A design expert from Birmingham City University has revealed how making all homes zero carbon – from a Victorian terrace to a footballer’s mansion - is not a fantasy but an achievable reality.
Dr Lubo Jankovic, a Reader in Sustainable Design at Birmingham City University, spoke at the Sustainable Housing and Retrofit Summit hosted by the University at its city centre campus at Eastside, bringing together a range of experts and practitioners.
Dr Lubo Jankovic’s talk entitled ‘Zero Carbon Living – Fantasy or Reality’ was based on his latest research, part of which has focused on work done to evaluate the Birmingham Zero Carbon House, a ground-breaking carbon-neutral building based on 170-year-old redbrick Victorian house.
Through his study, Dr Jankovic has shown how best to convert existing buildings into zero carbon homes of the future - and how home-owners could also potentially achieve a return on their original investment.
"As we increasingly become aware of the causes and consequences of the climate change, there is a sense that we are dealing with an almost impossible problem to solve and that our targets for zero carbon buildings are far in the future - and that our targets are hard to achieve,” said Dr Jankovic.
"But I believe my research will help with culture change, moving from the perception that the climate change arising from carbon emissions is almost an impossible problem to solve to the understanding that it is perfectly possible to design new or retrofit zero carbon buildings using existing technologies.”
Other expert speakers at the retrofit summit included:
- Glenn Howells, from Glenn Howells Architects who has recently completed his high profile collaboration working with Kevin McCloud to design and build The Triangle in Swindon
- Nathan Cornish, from Urban Splash who has overseen the re-fit of Fort Dunlop on the M6 and the Rotunda in Birmingham and who is now masterminding the Grade I Listed Royal William Yard in Plymouth.
Beverley Nielsen, conference organiser, said: “Given today’s challenging economic conditions we are conscious of the changing environment for the housing sector and the many innovative responses being developed within this sector, including pioneering work at Birmingham City University.
“Birmingham City University is therefore keen to see whether there are ways we can work with the housing sector to provide resource, such as student collaboration projects, research or perhaps through business and professional development and other learning opportunities.”
