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

This edited book addresses a gap in literature by advancing current understandings of the applications of immersive technology within the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) sector. Globally, the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector makes an enormous contribution to the socio-economic development of nations, which is primarily evidenced by its creation/provision of the built environment. The sector has, however, often been criticised for inefficiencies, waste, and diverse forms of adverse impacts that are associated with the lifecycle of the provision of built assets – design, construction, operations & maintenance, and end-of-life phases. Over the years, the inefficiencies, waste and adverse impacts have often been a catalyst for calls and initiatives to transform the AEC sector. The advent of the fourth industrial revolution (commonly referred to as, ‘Industry 4.0’), which entails the automation and digitalisation of production, presents opportunities to leverage emerging technologies to improve the image and productivity of the sector. Prominent among the emerging technologies in the Industry 4.0 era is that of immersive technology, which includes virtual reality, mixed reality, and augmented reality. The capability of immersive technology to deliver beneficial impacts for multiple construction sector stakeholders throughout the construction lifecycle has been acknowledged within the industry and this continues to stimulate interest amongst practitioners, policymakers, and researchers. Despite this phenomenon, at present there is no dedicated compendium of research-informed text that focusses on the multifaceted applications of immersive technology throughout the lifecycle of the provision of built assets right from concept design to end-of-life. This book thus addresses this gap in literature by advancing current understanding of the applications of immersive technology within the AEC industry.  Readers will understand how the technologies are applied, the resulting array of impacts including benefits, drawbacks, challenges and future directions for applications, research, and development.

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.

The collaboration of HUG by LAUGH® and Milbotix SmartSocks® represents a groundbreaking, evidence-based approach to dementia care. HUG®, a sensory comfort device co-designed through the AHRC-funded LAUGH project at Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK, combines soothing tactile stimulation that provides the reciprocal experience of giving and receiving a hug. It has a simulated heartbeat, and customizable music. SmartSocks® are a newly launched innovation developed through research at UWE Bristol and University of Bristol UK. They monitor physiological indicators of stress and anxiety, offering real-time, quantitative insights into a wearer’s emotional state. By integrating HUG® with SmartSocks® it has enabled rigorous evaluation of HUG®’s calming effects, producing data-driven evidence to support its adoption as a non-pharmacological intervention. Evaluations in the UK and the Netherlands have delivered significant results showing that HUG can promote better sleep, improve mood, enhance engagement and social connection, and in some cases reduce medication use by decreasing agitation. Both HUG® and SmartSocks® have received funding and support from Alzheimer’s Society and UK Government Research and Innovation. This presentation shares findings from the collaboration’s recent feasibility studies and highlights how these innovations can inform policy, advance compassionate non-pharmacological care, and inspire best practice in dementia and palliative support internationally.

Surviving for hundreds or even thousands of years, heritage sites and historic buildings often demonstrate the true extent of how buildings and structures can be sustainable and resilient within the natural environment. However, the latest climate change projections suggest that a rapidly changing climate will intensify existing threats and create new hazards for historic sites, the organisations that care for them, and their occupants and visitors. Caring for our buildings, understanding their vulnerabilities, and planning for their resilience has never been more urgent. Climate change is no longer a future problem. Flooding is the UK's primary hazard with insurance industry modelling placing 1 in 4 properties at risk. In September 2024, some areas of the UK experienced a typical month's equivalent of rainfall in one day, demonstrating the extremes our buildings now need to withstand. The vulnerability of the built environment varies with micro-climates, types of construction, and age and condition of buildings bringing unique risks and opportunities for resilience and adaptation. This paper considers the value of conservation philosophy and its deep understanding of the role of maintenance in a genuinely sustainable built environment. Focusing on two historic estates in England, i) the world heritage site of Blenheim Palace, and ii) a group of historic churches across England in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust, the study identified the local and regional climate change hazards that may impact the building fabric, monuments, systems and services of each building. An analysis of how these historic buildings might manage, adapt to, and recover from the impacts of climate change highlighted focus areas for asset management and supported future maintenance planning. While the sites showed widely different results, the study demonstrated the relevance of taking a building conservation approach to managing sustainable change and resilience. Understanding climate-related risk for individual sites and estates also underlined the fundamental role of planned maintenance for climate change resilience.

Growing climate change concerns necessitate the rapid reduction of buildings' carbon footprints. However, implementation has so far lagged behind targets, and individual project aspirations often fail to be achieved in practice. Academic research has predominantly been focussed on the quantitative assessment of what could be achieved; more qualitative research to understand what happens and why in real-world building projects is essential to support the swift reduction of whole life carbon. This paper describes a qualitative case study of a large student accommodation development at a UK university. Semi-structured interviews with project stakeholders are analysed to understand why one particular low-carbon aspiration, for Passivhaus certiRication, was successfully retained through the project, while others, including for low embodied carbon, were dropped. The study Rinds that the Passivhaus aspiration was retained because it: offered a clear enhancement of the client's reputation, was based on a reassuring stock of precedents, offered clear targets and metrics, and necessitated the inclusion of Passivhaus professionals throughout the project who helped ensure that the aspiration was achieved. It was also helped by a strong university culture of sustainability and the persistence of a number of conscientious 'sustainability champions'. At the same time, these factors were not enough to retain other low-carbon aspirations, which were hindered by and eventually dropped due to a number of issues, including: oppositional construction industry dynamics, industry skills gaps, the prioritisation of Rinance over carbon, a lack of clear whole life carbon regulation, and systemic factors that limited the 'voice' of some individuals in decision-making processes. The paper concludes that, while select lessons from the Passivhaus approach could be applied to other low-carbon aspirations to increase their implementation, stronger regulation might be the surest way to spur on the culture change and skills development essential for implementation and directly promote whole life carbon reduction at a scale and speed commensurate with the climate crisis.

Agitation affects most people living with dementia and is often managed with harmful antipsychotics. Existing paper‑based monitoring is subjective and episodic, limiting timely, personalised care. This study, funded through the UWE‑held AHRC Impact Acceleration Account, evaluates an integrated non‑pharmacological approach combining the HUG® sensory comfort device with Milbotix SmartSocks®, which provide continuous physiological indicators of distress. A three‑phase evaluation with care‑home residents investigates whether SmartSocks® support targeted deployment of the HUG® and how caregivers use distress data. This first‑of‑its‑kind collaboration explores whether data‑informed interventions can enhance responsiveness and improve person‑centred dementia care.

Indoor climate monitoring is essential for ensuring occupant comfort, productivity, and energy efficiency in modern buildings. Effective regulation of temperature and humidity not only enhances well-being but also minimises operational costs and environmental impact through intelligent climate control. However, traditional methods for analysing sensor-based thermal data often demand specialised expertise in data processing, modelling, and visualisation, creating barriers for facility managers and other non-technical stakeholders. To address this challenge, this study presents an Agentic Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) system that integrates a Large Language Model (LLM) with time-series forecasting for intuitive indoor climate analysis and prediction. The proposed framework combines the reasoning and retrieval capabilities of an LLM with the Prophet model for forecasting, enabling users to interact with complex environmental datasets through natural language (NL) queries. The system provides both descriptive analytics, including hourly and daily temperature, humidity patterns, seasonal trends, and variability, and predictive insights, such as short-term forecasts and long-term trend detection. Demonstrated using five months of real-world temperature and humidity data with projections for early September, the system illustrates how an Agentic-RAG-LLM can serve as intelligent intermediaries between sensor data and human decision-making. This proof-of-concept highlights a scalable, transparent, and user-friendly approach to indoor environmental intelligence, democratising advanced data analysis and supporting sustainable, human-centered building management.