news 2024

A new study has found that architects often take shortcuts by copying previous designs, and by relying too much on others to handle complex tasks without double-checking. The recent Grenfell Tower Inquiry found that a similar approach was taken at the London tower block which tragically caught fire in 2017, resulting in 70 deaths.

Thousands of students across Scotland are at risk of homelessness and unable to access the right housing in the country's biggest cities, according to a new report co-authored by the University of Glasgow. The report for the Cross Party Group on Housing says there is a severe student housing crisis in cities including Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee and calls on the Scottish Government to take immediate action to tackle the issue.

This megalithic construction, located in Antequera and built 6000 years ago, shows signs of advanced techniques that suggest the great precocity of the technical and scientific developments existing i

A temporary, pandemic-era expansion of the Child Tax Credit improved housing affordability for families with low incomes, according to University of Michigan research. The study by Natasha Pilkauskas and Katherine Michelmore , associate professors of public policy, and Nicole Kovski, a former U-M postdoctoral fellow now at the University of Wisconsin, found that parents who got the monthly credit were less likely to owe past-due rent or mortgage payments and they were less likely to need to move because they couldn't afford their housing.

Research shows far-reaching costs of eviction filings to tenants-regardless of the outcome in court Study: Record Costs: Collateral Consequences of Eviction Court Filings in Pennsylvania A new study from the University of Michigan documents the far-reaching costs of eviction filings for Pennsylvania tenants who had eviction cases filed against them but experienced a "best-case scenario- in court, meaning they had legal representation and their cases were dismissed, withdrawn, or won.

Heat stress and air pollution ravages cities more and more. In a new Horizon Europe project, researchers will develop a digital twin that supports decision makers to design resilient urban areas that can cope with the changing climate. Researchers from TU Delft and 18 other partners receive the Horizon Europe grant for their project called UrbanAIR.

Painting roofs white or covering them with a reflective coating would be more effective at cooling cities like London than vegetation-covered "green roofs," street-level vegetation or solar panels, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. Conversely, extensive use of air conditioning would warm the outside environment by as much as 1 degree C in London's dense city centre, the researchers found.

A team from the Global Change Unit-IPL of the University of Valencia has just published the first high-resolution local climate zone (LCZ) map of Valencia in the International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, based on satellite data. The study aims to analyse the effects of the 'heat island' and 'heat wave' phenomena in major Mediterranean cities and to provide mitigation measures to improve the environment and public health.

New study from Waterloo researchers creating climate change-proof buildings with deep learning-powered inspections    University of Waterloo researchers have developed a new method that can lead to significant energy savings in buildings. The team identified 28 major heat loss regions in a multi-unit residential building with the most severe ones being at wall intersections and around windows.

The UdeM Chair in Landscape and Environment publishes a practical guide to landscape planning, the result of an action-research project conducted with the City of Saint-Constant and the Roussillon RCM. The Chaire en paysage et environnement de l'Université de Montréal (CPEUM) announces the publication of a brand new guide for elected officials and municipal professionals, as well as anyone interested in the future of landscapes and the quality of living environments.

Swiss cities are more likely to accept densification when densification projects provide affordable housing and green spaces compared to densification that is implemented through reduced regulations for housing construction. By prioritizing a socio-ecological densification, extensive planning procedures and delays might be minimized.

In order to recycle construction materials, keep them close to home, a new study of Amsterdam suggests. Building construction accounts for a huge chunk of greenhouse gas emissions: About 36 percent of carbon dioxide emissions and 40 percent of energy consumption in Europe, for instance. That's why the European Union has developed regulations about the reuse of building materials.

Renovating buildings to improve their energy efficiency is a crucial step towards Switzerland achieving its climate targets. researchers can now reveal the most effective renovation strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions: replace fossil-fuel heating systems and harness the potential of bio-based building materials like straw and hemp.

By revamping a forgotten heat recovery technique used in the design of Montreal's Royal Victoria Hospital, McGill researchers say modern temperature control and ventilation design could be transformed As the COVID-19 pandemic raises questions about efficient ventilation and the climate crisis threatens to exacerbate extreme temperatures, efficient building design is front of mind for today's architects.