nCUBUS: Network for China-UK Building and Urban Sustainability
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Architecture
Abstract
There is a commonality of problem due to climate change across the world related to buildings. Energy consumption in buildings accounts for 45.2% in the UK and 28% in China recently. There is a great challenge for the professionals in building sector working together towards building and urban sustainability. The problems such as carbon emission, overuse of natural resources etc, are long term and considerable, which no country can solve on its own. UK set the target of cutting 20% CO2 by 2010 and 60% by 2050. China signed the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change is forming policies to fulfill its obligations under the convention. Studies sponsored by GEF and Asia Develop Bank have highlighted the important role that China's energy sector could play in reducing future greenhouse gas emission and the need to accelerate the use of energy source other than fossil fuels. China set the target of cutting CO2 50% in building sector. There will be a considerable benefit in the exchange of knowledge and experiences between China and UK in built environment sector to tackle the sustainable issue, which is one of the most important issues in the 21st century. The aim of this project is to bring in multidisciplinary building professionals like architects, urban planners, building engineers, construction and project managers, developers, product manufacturers and policy makers from the two countries together for better communication and understanding to tackle the building and urban sustainability issue. This network will establish a wide range of collaborative activities, like joint research, joint organisations of international events, joint education and joint consulting projects in urban and building sustainability between UK and Chinese universities and research institutions. The founder partners include 10 UK leading universities and 8 Chinese national key universities and research institutions. The setting up of the nCUBUS will create new and enhance the existing links between the partners in building construction sector covering professionals from multidisciplinary in the two countries. The information and results of events of the network will be shared for the wider audiences in the public domain and industry internationally.
Publications
Li B
(2009)
Urbanisation and its impact on building energy consumption and efficiency in China
in Renewable Energy
Yun G
(2008)
Time-dependent occupant behaviour models of window control in summer
in Building and Environment
Musau F
(2016)
Space Planning, Ventilation and Energy Efficiency in Offices
in International Journal of Ventilation
Musau F
(2011)
Space Planning and Energy Efficiency in Office Buildings: The Role of Spatial and Temporal Diversity
in Architectural Science Review
Xie H
(2009)
Relationships between environmental noise and social-economic factors: Case studies based on NHS hospitals in Greater London
in Renewable Energy
Yao R
(2009)
Overview of an innovative EU-China collaboration in education and research in sustainable built environment
in Renewable Energy
Liu J
(2012)
Occupants' behavioural adaptation in workplaces with non-central heating and cooling systems
in Applied Thermal Engineering
Yao R
(2010)
Occupants' adaptive responses and perception of thermal environment in naturally conditioned university classrooms
in Applied Energy
Yun G
(2010)
Night-time naturally ventilated offices: Statistical simulations of window-use patterns from field monitoring
in Solar Energy
Description | See urban engagement activities |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
Description | EPSRC |
Amount | £3,225,933 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/F007566/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2008 |
End | 12/2012 |
Description | EPSRC |
Amount | £2,758,533 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/F034350/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2008 |
End | 03/2014 |
Description | LCEUA |
Amount | £85,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Tsinghua University China |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | China |
Start | 09/2011 |
End | 06/2014 |
Description | LCUD Workshop |
Amount | $19,800 (USD) |
Organisation | Energy Foundation China |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United States |
Start | 04/2014 |
End | 08/2014 |
Description | Funded research collaborations |
Organisation | Tsinghua University China |
Country | China |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | A number of subsequent collaborations have resulted from this nCUBUS network project, including most notably related to: - the EPSRC 'ReVISIONS' project and - the Tsinghua-MIT-Cambridge funding for the 'Low Carbon Urban Design' (LCUD) project under the Chinese funding program for the 'Low Carbon Energy University Alliance' (LCEUA) and - the Energy Foundation's support for an international LCUD workshop in Beijing. In addition to this, the project has sparked a wide number of collaborations between Cambridge and Chinese institutions, including Memorandum of Understandings, consutlancy activities and academic exchange programs. The nCUBUS project was also instrumental at identifying research opportunities and challenges that led to the |
Collaborator Contribution | Collaborations have either been directly with partners of the nCUBUS network or with academics and institutions that we came in to contact with in the course of the nCUBUS project. |
Impact | Numerous outputs have emerged that are reported under the various research collaborations for ReVISIONS, EECi and LCUD. |
Start Year | 2009 |
Description | Urban research and consultancy |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentations sparked academic and professional collaborations, advisory roles and further research projects. The work resulted in my appointment on to the Hong Kong Research Assessment Exercise panel as co-chair, and at International Adviser to the Singapore Government on sustainable development, as well as a series of academic exchanges and conference keynotes leading to further research projects. I am now also an executive director for Chinese sustainable urban design consultancy. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014 |