Research at the Suffolk Sustainability Institute, University of Suffolk
Written by Dr Alison Pooley, with Dr Hannah Steventon and Prof Darryl Newport.
T he Suffolk Sustainability Institute is one of six research institutes based at the University of Suffolk. We are committed to tackling the causes of climate change, the impacts of which, alongside environmental degradation are amongst the greatest threats to public health, the global economy and biodiversity. The University of Suffolk takes a strategic approach to sustainable development and has seen the biggest decrease in carbon emissions out of nearly 120 universities across the UK since 2015/16, achieving a 64% decrease in Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions between 2015/16 and 2021/22 (Scope 1 emissions are those caused from the combustion of fuel, while Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from the purchase and consumption of electricity supplied by the grid, excluding emissions from the supply chain, transport, and waste). Being part of a university that is making a real difference in carbon reduction is crucial to the work of the Suffolk Sustainability Institute as our aim is to bring tangible benefits at a global, national, and local scale as we work towards a low-carbon future. The Institute’s research is centred on three key themes: Green Infrastructure, Sustainable Healthy Communities and Energy and Resource Management. These themes span a range of emerging research
disciplines and pressing urban and rural sustainability challenges, underpinning our commitment to translate our research to be useful to everyone. The Institute promotes research opportunities and knowledge exchange through existing research projects and testing facilities, including the DigiTech Smart House, our living laboratory at BT’S Adastral Park, completed in 2022. The DigiTech Smart House, delivered through a partnership consisting of the University of Suffolk, the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership and BT, is a collaborative research facility that aims to demonstrate the regional capacity for designing, building, and occupying sustainable homes. The Smart House utilises systems to evaluate the performance of sustainable materials, low carbon energy and water consumption, addressing two pressing concerns – 1) climate change and the impact of the construction industry and 2) the chronic shortage of affordable homes and the UK housing crisis. The vision behind the Smart House was to present an example of an easy to maintain and comfortable home. Constructed as a ‘living laboratory’ for research to be undertaken: on the house as an operational building, in the house as a unique domestic research facility, and around
the house in its digital and environmental ecosystem. Using the house as a ‘living lab’ and demonstrator we are working with a range of innovation partners. The house, which has a gross internal area of 58m2, was initially conceived through a oneday design charette with our architecture students, and their studio tutor architect Ben Powell, with his practice Studio Manifest. The challenge was to reduce embodied cardon by 60%. This has been achieved through low impact post and beam construction using timber beams, with timber studs, the house has minimal materials in the ground to enable reuse and relocation. Embodied carbon calculations are ongoing as we adapt the home for different projects. The construction methods used at the Smart House are testing readily available materials and methods, such as offsite manufacture and use of panel systems. Part of the purpose of the house is to test these materials for future adoption, adaptation and retrofitting opportunities, for example the timber internal walls, with Woodfibre insulation, all have screw fixings for potential reuse. Although currently unoccupied, the house is designed as a home and contains a fully functioning kitchen, living room, fully accessible wet room and bedroom (on the first floor).
6 | SCRUTTON BLAND | P R O P E R T Y A N D CONSTRUCTION
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