Birmingham City University, in a major new initiative, has launched a multidisciplinary Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon Research to coordinate research across a range of disciplines, faculties and external partners. The Centre's scope ranges across technologies including novel bio-fuel sources and applications, the built environment, product design and advertising. BIAD is a main contributor to this Centre. The low carbon themes being developed at BIAD include complexity science, building design, product and service design, and design for behavioural change and lifestyle choices.
Complexity Science teaches us that simple rules on a component level and interaction between components produce unexpectedly complex behaviour in systems. Many systems in nature consist of many interacting components and driven by external forces spontaneously organise into a critical state, and stay continuously poised in it. The principles of Complexity Science enable efficient behaviour of energy and supply chain networks, leading towards optimised energy and carbon performance.
Low Carbon Retrofit Design involves optimisation of existing buildings to make them surpass current energy performance standards using advanced design methods, advanced materials and renewable energy. In this context we adopt a 'cradle to cradle' approach analogous to processes in nature, where waste from one process becomes the source for another process. This approach involves the design and interaction of supply chains and includes consideration of design for disassembly, eco-efficiency (doing more with less), and design of infrastructure. Low carbon retrofit, which is also driven by legislation, looks into new materials that facilitate seamless refurbishment of existing buildings and eco-efficient design of complex manufacturing processes.
Current studentship opportunity:
PhD Studentship in Zero Carbon Retrofit of Buildings
Irrespective of the new technological solutions available to us, one of the greatest challenges to the adoption of low carbon products and environments is that of persuading people to accept lifestyle change on the scale required to meet the stringent standards and product oriented legislation now being set for the future. In all areas of design, better designed products will be needed that reduce carbon emissions and are economically and socially sustainable. Changing consumption patterns that society has fostered to date will require the creation of new desires for societies that live better and consume less. BIAD's deep expertise in well-being, product design, design management, textiles, graphic communication and advertising, architecture and urban planning are all rich fields of research for low carbon design.
Although the emerging low carbon economy presents us with many new and serious challenges, it also creates great opportunities for innovation, new discoveries, new markets, and new ways of designing. We are working on materialising these opportunities through our Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon Research.
We welcome applications at any time for study for MPhil/PhD connected with any of the themes of the centre. Applicants are invited to contact a relevant member of the centre's staff for advice before making a formal application. Studentships may be available for selected candidates.
Principal staff:
Research: BIADResearch@bcu.ac.uk
BIAD, Birmingham City University, Gosta Green, Birmingham B4 7DX