation via Thermography
Investigating whether thermal imaging can promote the early identification of defects in construction projects

Academic staff

 

A selection of research papers:

Boomsma C, Goodhew J, Goodhew S and Pahl S, 2016. 'Improving the visibility of energy use in home heating in England: Thermal images and the role of visual tailoring'. Energy Research & Social Science, 14,111-121.
Jones, R.V., Fuertes, A., Boomsma, C., Pahl, S., 2016. Space heating preferences in UK social housing: A socio-technical household survey combined with building audits. Energy and Buildings, 127, 382-398.
Jones, R. V.; Fuertes, A; & Lomas, K. J., 2015. The socio-economic, dwelling and appliance related factors affecting electricity consumption in domestic buildings. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 43, 901-917.
Fox, M., D. Coley, S. Goodhew and P. de Wilde, 2015. Time-lapse thermography for building defect detection. Energy and Buildings, 92, 95-106.
de Wilde, P., 2014. The gap between predicted and measured energy performance of buildings: a framework for investigation. Automation in Construction, 41, 40-49.
Wei, S., R. Jones and P. de Wilde, 2014. Driving factors for occupant-controlled space heating in residential buildings. Energy and Buildings, 70, 36-44.
de Wilde, P., C. Martinez-Ortiz, D. Pearson, I. Beynon, M. Beck and N. Barlow, 2013. Building simulation approaches for the training of automated data analysis tools in building energy management. Advanced Engineering Informatics, 27, 457-465.
Donohoe S. ,2013. Jones v Lovegrove and the Implications for the Construction Industry, Structural Survey, Emerald Publications.
de Wilde, P. and D. Coley, 2012. The Implications of a Changing Climate for Buildings (Editorial article). Building and Environment, 55, 1-7.