The Centre for Net-Zero High Density Buildings hosted its official launch event at Edinburgh Futures Institute on 8 May.
Based at the University of Edinburgh, the Centre is supported by £4.5 million in funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
The centre aims to transform the way urban buildings (tenements, flats, and commercial properties) are designed, retrofitted and maintained so that they are more energy-efficient, affordable to heat, and sustainable for future occupants.
Led by the University of Edinburgh, the research partnership combines the Universities of Glasgow, Strathclyde, West of Scotland, Edinburgh Napier University, and BE-ST – Scotland’s construction innovation centre.
The centre draws together a total of £5.6 million investment from industry, education, the public sector and the community.
The packed launch event showcased the breadth of the Centre’s ambition through a series of themed presentations and discussions, covering everything from building fabric performance and low-carbon heating systems to occupant needs, community-wide energy planning, and skills training for the green economy.
Professor Sean Smith, Centre Lead and Director of Centre for Future Infrastructure at Edinburgh Futures Institute and said:
“Our launch event brought over 130 leading experts from industry, public sector and academia and demonstrated the motivation and range of organisations to deliver solutions for the buildings and housing sector. With so many low-income households and key workers living within flatted housing developments it is imperative that we provide cost effective lower carbon heating and energy efficiency solutions.”
The Centre’s work will focus on case study solutions predominantly within the Edinburgh and Glasgow city regions. Both cities have some of the highest proportions of flats in the UK.
In addition to informing national policy and industry practice, the Centre will train students and professionals in low-carbon retrofitting techniques, helping to build the workforce needed to meet the UK’s net-zero ambitions.
The Centre for Net Zero High Density Buildings is one of several UKRI-funded Green Economy Centres, created to stimulate sustainable jobs, regional innovation, and environmental transformation across the UK. It is part of the Accelerating the Green Economy Centres programme, a £25m UKRI Building a Green Future funded programme to support five co-created centres that accelerate the translation and commercialisation of market-informed solutions to drive the green economy.
Dr Kate Hamer, UKRI Programme Director, Building a Green Future, said:
“Transitioning to a sustainable green economy is a win-win for all; it creates new jobs, new partnerships and new industries. Through investment in collaboration between researchers and innovators, we harness our collective effort across the public and private sector, driving innovation to secure the future of our environment and deliver sustainable economic growth.”
Learn more about the Centre and its work: www.cenz-highdb.ac.uk
