A recent visit to two of the UK’s premier building research organisations has reminded me that developed nations the world over are in the same boat.
We’re all having to tackle issues of sustainability, carbon reduction, waste minimisation, retrofitting of existing housing stock and housing affordability – the list goes on. As a result, there’s much to be learned from how others are approaching research and innovation.
Retrofitting research in real life
My first stop was Manchester’s Salford University, which has recently launched Energy House 2.0 – a second iteration of Energy House 1, Europe’s only full-sized, fully functional houses built in a lab.
Energy House 1 is an early 20th century terraced house consistent with much of the existing UK housing stock that needs upgrading. Energy House 2.0 enables climatic conditions to be simulated and recreated for an accurate assessment of energy-efficient retrofit technologies.
Importantly, this approach enables energy performance to be assessed in totality rather than individual components in isolation – for example, the interplay between improved insulation and ventilation technologies.
Low-carbon new builds
Using the lab’s research, private volume builders have built revolutionary low-carbon prototype houses for additional testing in a real-world environment. The site is also home to the Zed House, the first home that takes sustainability beyond the UK’s current Future Homes Standards to deliver a carbon reduction of 125%.
Its performance is monitored via sensors recording data for Energy House Labs’ research purposes. When testing is complete, the concept will form the basis for the build companies’ future designs.
Innovations shared by all
My second visit was to BRE (the British Research Establishment) – the UK equivalent of BRANZ. In its Science Park, there is an Innovation Zone where the ideas of innovators, architects, developers and manufacturers are tried and tested before being rolled out.
Companies can lease land and test their designs. Rather than focusing on one component or building method, they can achieve a whole-of-building performance assessment and make design, construction method or specification alterations. It’s an exciting approach that is making a big contribution to building better.
However, the most interesting factor from my perspective was discovering that the data obtained from all buildings located in the Innovation Zone is open source – it is available to everyone, not just the company who commissioned the testing.
Competitive advantage vs common good
In the current Aotearoa New Zealand context, it is hard to imagine a building company agreeing to such an arrangement. However, I would argue that this level of industry collaboration is essential to lift the overall quality of our built environment.
The sharing of data and ideas is fundamental to transforming the building system with evidence-based, sustainable and new construction methods and rethinking the average Kiwi home.
It might be provocative, but I believe that, to find solutions to our most pressing environmental issues, the industry has an obligation to come together – to share data and ideas – for the common good.
Imagine a future and make it real
I couldn’t help imagining what would happen if we applied the Energy House 2.0 or Zed House approach in Aotearoa. For example, what would be the benefits to state and council housing programmes if we could cost-effectively retrofit rather than bowl and rebuild or if public housing greenfield site development was based on proven energy-efficient designs that had been fully assessed?
What if we could cost-effectively and efficiently reuse or repurpose materials so they don’t end up in landfill? How can we pave the way for acceptance of new ways of building and living?
Big questions and lots of what ifs, but I am more convinced than ever that solutions can be found through genuine industry collaboration and focusing on a systems approach to building performance.