UWE Bristol have successfully been awarded a South West Doctoral Training Partnership (SWDTP) Postdoctoral Fellowship funded by the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC).
The fellowship was awarded to Dr Freya Wise, who will be joining UWE Bristol to look at “Low carbon residential retrofit: considering the resident as well as the carbon”.
Energy use in buildings is responsible for 27% of global emissions. Retrofitting existing buildings to reduce their energy demand and associated carbon emissions is critical to mitigate devastating climate change. However, standard retro approaches often focus exclusively on technical and financial aspects, failing to consider residents’ preferences and behaviours. These approaches are often inappropriate for the 20-30% of UK homes with heritage value.
Freya’s interdisciplinary PhD examined heritage homes and their residents, identifying holistic solutions to reduce carbon while retaining heritage. The fellowship will consolidate and extend Freya’s PhD research and enhance its wider impact and usability.
Fellowships are aimed at providing a development opportunity for those in the immediate postdoctoral stage of their career, to provide the opportunity to consolidate their PhD through developing publications, their networks, and their research and professional skills.
Freya commented:
“I’m really looking forward to working in the multidisciplinary environment at the Centre for Architecture and Built Environment Research at UWE Bristol on this excellent opportunity to consolidate and extend my PhD work on reducing carbon from heritage buildings while retaining their heritage values and increase its reach and impact.”
As part of the fellowship, Freya will be mentored by Dr Laura De Vito Senior Research Fellow, Air Quality Management Resource Centre and Professor Alice Moncaster, Professor of Sustainable Construction.
Laura commented:
“Freya’s interdisciplinary research is cutting-edge and addresses an important sustainable development topic. I look forward to supporting her in fully realising its policy impact potential and connecting her with other interdisciplinary environmental academics”
Alice commented:
“I’m delighted that Freya has been awarded this Fellowship. Her socio-technical doctoral research into reducing carbon from heritage buildings while retaining their heritage values is both important and novel, and is already becoming well-known across the heritage retrofit sector. This opportunity will ensure its further impact in academic, practice and policy levels, and support Freya on the next steps of a stella academic career.”
Freya’s Fellowship will be 2 years part time starting in November 2024
The South West Doctoral Training Partnership consists of eight South-West universities. The SWDTP focuses on collaboration between the universities, which includes sharing best practice, resources and academic knowledge.