Are zero-emission buildings possible in the UK?
BuildZero is a British university project to explore how the circular economy can be achieved with the UK's building stock.
The £6mln project aims to deliver national and regional insights into the best use of existing buildings and waste resources in the UK, using zero new material and with zero emissions and waste.
Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the five-year project is being led by University of Sheffield researchers, alongside the universities of Bath, Manchester, Cardiff and Cambridge, as well as with industrial collaborators.
BuildZero will consider the options for developing buildings without new resources. The research plans on using methods from several disciplines, including materials science, architecture, structural engineering and social science, to better understand the existing building stock and resource flows.
The project will culminate in a range of demonstrator projects, interactive tools and detailed strategies.
Dr Danielle Densley Tingley, Senior Lecturer in Architectural Engineering at the University of Sheffield, who is leading the project, says, 'This funding is an exciting opportunity to explore if, and under what timeframes, a circular economy can be achieved for the UK’s building stock, whilst meeting essential societal needs. We will be working in close collaboration with industry partners to support changes in practice and help catalyse the shift to a widespread circular economy in the built environment.'
