Research into Practice : how applied research can underpin innovative practice

The construction industry is notoriously conservative and slow to change, and until recently, only the largest players have engaged in research. However, concerns over global warming and the need for sustainable development, have led to substantial investment (particularly in Europe) into the research and development of technologies and design approaches which will reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. The application of these techniques to building projects has spread around the world, in parallel with the research programmes, and is slowly becoming part of the mainstream, but there is a perceived knowledge and skills gap among construction professionals, which is seriously restricting further take-up. There is widespread understanding of the ‘need’, but a lack of widespread ‘know how’. The transfer of knowledge from research into practice is therefore vital. But this is difficult in an industry which habitually dislikes change, which has traditionally undervalued research and dismissed academics as ivory towered dreamers. One way of convincing critics that the ‘new’ technology is not necessarily also risky, is by demonstrating that it is cost effective and technically viable through its application in major projects. Attention can then be focused on the process by which innovation in low carbon buildings is achieved. One thing is very clear: it is no longer satisfactory to rely on previous ly acquired knowledge and experience alone. In the last 20 years, major advances have been made in both our understanding, and the application, of bioclimatic design principles in buildings. Similar advances have been made in new and renewable energy devices, and their integration in buildings. Strategic thinking about these issues needs to be part of the early design pr ocess, and rigorous testing of options (using a wide range of analytic tools) is required in order to give clients the confidence to proceed with a radical solution. Not all projects can afford specialist testing and analysis, but simplified techniques exist, and this is where the ‘know how’ really counts. As a research led educational institution, the School of the Built Environment at Nottingham University, has been engaged in innovative R&D and consultancy in the fields of ‘bio-climatic’ design and sustainable energy technologies for over 15 years. Professor Saffa Riffat has developed the concept of ‘Life Labs ’(Ref), where innovative or experimental technologies are integrated within the school’s own buildings, providing reduced carbon emissions and the opportunity to undertake experiments in a ‘ live’ building. Professor Brian Ford has been involved in both research and consultancy in the application of bio-climatic design principles in numerous projects around the world. This paper illustrates this process of transferring ‘Research into Practice’ and the sometimes conflicting relationship between different measures to reduce carbon emissions from buildings. Introduction It is important for us to look at the scale of the task that faces us, in terms o f reducing carbon emissions and their impact on global warming. Atmospheric carbon today constitutes 370ppm compared with the pre-