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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but experienced a "best-case scenario- in court, meaning they had legal representation and their cases were dismissed, withdrawn, or won.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.

An industry survey has found Australian architects are worried about the climate crisis and frustrated by barriers to action but are confident the profession can contribute to a sustainable future.

First of its kind AI-model can help policymakers efficiently identify and prioritize houses for retrofitting and other decarbonizing measures. This is the first time that AI has been trained to identify hard-to-decarbonize buildings Ronita Bardhan 'Hard-to-decarbonize' (HtD) houses are responsible for over a quarter of all direct housing emissions - a major obstacle to achieving net zero - but are rarely identified or targeted for improvement.

The MyCampus system will be trialled in six buildings from 6 November, before being rolled out across UCL. Staff and students can report maintenance issues and track progress. What do I need to know?  MyCampus is an integrated workplace management system (IWMS), of the type used by many large organisations, which provides a single source of truth for all Estates data to inform decision-making on the operational requirements of UCL's estate.

CITRIS and the Banatao Institute Creating information technology solutions for society's most pressing challenges An alliance between UC Berkeley researchers and academic and industry partners in Singapore has demonstrated that combining ceiling fans with higher air conditioning set points can lower energy use by one-third - without sacrificing occupant comfort.

Researchers set out to achieve passive cooling inside naturally conditioned buildings in hot, arid climates As the planet gets hotter, the need for cool living environments is becoming more urgent. But air conditioning is a major contributor to global warming since units use potent greenhouse gases and lots of energy.

Embracing the Rural Exception Site planning policy can significantly increase the delivery of affordable homes in the English countryside, while maintaining the community's local character, finds a new report by researchers from UCL and the English Rural Housing Association. The report, titled Land, Landowners, and the Delivery of Affordable Homes in Rural Areas , outlines the housing affordability issues facing rural towns and parishes, and highlights how greater use of the already-established Rural Exception Site policy could help deliver much needed affordable homes.