Evaluating the quality of the internal environment in the UK higher education buildings

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The project
Providing thermal comfort in any classroom environment is crucial as it could have a direct impact on students’ learning and performance. With the projection of climate change and global warming, providing comfortable learning environments is challenging due the risk of overheating and the need for air conditioning system.

The adaptive thermal model which was proposed in the 1970s and accepted in the early 2000s suggests that occupants’ thermal perception in free-running buildings is affected by outside temperatures. Such a model is therefore a good indicator of how perceptions evolve as conditions change and can help predict the need for adaptive behaviour. However, this model is based on studies in offices and may not provide an appropriate assessment of thermal comfort in schools, residential or higher education buildings. A recent study suggests how this model could be tailored in order to be more suitable for UK schools and residential buildings but no study has been carried out for in UK higher education buildings. The other factors that influence building occupants’ thermal perception rather than outside temperature are behavioural adjustment and physiological acclimatization which are still among the least covered scientific research.

The aim of this study is to evaluate how the current adaptive thermal comfort guidelines could be tailored to help design thermally comfortable learning environments in the UK higher education building that could satisfy students coming from very diverse backgrounds, behavioural adjustment and physiological acclimatization.

Duration: 3 years Fixed Term

About the Centre/Department
The Centre for Low Impact Buildings is seeking exceptional and motivated scholars who wish to engage with global, policy or industry related research that will demonstrate a measurable sustainable improvement in the performance of the built environment. Our key research themes are: building materials or low carbon technologies including their dynamic performance; new standards of building performance involving owners and occupiers; resilience and adaptation to climate change; or, pervasive data in sensoring and monitoring buildings including human computer interaction. It is our aim to improve the sustainability and performance of the built environment.

Successful applicants
-A minimum of a 2:1 first degree in a relevant discipline/subject area with a minimum 60% mark in the Project element or equivalent with a minimum 60% overall module average.

-In the event of a first degree classification of less than 2:1, a Masters Degree in a relevant subject area will be considered as an equivalent. The Masters must have been attained with overall marks at merit level (60%). In addition, the dissertation or equivalent element in the Masters must also have been attained with a mark at merit level (60%), or

-a taught Masters degree in a relevant discipline, involving a dissertation of standard length written in English in the relevant subject area with a minimum of a merit profile: 60% overall module average and a minimum of a 60% dissertation mark

-the potential to engage in innovative research and to complete the PhD within a three-year period of study

-a minimum of English language proficiency (IELTS overall minimum score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component)

Additionally

-knowledge and/or experience in the subject

-a good knowledge of building physics,

-experience of objective and subjective research methods.

Application Procedure
Application information can be found in our how to apply section. Before completing the application please contact Dr. Azadeh Montazami (cc'ing [Email Address Removed] when you do) for an initial informal discussion about the opportunity.

Application deadline: Ongoing

Informal enquiries are essential before application; contact Dr. Azadeh Montazami to discuss this opportunity.