Research Subject Area: Built Environment and Design

REF impact found 150 Case Studies

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Accessibility & User Needs in Transport for Sustainable Urban Environments (AUNT-SUE)

Summary of the impact

The case study captures and describes the outputs and impacts arising from cumulative research on the theme of accessibility in transport and urban design. Impacts are evidenced both through the research process in terms of end-user engagement, collaborative research and real world test bed research (local communities and neighbourhoods); and through intermediary and professional/ practitioner body validation, policy-making and take up of research findings and guidance/toolkits arising. Impacts have also occurred through wider dissemination, follow-up research and collaboration both nationally and internationally.

Submitting Institution

London Metropolitan University

Unit of Assessment

Business and Management Studies

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Built Environment and Design: Urban and Regional Planning
Studies In Human Society: Policy and Administration

2. Achieving Greener Building Services in Practice for Europe

Summary of the impact

The work described here has impacted on European policy and standards concerning energy efficiency in Building Services.

The impact arises from two Welsh School of Architecture led and European Commission funded projects, HARMONAC (focussed on inspection of air-conditioning systems) and iSERV (focussed on automatic system monitoring and feedback). These pan-European projects demonstrate achieved energy savings of up to 33% of total building electricity use in individual buildings, and potential savings up to €60Bn. These projects demonstrably impacted the recast European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and the revision of EU Standards (European Committee for Standardisation (CEN)).

Submitting Institution

Cardiff University

Unit of Assessment

Architecture, Built Environment and Planning

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Mathematical Sciences: Statistics
Built Environment and Design: Architecture, Building

Adapting buildings to climate change

Summary of the impact

Climate change will have a profound impact on built environment performance over the next 50 years. More severe flooding and overheating will lead to more obsolete buildings and premature mortality across the UK and Europe. The research team explored the issues surrounding adaptation of the built environment to climate change, and developed a new model of built asset management that integrates adaptation decision making into the building life cycle. The model is being used by facilities managers and surveyors to produce long term asset management plans, and by central and local government policy makers to inform and develop adaptation strategies.

Submitting Institution

University of Greenwich

Unit of Assessment

Architecture, Built Environment and Planning

Summary Impact Type

Environmental

Research Subject Area(s)

Built Environment and Design: Building, Other Built Environment and Design
Studies In Human Society: Policy and Administration

An innovative approach to cooling underground railways through the application of sustainable ground source geothermal engineering.

Summary of the impact

This case study demonstrates how research into ground source geothermal cooling has benefited a public service organisation (London Underground Ltd (LUL)), an international engineering consultancy (Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB)) and the safety and comfort of staff and users of the London Underground.

Impact includes:

  • Implementation of the cooling method at Green Park and Oxford Circus stations in 2012;
  • Inclusion of the cooling approach within LUL's £500m Victoria line upgrade (2013);
  • Additional revenues of £500k (PB) and new contract research for LSBU (£500k);
  • A new commercial capability in design and analysis of ground water cooling (PB);
  • Creation of a specialised professional level post (PB);
  • A 2012 Rail Business Award for environmental innovation (LUL);
  • International adoption and significant interest in the cooling method.

Submitting Institution

London South Bank University

Unit of Assessment

General Engineering

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Engineering: Environmental Engineering, Interdisciplinary Engineering
Built Environment and Design: Building

Protecting Maritime and Coastal Heritage at home and overseas

Summary of the impact

A programme of research conducted by The Centre for Maritime Archaeology (CMA) at the University of Southampton has influenced, at a national and international scale, the management and protection of underwater and coastal heritage. The research has directly influenced public policy, nationally through the English Heritage Maritime and Marine Historic Environment Research Agenda, and internationally by underpinning primary legislation and current practice in Uruguay. Capacity building has resulted in new educational infrastructure, the Centre for Maritime Archaeology and Underwater Cultural Heritage (CMAUCH) in Alexandria, Egypt, which has changed attitudes towards maritime heritage throughout the region.

Submitting Institution

University of Southampton

Unit of Assessment

Geography, Environmental Studies and Archaeology

Summary Impact Type

Cultural

Research Subject Area(s)

Built Environment and Design: Architecture
Studies In Human Society: Policy and Administration
History and Archaeology: Archaeology

Archaeological Heritage Management in Austria

Summary of the impact

Bangor's research into Austrian archaeology has since 2008 resulted in significant impacts on Austrian archaeological heritage management, the archaeology labour market, and relationships between archaeologists and metal detectorists. Specifically, the National Heritage Agency (Bundesdenkmalamt; `NHA') has made significant changes to its policies, especially putting contracts to tender and introducing the first minimal standards for archaeological excavation, following a ministerial edict to change contract awarding practices. Recommendations on minimum salary levels for specific responsibilities in archaeological fieldwork have largely been adopted. The issue of how best to regulate metal detecting is being discussed on a national scale and attitudes towards detectorists are undergoing substantial change.

Submitting Institution

Bangor University

Unit of Assessment

History

Summary Impact Type

Cultural

Research Subject Area(s)

Built Environment and Design: Architecture
History and Archaeology: Archaeology

Art as an agent for change in the work of Professor Lucy Orta

Summary of the impact

Professor Lucy Orta's work, is developed in creative partnership with Jorge Orta, as Lucy + Jorge Orta, and tackles global issues that affect all our lives. Their collaboration sets out to utilize art as an agent for awareness and change, with public dissemination aimed at triggering new thinking and action on issues related to sustainability. Their work has led to an enhanced public understanding of these issues and its impact is evidenced by high level commissions; partnerships with prestigious institutions; media coverage; audience figures; and public engagement activities.

Submitting Institution

University of the Arts London

Unit of Assessment

Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory

Summary Impact Type

Cultural

Research Subject Area(s)

Environmental Sciences: Environmental Science and Management
Built Environment and Design: Architecture

Autonomatic: the integration of digital technologies in the UK Craft and Designer-Maker sector

Summary of the impact

This case study describes the impact of research undertaken by Falmouth's Autonomatic Research Group on developments in the UK Craft and Designer-Maker sector. This sector consists of individual or small groups of creative practitioners producing high value individual and bespoke products in studio/workshop environments using ceramic, glass, metals, textile and mixed media. This sector has been slow to benefit from the digital economy for reasons including cost, perceptions of relevance, accessibility and training. Autonomatic has worked to highlight digital technologies relevance to small scale and bespoke manufacturing, increase accessibility, and provide opportunities for businesses' and communities' creative development.

Submitting Institution

Falmouth University

Unit of Assessment

Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Information and Computing Sciences: Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing
Built Environment and Design: Design Practice and Management
Studies In Creative Arts and Writing: Film, Television and Digital Media

Aynsley China Research and Impact via Flux Stoke on Trent

Summary of the impact

In late 2010 Professor Sanderson decided to form the Flux ceramics spin-out company at Staffordshire University in order to exploit a significant market gap he had discovered via his KTP research project for Aynsley China Ltd., Stoke-on-Trent. Flux has been able to exploit the market gap discovered in a way that Aynsley China was unwilling to pursue. Flux has produced cutting edge ceramic tableware design that has been successful in terms of both sales and recognition as a valuable contribution to contemporary tableware design. Flux won the Home and Gardens Design Award in 2012.

Submitting Institution

Staffordshire University

Unit of Assessment

Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Built Environment and Design: Design Practice and Management

Bringing new insights to the construction industry through the philosophy of expertise

Summary of the impact

Professor Mark Addis of the School of English undertook pioneering collaborative interdisciplinary work with David Boyd (Professor of Construction at Birmingham City University) to engage with an area of business where the humanities are not usually valued. The philosophy of expertise assisted three major construction companies, Mouchel, Rider Levett Bucknall and Thomas Vale Construction, to better understand their practices. These new perspectives into construction management challenged existing practices and stimulated practitioner debate in the industry. The impacts were for individuals, who made more effective interventions in their practice especially in terms of skill development and project organisation; company groups, who gained insights which developed their practice; and the wider industry through presentations to leading national construction representative organisations.

Submitting Institution

Birmingham City University

Unit of Assessment

English Language and Literature

Summary Impact Type

Cultural

Research Subject Area(s)

Built Environment and Design: Building
Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services: Business and Management

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