Category: projects

Human-Robot Collaboration in Construction project presented in UWE research events

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Author: Eduardo Costa

Last week was an eventful one! UWE hosted two events focusing on future directions of research and innovation. The first one was UWE’s Festival of Research, which brought colleagues from across the University together for inspiring talks, dynamic lightning presentations, eye-catching showcases, and a vibrant expo filled with interactive displays. The second one was Digital Construction and Artificial Intelligence: Who’s in Control? Organised by the amazing staff in the MSc BIM, and proudly sponsored by CABER, it brought together industry and academia to explore the opportunities, challenges, and future direction of AI in the built environment.

In both events, I had the pleasure to talk about a project I have recently started developing called CENTHAUR, an acronym for “human-centred, industry-informed human-robot collaboration for assembly-based timber construction”.

The CENTHAUR project

The CENTHAUR project stems from the understanding that current automation, enabled by advances in robotics, artificial intelligence and immersive technologies, is transforming many industrial sectors and has been widely framed as the fourth industrial revolution. Construction is increasingly following this trajectory, with robotic systems demonstrating benefits in precision, quality and productivity across both academic research and industry (Parascho, 2023; M. Tehrani, BuHamdan and Alwisy, 2022).  In particular, mobile robots have shown strong potential in addressing the dynamic and unpredictable environments typical of construction settings (Dörfler et al., 2016).

Despite these advantages, adoption of automation in construction has raised concerns regarding workforce displacement, unemployment and wage inequality (García de Soto et al., 2022). Moreover, approaches centred on full automation risk overlooking the complementary strengths of humans and machines. While robots excel at repetitive, hazardous or highly precise tasks, they often lack the contextual judgement, adaptability and holistic understanding that skilled workers routinely deploy on site (Parascho, 2023).

Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) offers an alternative paradigm in which robotic accuracy is combined with human cognitive, embodied and experiential knowledge. Such approaches help preserve the cultural and social richness of construction labour, including tacit knowledge, craft traditions and the situated interplay between humans, tools and materials (Mitterberger and Dörfler, 2024). Assembly-based construction processes such as bricklaying, masonry, metallic frame structures and timber structures provide a relevant testbed for this paradigm, aligning with circular construction through its potential for disassembly and reuse (Yang et al., 2024). Timber is particularly relevant for being lightweight and sustainable, but also inherently variable: elements that share identical geometry can differ significantly in internal properties, introducing uncertainty that remains difficult to fully capture through digital models alone.

While existing HRC research in timber construction has predominantly focused on bespoke prototypes and experimental demonstrations, there remains a need to investigate scalable and industry‑relevant applications, particularly in offsite contexts. Offsite timber construction combines high levels of prefabrication with tight production tolerances, making it an ideal domain for exploring how robotic systems and human expertise can be productively integrated.

The project addresses this gap by developing and evaluating an integrated HRC framework specifically tailored to offsite, assembly‑based timber construction. The proposed solution centres on three components. First, it establishes a technological framework that integrates parametric design workflows, mobile robotics, extended reality (XR) interfaces and motion capture systems. Second, the framework is grounded in an empirical understanding of industrial practice. Through engagement with industry partners, resulting insights inform the configuration of collaborative robotic tasks and interaction protocols, ensuring that the proposed system responds to real operational conditions rather than idealised laboratory assumptions. Third, the research adopts an observational and iterative approach to evaluating collaboration itself. Human-robot interactions are analysed to assess engagement, spatial accuracy and task coordination.

Technological framework

At the current stage of the CENTHAUR project, we’re exploring the potential of the technological framework, experimenting with how to connect various hardware and software components into an integrated prototype that enables HRC within a lab environment.

To this point, we have been focusing in two main tasks: the first is connecting a robotic arm to a Computational Design system, in which timber structures can be virtually designed and planned, thus ensuring that the robot supports the construction of the designed structure, as well as adapt to events during the construction process.  The second task of the framework has been focusing on connecting the Design System with an Immersive Environment, currently composed of a Motion Capture system which enhances the precision of the whole system by mapping the physical and virtual models of the timber structure. Next steps include the integration of an Augmented Reality headset, which will enable human collaborators to better engage in the construction process, and a mobility solution comprising a linear rail, extending the reach of the robotic arm in the construction site.

This is the very first stage towards the exploration of HRC workflows in a lab environment. However, the vision is to start enquiring such workflows as soon as possible with the help of industry partners working with timber. Their insights on the potential of such approaches will be crucial to keep the project relevant and impactful in keeping the AEC sector up to speed in terms of technology, while keeping humans in the loop.

If you want to know more about CENTHAUR, check out the project page in the CABER website, or get in touch via email via Eduardo.Costa@uwe.ac.uk. The CENTHAUR project is being developed with the generous financial support from the Centre for Advanced Build Environment Research, and in collaboration with The Bridge Studios, namely with technical support from the amazing Technical Specialists James Knight (for robotics) and Michelle Wu (for immersive). Thank you all!

References

Dörfler, K., Sandy, T., Giftthaler, M., Gramazio, F., Kohler, M. and Buchli, J. (2016) Mobile Robotic Brickwork. Robotic Fabrication in Architecture, Art and Design 2016 [online]. pp. 204–217. Available from: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-26378-6_15 [Accessed 14 January 2025].

García de Soto, B., Agustí-Juan, I., Joss, S. and Hunhevicz, J. (2022) Implications of Construction 4.0 to the workforce and organizational structures. International Journal of Construction Management [online]. 22 (2), pp. 205–217. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15623599.2019.1616414 [Accessed 13 January 2025].

M. Tehrani, B., BuHamdan, S. and Alwisy, A. (2022) Robotics in assembly-based industrialized construction: a narrative review and a look forward. International Journal of Intelligent Robotics and Applications 2022 7:3 [online]. 7 (3), pp. 556–574. Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41315-022-00257-9 [Accessed 14 October 2024].

Mitterberger, D. and Dörfler, K. (2024) Rethinking Digital Construction: A Collaborative Future of Humans, Machines and Craft. Architectural Design [online]. 94 (5), pp. 108–117. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ad.3103 [Accessed 2 July 2025].

Parascho, S. (2023) Construction Robotics: From Automation to Collaboration. Annual Review of Control, Robotics, and Autonomous Systems [online]. 6 (Volume 6, 2023), pp. 183–204. Available from: https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-control-080122-090049 [Accessed 14 October 2024].

Yang, X., Amtsberg, F., Sedlmair, M. and Menges, A. (2024) Challenges and potential for human–robot collaboration in timber prefabrication. Automation in Construction [online]. 160, p. 105333. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0926580524000694 [Accessed 11 October 2024].

Tripartite Stakeholder Engagement for Advancing Design for Occupational Safety and Health in Malaysia

Author Centre for Advanced Built Environment Research | Posted on

By: Patrick Manu [Professor at UWE] and Che Khairil Izam Che Ibrahim [Professor at UiTM]

In many countries, construction is one of the most dangerous sectors [1]. In Malaysia, the sector accounts for about one-third of worker deaths and many occupational injuries [2]. Studies have established that design is one of the key underlying causal factors in construction accidents and worker fatalities [3]. This has led to the prominence of the practice of Design for occupational safety and health (DfOSH) which entails designers ‘designing out’ occupational safety and health (OSH) risks at the early design stages of construction projects to protect workers.

In the UK, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM) have been introduced since 1995 to mandate DfOSH implementation. In Malaysia, the Occupational Safety and Health (Construction Work) (Design and Management) (CWDM) Regulations 2024, which have been adapted from the UK CDM, have just recently been passed, as a measure to improve OSH performance of the construction sector. Currently, Malaysia is still at the initial stage of implementing DfOSH, while the UK has garnered many years of experience in DfOSH. The experience and lessons learnt in the UK with regards to challenges in DfOSH implementation and their solutions would serve as a useful resource for construction stakeholders (academia, industry, and government) in Malaysia in building strong DfOSH implementation capacity.

Against this backdrop, the University of the West of England (UWE) in collaboration with academic institutions in Malaysia and UK (Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), The University of Manchester (UoM), and University College London (UCL)) are delivering an international project to advance DfOSH implementation in Malaysia via tripartite engagement of Academia-Industry-Government stakeholders to strengthen stakeholder capacity and co-create solutions to address DfOSH implementation challenges. The project entails a series of activities including stakeholder engagement and capacity strengthening workshops, knowledge exchange, and on-going dissemination. This blog offers excerpts of activities undertaken (in 2025), and preliminary outcomes.

Activities

Industry–government engagement and capacity strengthening

Two hybrid workshops were organised in Malaysia to bring together a wide range of stakeholders from the construction sector and government agencies. The first was held in Selangor in June 2025, followed by a second in Johor in July 2025. Together, these sessions engaged over 60 participants from industry (including contractors, consultants, architects, engineers, and safety and health professionals) and government agencies (including Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), Public Works Department, and Construction Industry Development Board). The workshops created valuable dialogue on challenges and practical solutions (from the perspective of industry and government) for improving the integration of occupational safety and health in construction design practices.

Figure 1: July 2025 Workshop

Knowledge exchange – UK visit

A Malaysian delegation (comprising members of the academic team and a representative of DOSH) visited the United Kingdom from August to September 2025 to strengthen international collaboration and exchange knowledge on DfOSH best practices. The delegation participated in the Association of Researchers in Construction Management (ARCOM) 2025 conference held in Dundee, where they shared the project’s initial findings with an international academic audience. The team visited Jacobs’ (a multinational engineering professional services (including design) firm) office in Manchester. During the visit, they learnt about Jacobs’ approach to DfOSH, which is encapsulated by their award-winning “de5ign” (pronounced ‘five in design’). To obtain DfOSH implementation insights from a regulator’s perspective, the team visited the Health and Safety Executive office in Buxton, where they received useful insights regarding UK’s DfOSH journey, challenges, and improvements over the years, as well as suggestions for Malaysia’s context. The delegation also visited academic partners at the UoM and the UWE. Overall, these activities provided significant opportunities for learning and for building lasting academic–industry–government linkages between Malaysia and the UK.

Figure 2: Members of the project team at ARCOM 2025 Conference (left) and during a visit to Jacobs (right)

Knowledge exchange – Guest lectures

Guest lecture sessions on the Master of Construction Engineering course at UiTM (Construction Site & Safety Management) were delivered in May 2025. The sessions were delivered by project team members from UWE, UCL, UoM and a USA-based renowned academic in DfOSH. The lectures were attended by over 80 students who are also working professionals.

Figure 3: Line up of 2025 guest lecture series

Project Dissemination

To raise awareness of the project’s activities among stakeholders locally and beyond, several media posts have been made including use of social media and an article in a local news outlet.  Furthermore, academic outputs (comprising a conference article [4]) and a journal article [5]) disseminating preliminary insights from the project have been produced. Overall, the dissemination has ensured wide reach of among academic, industry and government stakeholders.

Preliminary Outcomes

The project has yielded a tripartite co-creation framework that aligns the roles of academia, industry, and government to institutionalise DfOSH as a key mechanism for improving occupational safety and health in Malaysia. The framework is guiding stakeholder dialogue to identify and prioritise DfOSH implementation challenges and solutions. Additional outcomes include: 1) insights from the workshops are being used by DOSH to inform revision of a code of practice and training modules for trained persons under Malaysia’s CWDM 2024 regulations; 2) improved stakeholder awareness of CWDM 2024 regulations and early-stage design risk management; 3) enhanced practitioner and postgraduate competencies and shared understanding of DfOSH practices; and 4) a UK-Malaysia-Indonesia collaboration (funded by UK’s International Science Partnership Fund) which seeks to drive OSH improvement in construction beyond the implementation of DfOSH.

Acknowledgement

  • Members of UK team: Patrick Manu, Abhinesh Prabhakaran, and Pablo Perez (of UWE), Abdul-Majeed Mahamadu (of UCL), Clara Cheung and Akilu Yunusa-Kaltungo (of UoM), and representatives of partner organisation.
  • Members of Malaysia team: Che Khairil Izam Che Ibrahim, Sheila Belayutham, Mazlina Zaira Mohammad, Shafienaz Ismail, and Nor Syamimi Samsudin (of UiTM), Azman Hussain (of DOSH), and representatives of partner organisations.

References

1. Eurostat (2025) Accidents at work statistics. Available online at https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-xplained/index.php?title=Accidents_at_work_statistics

2. Department for Occupational Safety and Health (2021) Occupational Accidents Statistics by Sector January to December 2021 (investigated). Available online at https://intranet.dosh.gov.my/statistic-v/occupational-accident-statistics/occupational-accident-statistic-2021

3. Manu, P., Poghosyan, A., Mahamadu, A.-M., Mahdjoubi, L., Gibb, A., Behm, M. and and Akinade, O. (2019) Design for Occupational Safety and Health: Key Attributes for Organisational Capability. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 26 (11), pp. 2614–2636.

4. Che Ibrahim, C. K. I., Manu, P., Belayutham, S., Cheung, C.M., Mohamad, M.Z., Yunusa-Kaltungo, A., Ismail, S., Samsudin, N. S., Prabhakaran, A., Perez, P., Mahamadu, A.-M. and Hussain, A. (2025a) Building a Safer Tomorrow: Tripartite Engagement and Co-Creation for Enhanced Design for Occupational Safety and Health in Malaysia. In: Thomson, C (Ed.) and Neilson, C J (Ed.), Proceedings 41st Annual ARCOM Conference, 1-3 September 2025, Abertay University, Dundee, UK. Association of Researchers in Construction Management, pp. 409-418.

5. Che Ibrahim, C. K. I., Manu, P., Belayutham, S., Cheung, C.M., Mohamad, M.Z., Yunusa-Kaltungo, A., Ismail, S., Samsudin, N. S., Prabhakaran, A., Perez, P., Mahamadu, A.-M. and Hussain, A. (2025b) Tripartite collaboration for design for safety in construction: A co-creation framework integrating academia, industry, and government. Safety Science, Article 107040.

Event on the sustainability of natural materials for construction to mark COP30

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By Freya Wise, Alice Moncaster, Hector Archila and Tavs Jorgensen

On the 3rd of December Caber ran an action-packed hybrid event to mark COP30. After a short introduction reflecting on the COP30 outcomes we then had excellent presentations on three natural building materials which UWE researchers are involved with: bamboo, cob and timber. This blog reports the highlights of the session for a wider audience.

Reflection on COP30 by Dr Freya Wise

The reflection on COP30 by Freya highlighted that the overall outcomes were felt to be disappointing and lacked ambition but were not as bad as they could have been and that a range of useful things were achieved. It will be interesting to see if taking forward the fossil fuel and deforestation roadmaps outside the official COP process will actually allow them to be more ambitious and progress more quickly with willing countries.

Concerns were highlighted around a lack of acknowledgement of the latest climate science from the IPCC in the final document and the dropping of language on the need to fight misinformation. From a positive perspective however this was the first COP for several years in a countries where mass protests are possible and had strong civil society and cultural engagement around the city of Belem, including from high numbers of indigenous people.  

Specifically on the built environment, Freya identified a number of initiatives, guides and standards were launched at COP which have positive relevance. These included the Belém health action plan, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), ‘Beat the Heat’ initiative, and the Bélem ‘call for action for sustainable and affordable housing’ as well as initiatives on circularity and low carbon materials. If these are enacted, they will have positive implications for decarbonising the built environment and links to all can be seen at the end of the article.

Following on from some of the initiatives at COP around low carbon and biobased materials, we then had three engaging short talks on three different natural materials.

The benefits of Bamboo by Dr Hector Archila

Hector took inspiration for his talk from the ‘BambooBoost Initiative’ from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR).

Hector explained that bamboo is a very sustainable material with rapid biomass production which translates to a high yield and excellent CO2 sequestration in both the biomass and the soil. Bamboo, which is actually a grass, is one of the fastest-growing ‘woody’ plants and thrives on degraded land. Over fifty years a tropical bamboo species produces between 5 and 8 times more biomass than Scots Pine and Oak, resulting in 5 to 8 times as much carbon sequestration as those trees over the same period.

Figure 1: Carbon yield for bamboo and selected wood

Hector highlighted that, according to UNFCC, if bamboo were cultivated on around 70-174 million hectares of degraded forestland it could sequester roughly 2 Gt of CO2 annually (for reference Spain and Portugal combined are cover about 68 million hectares). This would equate to 2% of current global greenhouse gas emissions and would also deliver significant net economic benefits. In terms of climate action, it therefore makes a lot of sense to plant bamboo forests which will produce carbon and fibre rich biomass in 4–6-year periods which can then be used in long-lived products to act as carbon stores.

In terms of biodiversity enhancements, Hector suggested that if more bamboo was planted less wood forest would need to be used thus reducing deforestation and providing ecosystem services. Bamboo forests themselves also have good biodiversity with a plethora of animal species. Bamboo can provide ecosystem and community resilience for the many people who rely on solid biomass for cooking such as charcoal or briquettes, with fast growing highly renewable biomass. Bamboo can also be converted to gas or pellets to provide a source of electricity and heating, thus reducing deforestation and use of fossil fuels

Finally, research at UWE by Hector on the project SmartBioC has shown how Biobased Building Systems for UK housing using engineered bamboo as the main structural component can provide better Natural, Human and Social benefits than traditional building systems used in the UK.

Figure 2: One of the biobased systems Hector has developed

Innovative earth building research at UWE by Dr Tavs Jorgensen

Tavs provided an introduction to cob or earth as a local, low carbon building material with a long history of use and increased research interest in recent decades. However, challenges were also highlighted with traditional cob construction around the thicknesses required to meet insulation levels in modern building regulations and the length of time that building traditional cob walls requires.

Tavs then discussed the research that he has been leading at UWE to investigate how to use 3D printing processes to make dies to extrude cob bricks in different shapes, which has the potential to substantially speed up the production process while allowing creativity in the creation of different brick shapes and forms.

Figure 3: Extrusion equipment and extruded cob bricks

Work has taken place to engage students in this research through competitions and a ‘Cob Club’ as well as a number of wider hands-on workshops exploring the qualities of different earth and the potential of the material. A ‘Cob Comp’ (cob competition) in 2024 enabled UWE students to explore extruded cob block technology and the winners’ ideas were used to successfully build a shelter on the University grounds.

Figure 4: The bricks and the shelter created by Cob-Comp in 2025

Tavs also took the opportunity to launch this year’s iteration of the competition, Cob Comp 2: Earthly Enquiries. This is an ideas competition to design a structure built from pressed earth brick units of students’ own ingenious designs and from materials found only within the boundaries of UWE’s Frenchay Campus. The competition aims to explore the structural capacities and concepts of making and building with compressed earth. There are plans to build the winning design in summer 2026.

Tavs therefore highlighted both the benefits of innovative methods for cob and the importance of engaging students in hands-on research and creativity.

Sustainable timber and biogenic carbon standards by Professor Alice Moncaster

Alice highlighted the new principles for Sustainable Timber Construction and which were officially launched at COP30 (see link below). Alice then went on to give a quick introduction to lifecycle assessment (LCA) which measures the carbon emissions associated with the whole life of a material including its extraction, manufacture, transport, installation, maintenance and end of life disposal.

Figure 5: Lifecycle stages

She then discussed how the biogenic carbon stored in natural materials (and then released back into the atmosphere at the end of the of the material’s lifespan), is treated in a range of national and international standards on whole life carbon reporting. Biogenic carbon storage is one of the key benefits of natural materials and is particularly valuable in buildings as they theoretically last a long time, thus storing carbon for many decades (but not permanently). For a full LCA, the biogenic storage in phases A1-A3 is then reemitted in phase C, while most standards currently require that if only upfront carbon is assessed, biogenic carbon is reported separately.

Alice discussed multiple standards and reported on discussions at a recent meeting of International Energy Agency (IEA) Energy in Buildings and Communities (EBC) Annex 89, ‘Ways to implement net-zero whole life carbon buildings’. Climate science says that biogenic carbon is not equivalent to fossil carbon and cannot be added together. The discussions therefore focussed on whether biogenic carbon should be reported separately throughout all LCAs. This does not mean that the biogenic storage of natural materials is not useful and positive but does highlight that it is not a simple silver bullet and cautions against some of the evangelical calls for over-building with timber as a form of carbon removal from the atmosphere.

Alice therefore opened the discussion and posed some questions on how we should be reporting sustainable timber use for everyone to consider. 

Summary

The session was well received the main concern seemed to be that we would all have enjoyed more time for discussion! During the questions Hector made a very good point that no natural material is ‘The Solution’ on its own and what is actually needed is a balanced diet or menu of the most appropriate materials for different scenarios and locations. We look forward to continuing the discussion.

Links to further information from all the presentations

COP30 reflections and initiatives

Bamboo

 Earth Buildings

Sustainable Timber and biogenic carbon

CABER members can view the recording of the event on Teams

Sustainable buildings in Trondheim

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Author: Alice Moncaster

Trondheim is just outside the Arctic Circle, and late November means limited daylight and plenty of snow and treacherous ice. Winters are not as cold as they used to be however according to our host. This is an increasingly common refrain. And while you might not mind milder winters, the excessively hot summers and increasing disasters around the world are making it absolutely crystal clear that we all need to do whatever we can to limit carbon emissions and climate change.

Nidaros Cathedral and Trondheim by night

I was in Trondheim at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) for two events trying to address the 40% or so of our carbon emissions which are from the construction and operation of our buildings. The first event was a conference, part of the long-established Sustainable Built Environment (SBE) series.  I first attended an SBE conference in Helsinki in 2011, and over the years they have led to the development of a shared community of practice around the world. I particularly enjoyed Trondheim’s SBE25 Cities and Climate Change. Organised by Rolf Andre Bohne and colleagues, and Scientific Committee led by Freja Rasmussen, it had a distinctively friendly and open atmosphere, which had a noticeable impact both for early career researchers (who were less nervous), and for more senior researchers (who were less combative!). Of the research shared, I’d pick out the ARV project presented by Niki Gaitani (NTNU) and others, and the INDICATE-LIFE project presented by Giovanna Cassavia (TU Graz) and others, for special interest.

I was also proud to present (CABER Visiting Prof) Morwenna Slade’s beautifully illustrated paper (Blenheim Palace! Medieval churches!) explaining how understanding the vulnerabilities of individual heritage buildings, combined with projected localised climate change, can help develop maintenance plans towards future resilience – and how this ‘conservation philosophy’ can also be applied to improve resilience across all buildings. On the second day I then presented my former student Jon Andrew’s paper based on his MSc dissertation, which explored the motivations and actions for the new student accommodation at UWE – why Passivhaus was supported, while aspirations for net zero whole life carbon were dropped.

Conference dinner at E.C.Dahls brewery with new colleagues and old

The conference illustrated again for me how important direct and personal communication is. We are bombarded with webpages and reports and social media notifications (yes, I see myself 🙂 ) every day, and yet nothing works as well as talking to each other.  This is a problem, as only a few have the opportunity; there is a very real financial limitation on who can attend conferences, and often, on top of that, personal limitations due to disability and caring responsibilities. So, while attending conferences is amazing, those of us lucky enough to be there need to remain conscious of the voices which aren’t heard. There were important lessons in all the papers presented, but how many will read them or even hear of them outside Trondheim, I wondered?

Alexander Passer, Operating Agent for Annex 89, presents to the group

The second half of the week was spent in a scientific meeting of the IEA EBC Annex 89, ‘Ways to implement net-zero whole life carbon buildings’. Colleagues from around the world came together to develop and discuss our emerging results and the variations in what is happening in the 30+ countries we represent.  As a subtask 4 co-lead, I am particularly interested in gathering case studies which help us understand how the transition to low carbon buildings happens in practice – in projects, through industry initiatives, and in policy. How do we make it happen more widely?

A tour of the plant room in the ZEB Lab at NTNU

It was super interesting to hold the meeting in the Zero Emission Building Laboratory at NTNU, and to have a tour of the plant room. In sub-zero temperatures it clearly worked – and the mass timber construction, including the stairwell, made an attractive and comfortable environment. As a living laboratory, the building is also used as a demonstrator, and the plant room is huge just so that visiting groups can enter and see everything working.

But is this the future of the built environment? I think not.  ‘Net zero’ means that the carbon is paid back over the years, but the construction still costs carbon upfront, even in timber. We don’t have the carbon budget remaining to rebuild our cities. In Europe we already have the building stock we need. Our dual focus now needs to be on retrofit and adaptation for future climates, and on social change to ensure everyone has a roof over their head.

Annex 89 participants braving the ice for a group photo

CABER partners with international academics to address societal challenges

Author Centre for Advanced Built Environment Research | Posted on

By Patrick Manu, Professor of Innovative Construction and Project Management

The UK International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF) is designed to enable UK researchers and innovators to collaborate with international partners (in academia and industry) to tackle some of the pressing societal challenges. Since its inception, members of the Centre for Advanced Built Environment Research (CABER) at UWE Bristol have jointly secured this funding with collaborators in UK and several countries including Japan, Canada, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia to undertake exciting and innovative projects. These projects cover topics such as occupational safety and health, energy, immersive technology, robotics, artificial intelligence, and Industry 4.0. The projects include:

  • Developing a BIM-based Immersive Learning Environment for enhanced Construction Management Education and Training using VR technology (DOMINEERING)

    [Participating CABER members and visiting scholar: Abhinesh Prabhakaran, Patrick Manu, and Abdul Majeed-Mahamadu| Collaborating with partners in Vietnam].  

    This project develops a BIM-based immersive learning platform for construction training and education in Vietnam, with a focus on safety and quality management. The platform gives training and education providers a disruptive learning solution, which can also be adopted by businesses for upskilling their human resource.
  • Improving Design for Occupational Safety and Health in Malaysia via Tripartite Academic-Industry-Government Engagement, Capacity Strengthening and Knowledge Exchange

    [Participating CABER members & visiting scholar: Pablo Perez, Abhinesh Prabhakaran, Patrick Manu, Abdul Majeed-Mahamadu, and Che Khairil Izam Che Ibrahim | Collaborating with partners in UK, and Malaysia]. 

    The project brings together (through a series of engagement and capacity building workshops) key stakeholders from academia, industry and government agencies to explore and co-create solutions to address the challenges affecting effective implementation of design for occupational safety and health (DfOSH) in Malaysia.
  • UK-Japan-Switzerland-Germany-Netherlands Transnational Network for Safer and Healthier Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) in Construction

    [Participating CABER member: Patrick Manu | Collaborating with partners in UK, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, and Netherlands]. 

    This project establishes an international interdisciplinary network of experts, including industry professionals, researchers, policymakers, and technology providers from the UK, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands to assess the current state of HRC in construction, develop roadmaps, and create a long-term interdisciplinary partnership to ensure continuous improvement in safe HRC.
  • UK-Indonesia-Malaysia Alliance for Occupational Safety and Health Advancement in Construction (OSH-Advance)

    [Participating CABER member & visiting scholar: Patrick Manu, and Che Khairil Izam Che Ibrahim | Collaborating with partners in UK, Malaysia and Indonesia]. 

    This project establishes a transnational network of stakeholders from academia, industry and government in UK, Malaysia, and Indonesia to identify the opportunities, challenges, and potential solutions for improving OSH management in Malaysia and Indonesia.
  • Pathways to Sustainability: Transforming Battery Wastes into High-Performance Carbon materials for Cleaner Energy Generation

    [Participating CABER member: Patrick Manu | Collaborating with partners in UK and Vietnam]. 

    This project aligns with circular economy principles by developing, implementing, and testing a framework for converting battery waste into low-cost energy storage systems in Vietnam.
  • Improving Construction Safety through AI-enabled Visual Attention Monitoring: An Immersive Approach

    [Participating CABER members & visiting scholar: Abhinesh Prabhakaran, Colin Booth, Patrick Manu, and Abdul Majeed-Mahamadu | Collaborating with partners in Japan]. 

    This project aims to develop a novel virtual reality (VR) based application that integrates artificial intelligence (AI) for assessing visual behaviour of construction workers, thereby providing pathways for enhanced worker safety training.
  • Digital Occupational Safety and Health (D-OSH) Network: Connecting Research, Policy and Practice in Construction Across Continents

    [Participating CABER member: Patrick Manu | Collaborating with partners in UK, Canada and South Korea] 

    This project establishes a network with the objective of identifying the opportunities, challenges, and potential solutions to the implementation of digital technologies for occupational safety and health (OSH) management in construction. Through knowledge sharing and industry engagement, the network aspires to make contributions towards lowering the prevalence of construction-related injuries and illnesses.


If you would like to partner with our members in tackling some of society’s biggest challenges in the built environment via the ISPF or other funding schemes, do reach out to us.

Visit our CABER website for more information about our research themes, members, and their areas of expertise.

Collaborate with us to transform our built environment!

UWE Bristol, Ocean and Sir David Attenborough

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by Thomas Appleby, Associate Professor in Property Law

Academics have an extraordinary role to play in society. In normal employment, workers are too busy doing the job to gain objectivity. But teaching and research, particularly on practical disciplines, require reflection upon how and why things are done the way they are. Occasionally, we get the chance to take those reflections and influence the world around us. Sir David Attenborough is one of the most trusted voices alive today. So imagine what it feels like for us academics when UWE Bristol research and projects UWE Bristol has supported make the centrepiece of his latest film, Ocean. Despite all the harm to the natural world Sir David has witnessed over his long life, he has highlighted overfishing and its consequent damage to the marine environment as the single most important activity we need to resolve. 

The film is a beautifully told story of damage and hope for restoration. It includes local voices from Scotland, Liberia and Hawaii. The Scottish narrator, Don MacNeish, helped create the first no-take zone in Scotland and large marine protected area around the island of Arran, Don co-founded the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST).

UWE Bristol supported COAST from the outset providing impact funding and legal guidance as to how to make a marine protected areas by law (an unusual take on real estate management). The COAST project formed part of our impact case studies.

In the film itself, Sir David reflects that coastal states own the fishing rights in their adjacent waters, they therefore belong to the public, it is up to us how they are managed. Law is not normally part of nature documentaries but UWE Bristol’s research treating oceans as public property also made it into the film and even influenced the decision to have the film commissioned.

From an academic perspective, particularly an academic working in the College of Arts, Technology and Environment (CATE) at UWE Bristol, the film raises (at least) three big questions.

Firstly, how should we be assessing and distributing fishing rights to commercial users? (A real estate management, environmental management and social geography question).

Secondly, the film shows some shocking footage of the damage caused by some commercial fishing methods. At what point does the act of fishing become on act of  vandalism because of the widespread collateral harm? (A real estate management and an environmental management question).

Thirdly, filming of the activity (by artists and conservationists) drew attention to obvious consequences of bottom-trawling, why is video evidence so rarely used to monitor fishing? (An environmental management, environmental scientist and art question).

So go and see the film: it is sad and beautiful and hopeful.

But also, when you are researching, teaching or studying, if you have ideas that the world is not the place it should, share those ideas with all and sundry. And serendipity may well take you and your research places you never expected.

Rethinking real estate: a new era of valuation

Author Lynn Goh | Posted on

By Rabab Raydan, MSCA Doctoral Researcher at QuiVal

The impact of natural disasters on real estate value

Natural disasters pose a significant threat to real estate value, as they can cause extensive property damage, disrupt market stability, and reshape investor confidence in affected regions. The recorded frequency of natural disasters has risen sharply from 1900 to 2023, with a particularly steep increase observed from the mid-20th century onward. This trend, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 below highlight the escalating impact of environmental hazards. The frequency of reported natural disasters has seen also a significant increase from 1970 to 2024, with floods, storms, and extreme temperatures being the most prevalent. Hence, natural disasters are becoming more critical and frequent each year. This growing impact of environmental hazards is detrimental on global communities and real estate markets.

Wildfires, heatwaves, hurricanes, floods and others have resulted in $313 billion in global economic losses in 2022 alone1 on the real estate sector and the projections are still on the rise. These figures are not merely statistics; they signify communities at risk, livelihoods in jeopardy. Despite scientific warnings about rising sea levels, waterfront properties in cities like New York for example remain highly sought after, reflecting a complex interplay between perceived risk and lifestyle aspirations. This paradox illustrates the inadequacy of traditional valuation models, which fail to account for cultural and social factors driving property demand.

Globally, climate change is reshaping property markets, from increasing insurance premiums for coastal properties to shifting demand toward climate-resilient urban areas. Climate action failure is the most severe global risk of the next decade 2.  Starting to increasingly acknowledge climate risk as a key investment consideration can be a key driver in transforming the way the industry works.

Highlighting the urgent need to factor environmental risks into property valuations, it remains a global responsibility to ensure that the impact of climate change on asset performance is well understood.

Figure 1: Types of natural disasters reported globally
Figure 2: Trend in number of disasters globally

QuiVal, a Horizon-Europe funded multi-national project

At the heart of the drive for transformation is QuiVal (Quantum Inspired Valuation of Circular Real Estate). QuiVal focuses on redefining real estate valuation by integrating environmental and societal values, particularly in the context of circular and CO₂-neutral real estate. This transdisciplinary research initiative is a project funded from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme and hosts 13 doctoral research projects across multiple universities in The Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, Estonia, Belgium, the UK, and Switzerland. It brings together eight universities and fourteen practice partners through a collaboration which aims to develop new valuation approaches that account for sustainability, circular economy principles, and digital advancements, and redefine how we assess the true value of the built environment.

This research challenges existing valuation norms and seeks to provide actionable recommendations for implementing new approaches, ensuring that the transition towards circular and climate-conscious real estate valuation is both practical and effective. Inspired by quantum theory, QuiVal embraces the complexity of real-world professional practice, working directly with valuers, investors, and industry experts to drive meaningful change in the built environment answering the urgent call for a novel approach to property valuation.

Figure 3: Transitioning to a circular economy3

CABER’s role within QuiVal

CABER at UWE Bristol is one of the QuiVal project partners. Our doctoral candidate Rabab Raydan is exploring how valuation practices evolve and how structural changes both internal, such as frameworks and data, and external, such as governance and policy, shape professional standards and practices in the industry, under the working title ‘Towards a paradigm shift in real estate valuation’.

Capturing a property’s comprehensive value in a rapidly evolving world is a particularly crucial approach as the digital revolution is reshaping the real estate landscape. A paradigm shift is needed but this is not merely about numbers; it is about storytelling, capturing the full narrative of a property’s value in a world where climate resilience, digital integration, and social dynamics are intertwined. To bridge this gap, it is significantly important to offer frameworks that not only meet regulatory demands but also align with investor priorities and societal expectations. This serves as an answer to the growing emphasis on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria which demands more effort on creating a re-evaluation of how property values are defined.

Supervised by Professor Alice Moncaster and Grazyna Wiejak-Roy, Rabab is working for the next three years alongside the other 12 doctoral candidates as part of this multi-disciplinary, multi-partner consortium to ensure that this applied research can address industry and the real-world complexity. Her project also includes two three-month secondments, with one of the QuiVal industry partners, JLL in London, and with one of the academic partners, ETH in Zurich, Switzerland. In turn, UWE Bristol and CABER will host another of the doctoral candidates, Xinyi Jiang, from the University of Southern Denmark.

Imagine a future where property valuations drive sustainable urban growth, promote community well-being, and support climate-resilient cities. This vision is not only possible but necessary. QuiVal is paving the way for more than financial gain; it is about creating value that endures, ensuring that our built environment supports not just the present but the future of our planet. This is the narrative we are crafting, towards a paradigm shift 4.

References

  1. Value of climate risk: How real estate owners can adapt | JLL. Accessed March 11, 2025.
  2. Global Risks Report 2023: the biggest risks facing the world | World Economic Forum. Accessed February 17, 2025.
  3. Realizing the value of circular economy for real estate development. Accessed March 11, 2025.
  4. Homepage – Quival. Accessed March 11, 2025.

Acknowledgements

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 101169048.

This work is supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, as listed by UKRI, Grant Ref: EP/Z534791/1.

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