Purpose:
Scotland’s existing housing sector contributes 6.3 million tones of CO2 annually, accounting for approximately 13% of the nation’s emissions. Edinburgh and its partners in the ESESCR (Edinburgh and Southeast Scotland City Region) face major challenges being committed to an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, with housing accounting for 27% of total current emissions. To meet its 2045 net zero target, Scotland will have to upgrade and retrofit approximately 2.6 million homes; potentially 113,000 homes each year. Hence, this demand is challenged by shortages and skills gap identified in Highland and Islands and particularly in southeast Scotland. These multiple pressures of growing housing demand, an ageing workforce, skills shortage and an ageing population mean that smarter archetyping methods, to increase the rate of multi-residential buildings retrofit solutions, are needed throughout Scotland.
The developed comprehensive multi-residential building retrofit, using archetype, cost-optimal and net-zero approach will be applied to existing housing stock in the Scotland climate zones. This will stimulate the retrofit market productivity and increase the pace of retrofitting.
This project will produce digital twins for a suite of standardised multi-residential building archetypes with whole life performance specifications that allows innovation of housing retrofitting to be scaled up to levels that meet Scotland’s housing demand and a significant step towards the 2045 Net Zero Carbon targets as well as the City of Edinburgh Council plans to be carbon neutral city by 2030.
Aim and objectives:
The aim of the PhD project is for a candidate to investigate the route to efficient multi-residential building retrofit productivity through a blend of archetype, whole life cost and net zero approach of homes aiming to achieve net-zero criteria by 2050 through imposed targets set in Scotland. This project will address the multiple pressures of growing existing housing retrofitting demand, ageing workforce and skills shortage by using archetyping smart methods to increase the rate of retrofitting solutions. Archetyping will specifically help to accelerate the uptake in Scotland multi-residential building retrofit providing a satisfactory compromise between accuracy and speed of simulation.
There are three main objectives:
- Evaluate the key archetypes within the multi-residential building stock in Scotland using Building Information Management BIM in aid of the standardised retrofitting scenarios;
- Assess the representativeness of archetypes, testing and checking suitability in relation to costing and net zero targets for current state retrofitting scenarios;
- Develop comprehensive model combining energy signatures and building energy simulations using archetype, cost-optimal and net-zero approach.
Expected outcomes:
Developing low-carbon multi-residential building retrofit approach requires an integrated approach to capture the aggregated impact of new energy efficiency policies and measures.
This approach will combine energy signatures and building energy simulations of various measures in order to evaluate their potential outcomes in terms of energy savings and emissions reductions. Therefore, a methodology calibrated engineering models combined with building energy simulation tools will enable reliable simulations to be derived with this PhD and published for the wider benefit of the UK construction industry. This project will demonstrate innovation in the public, construction and academic sectors and will act as a platform for greater use of more advanced multi-residential building methods in the Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme. It is expected that this model will be replicable and increasingly be adopted by the wider housing market
Academic qualifications
A first-class honours degree, or a distinction at master level, or equivalent achievements in Built Environment subject i.e. Civil / Structural Engineering; construction management; Architectural Technology; Sustainable Built Environment or equivalent.
English language requirement
If your first language is not English, comply with the University requirements for research degree programmes in terms of English language.
Application process
Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact the supervisor, Dr. Lina Khaddour (l.khaddour@napier.ac.uk) to discuss the content of the project and the fit with their qualifications and skills before preparing an application.
Contact details
Should you need more information, please email SCEBERDL@napier.ac.uk.
The application must include:
Research project outline of 2 pages (list of references excluded). The outline may provide details about
- Background and motivation, explaining the importance of the project, should be supported also by relevant literature. You can also discuss the applications you expect for the project results.
- Research questions or
- Methodology: types of data to be used, approach to data collection, and data analysis methods.
- List of references
The outline must be created solely by the applicant. Supervisors can only offer general discussions about the project idea without providing any additional support.
- Statement no longer than 1 page describing your motivations and fit with the project.
- Recent and complete curriculum vitae. The curriculum must include a declaration regarding the English language qualifications of the candidate.
- Supporting documents will have to be submitted by successful candidates.
- Two academic references (but if you have been out of education for more than three years, you may submit one academic and one professional reference), on the form can be downloaded here.
Applications can be submitted here.
Download a copy of the project details here.
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