Find out more about the great work being supported by the BRE Trust at the BRE Trust Centre for Sustainable Engineering at Cardiff University. Current research ranges from BIM, energy modelling, water modelling to resilience. Click on a PhD project to find out more: 2035 Oil and Gas Infrastructure Pathways for Iraq, Kraidie 2050 Energy … Continue reading “Research at Cardiff”
The heroic age of polar exploration is rightly named; epitomised by Amundsen and Scott racing to the South Pole in 1911 and later in 1914 the Imperial Trans Antarctic Expedition of Shackleton that saw the loss of his ship, the Endurance, and subsequently the most enduring story of human heroism as he led all his … Continue reading “Breaking the ice: Conserving the Antarctic buildings”
With major flooding events badly affecting the UK during the winters of both 2013/14 and 2015/16, the threat of being flooded has been a major cause of concern for both householders and business owners all around the country. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) produced an article showing that while the 2013/14 flooding resulted in … Continue reading “Changing attitudes to property flood resilience in the UK”
In 2015, Defra brought together key business interests in a ‘Roundtable’ and challenged to bring about significant change in flood resilience. This resulted in the Property Flood Resilience Action Plan, which sets a path for addressing the major barriers to people being able to better prepare their homes and businesses for future floods. The Roundtable, … Continue reading “Flood resilience standards, certification and skills – have your say”
The consequences of climate change have struck close to home in recent years, with extreme weather and flooding events in the UK, notably in 2013/14 and 2015/16 causing billions of pounds worth of damage to properties and disruption to the lives of thousands of people as a result. The Property Flood Resilience Roundtable, chaired by … Continue reading “The Property Flood Resilience Action Plan”
When BRE rolled out BREEAM In-Use in America, it was to fill the gap of the 5.6 million existing buildings that were not being addressed with available green building rating systems. BREEAM In-Use doesn’t involve prerequisites so nearly any commercial building no matter what size, age or condition could benefit from using the program to … Continue reading “BRE is more than green buildings, it’s changing the impact of the built environment.”
Our climate is changing. We are seeing more extreme weather events which could lead to increases in heavy rainfall and significantly increased risks from river and surface water flooding. A growing population means more houses, which means more people will be at risk. Over 5 million households and businesses in England – that’s 1 in … Continue reading “Building flood resilience into the fabric of Britain”
I knew I was interested in working in the environmental sector since the end of my time at school, however my decision for this was confirmed while at sixth form. It was an area I felt had some of the greatest threats of the 21st century posed against it with the impact of climate change, … Continue reading “My Construction Role Model: The teacher that inspired me”
Over half of the world’s population is living in cities at the moment and the numbers are expected to grow by an extra 2 billion people by 2050. The impacts of climate change, high resource demands, aging demographics, the growth of the middle class, the increase in obesity and diabetes, and other challenges, are all adding pressure onto our city … Continue reading “Urban resilience: A 12 Global Cities Analysis”
The global trend of urbanisation poses opportunities and challenges for city leaders. Rapidly growing cities will need to build infrastructure and services which support people to access jobs and education. Leading cities will provide a good quality of life to residents and achieve success in the global marketplace by creating resilient, sustainable and healthy urban … Continue reading “Growing Cities Sustainably”