Publications from the Centre for Advanced Built Environment Research (CABER)

This Handbook presents opportunities, best practices, and case studies backed by cutting edge research on the drivers of continuous improvement of health, safety, and wellbeing in the architecture, engineering, construction, and facility management sector. The book consists of 23 chapters with six themes covering: ● Drivers of the business case for healthier and safer construction ● Opportunities and drivers of digital technologies for improving health and safety ● Drivers of human factors for improving health and safety ● Drivers of safer design and procurement ● Drivers of better health and wellbeing for construction. ● Opportunities for driving equality and inclusivity for safer construction. The book will be beneficial to academics, undergraduate and postgraduate (research and taught) students, professional institutions (such as the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health), health and safety professionals (health and safety officers, consultants and managers), occupational health professionals, mental health and wellbeing professionals, construction managers, architects, project professionals, engineers (design, construction, project, site, electrical, mechanical, civil, building services, and structural), facilities managers, quantity surveyors, and site managers. The aim of the book is to provide critical perspectives alongside evidence based practical examples of success stories, that should inspire readers and engender continuous improvement in health, safety, and wellbeing in the construction industry.

Pushing the boundaries of flood risk management research, this comprehensive Research Handbook presents pragmatic insights into all areas relating to flood risk. Through its use of dynamic and people-centred paradigms, it explores urban flood management within localities, properties, neighbourhoods and cities. Structured around the flood risk management cycle, chapters explore the critical importance of managing the consequences of flooding whilst examining key concepts such as mitigation, preparedness, emergency management and recovery. An international range of expert contributors from an array of disciplines recognize the inadequacies of existing governance approaches and mechanisms when it comes to addressing urban flooding, and identify the ways in which these can be strengthened in order to create an integrated flood and water management framework. Adopting a forward-thinking approach, the Research Handbook also investigates future directions of flood risk management research. The Research Handbook on Flood Risk Management will be an indispensable resource for academics, researchers and students interested in environmental geography, environmental governance and regulation, urban studies, politics and public policy, and the management of natural resources.

This handbook explores the critically important topic of embodied carbon, providing advanced insights that focus on measuring and reducing embodied carbon from across the built environment, including buildings, urban areas and cities, and construction materials and components. Split into five distinct sections, international experts, researchers, and professionals present the recent developments in the field of embodied carbon from various perspectives and at different scales of material, building, and city. Following an introduction to the embodied carbon question, the chapters in Section 1 then cover the key debates around issues such as the politics of embodied carbon, links between embodied carbon and thermal mass, and the misuse of carbon offsets. Section 2 reviews the embodied carbon policies in a selected number of countries. Sections 3, 4, and 5 approach the topic of embodied carbon from urban-, building-, and material-scale perspectives, respectively, and use case studies to demonstrate estimation techniques and present opportunities and challenges in embodied carbon mitigation. This will be important reading for upper-level students and researchers in Architecture, Urban Planning, Engineering, and Construction disciplines. Presenting case studies of embodied carbon assessment, this book will also help practicing architects, engineers, and urban planners understand embodied carbon estimation techniques and different mitigation strategies.

This edited book presents a significant and timely contribution to our understanding of a broad range of issues pertaining to COVID-19 and its relationship to occupational safety, health and well-being (OSHW) in the global construction industry. The editors first introduce the industry and its poor OSHW history before highlighting some of the broader impacts of the pandemic on the sector. The book is then divided into two sections. Section One focuses on the management of COVID-19 transmission risk. It captures insights, practices, technologies and lessons learned in relation to what has and is being done to prevent or mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission among the construction workforce. Construction Safety, Health and Well-being in the COVID-19 Era also details case studies, lessons and best practices for managing sites and workforces when infections inevitably do occur. Section Two brings together international chapters discussing the impacts of COVID-19 on the OSHW of the construction workforce both on and off-site, as well as the management of those impacts. Furthermore, this presents implications of the pandemic (at the short-, medium-, and long-term) for other performance measures of construction projects such as cost, schedule, quality and, most importantly, how the pursuit/non-pursuit of such performance measures have impacted/will impact the OSHW of construction workers and professionals in the industry. This book addresses the gap in literature by offering global perspectives on the OSHW impacts and implications of COVID-19 in the construction industry and will help its wide readership (including construction industry organisations, professionals, researchers, government bodies/policy makers and students) to understand a broad suite of issues pertaining to COVID-19 and its relationship to OSHW in construction.

This Handbook seeks to examine and advance current understanding of the confluence of construction health, safety and well-being and the broad range of Industry 4.0 technologies in use in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. Globally, the construction sector accounts for more than 100,000 occupational fatalities annually. In many countries, reports of work-related accidents, injuries and illnesses are commonplace, and there is an urgent need to improve the occupational safety and health (OSH) outlook of the construction sector. The fourth industrial revolution presents opportunities to leverage modern technologies (e.g., big data, artificial intelligence, automation, sensors, AR, VR and robotics) to improve the poor OSH performance of the construction industry. However, embracing such technologies could also induce unintended adverse consequences for the safety, health and well-being of construction workers. Therefore, the realisation of the opportunities as well as the mitigation of potentially adverse consequences requires research-informed holistic insights around the union of Industry 4.0 and construction occupational safety and health management. This cutting-edge volume addresses a significant gap in literature by bringing together experienced academics and researchers to highlight the drivers, opportunities and drawbacks of the merging of Industry 4.0 with construction health, safety and well-being. After a detailed introductory section which highlights key issues and challenges, section one covers the application of a broad range of digital technologies; then section two discusses the application of industrial production and cyber physical systems in the context of construction safety and health management. Readers from a broad range of AEC backgrounds as well as safety professionals and technologists will come to understand how the technologies are applied and the resulting OSH benefits as well as potential drawbacks.

Why do cameras exist? While investigating possible futures with product design students in the ‘Design Futures’ module, staff witnesses arising challenges deriving from an all-encompassing excitement for technology. Students increasingly favour ‘tech’ over real issues. The module re-centres the human-tool relationships through critical, humanistic reflection. The final-year module provides thinking methods, encouraging learners to reflect why/if certain tools remain relevant—by meeting fundamental human needs. Where higher education precautionarily prioritizes data-driven approaches over humanistic discussion, this risks overlooking the deeper, more meaningful connections between people and the tools they use. This also directly corelates with environmental issues and the tendency to abandon human values in the wake of AI. Based on this the module evolves specific methods for delivery, reflection and discourse which is appreciated by the learners as they see how their individual human needs can be met in their practice of design. Our presentation will elaborate on the elementary methods and outcomes, including: Focusing on Humanities over the scientific approach, Basic human needs - empathise with generations to understand our symbiosis with tools (e.g. analyse what meaning cameras had for older generations) and Bag it until needed - Technology is just a means to an end.

The rapid expansion of solar energy has raised critical concerns regarding the disposal of end-of-life photovoltaic (PV) panels. This research aims to assess the current landscape of solar panel recycling and explore the effectiveness of regulatory frameworks, recycling technologies, and policy interventions in supporting a sustainable solar energy future. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study combines secondary data analysis of regulatory framework and policies from European Union, United Kingdom, United States and Asia with cross-national case studies of Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The research evaluates recycling infrastructure, cost implications, material recovery rates, and public awareness to understand existing gaps and opportunities. Findings indicate that while recycling offers substantial environmental and economic benefits—such as resource conservation, job creation, and emissions reduction—barriers including high costs, limited facilities, and low consumer engagement impede widespread adoption. Emerging innovations in mechanical and chemical recycling processes show promise in improving material recovery rates and reducing energy input. The study also highlights how extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes and circular economy policies can strengthen compliance and investment. Addressing these challenges is essential to reinforce solar energy’s contribution to climate goals and to ensure that PV technology remains sustainable over its entire lifecycle. The study’s implications call for coordinated global action, stronger regulatory enforcement, technological advancement, and public awareness to build an efficient and economically viable recycling ecosystem for solar panels.

Real estate valuation, despite using well defined methods and techniques, is often referred to as arts. The valuers use specific property and market characteristics and valuation is a mere result of the quantification of the impact of such characteristics. While the real estate market transparency is improving with the availability of reliable data (JLL, 2024; Ache et al., 2024), the current mainstream standards and guidelines on the quality of inputs used for valuation are still inconsistent creating confusion around how to deal with the lack or poor quality of market data. This research provides a comprehensive review of key resources available to valuers that provide details on the degrees of reliance on various types of inputs. These resources include standards and guidelines published by the International Valuation Standards Council, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, The European Group of Valuer’s Associations, the International Accounting Standards Board and the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority. The research identifies gaps and inconsistencies across the various resources and provides recommendations on how they could be addressed to minimise ambiguities and ensure consistency in real estate valuation

This paper presents empirical findings from the United Kingdom (UK) component of a broader cross-cultural study comparing smart home energy system (HEMS) use in the UK and India, contrasting individualistic and collectivist cultural contexts. Situated at the intersection of cultural theory, user autonomy, and domestic automation, the study examines how individualistic values shape engagement with smart home energy devices. Drawing on 30 qualitative interviews with UK participants, the analysis identifies three dominant themes: the centrality of personal autonomy, the tension between environmental aspirations and economic pressures, and the cognitive strain of energy management. While current HEMS largely operate through rule-based automation, participants’ reactions to these features offer early insight into cultural expectations that may influence the future acceptance of more autonomous or AI-enhanced systems. The study concludes that, in individualistic contexts, preserving user agency is a design imperative. Future HEMS—particularly those incorporating adaptive or intelligent functionalities—should prioritise override controls, transparency, and cultural responsiveness. These findings provide a foundation for culturally informed technology design and set the stage for comparison with collectivist contexts such as India.

As global challenges intensify, it becomes vital product design education empowers students to engage critically with the world around them. This presentation showcases the development of a classroom ecology that places research, inquiry and real-world relevance at its core. Students move beyond solving pre-framed problems, instead learning to ask meaningful questions about the values, needs and experiences that shape everyday life and possible futures. By asking ‘what matters in the world around them’, students lead a research event where they collaboratively design and test questions with the wider university community. Offering space to investigate themes, such as wellbeing, environment and community, through collective reflection. Over two years, this evolving approach gathered insights from more than 1,000 people; directly enriching and shaping over 100 final-year undergraduate projects by grounding their design thinking in real-world experiences. Within this ecology, research becomes a dynamic and participatory practice. Ethics, methods and proposal writing equips students with tools to conduct responsible impactful work, skills relevant to both academic and professional futures. Our findings reflect on how reframing the product design classroom as a site of inquiry and collaboration helps students see themselves not just as makers of things, but as thoughtful, responsive agents of change.