Fourwalls appointed on Building for 2050 research project

Fourwalls appointed on Building for 2050 research project

Fourwalls has been appointed as part of the team led by AECOM to support the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to help deliver ground-breaking research relating to low cost, low carbon new build housing: Building for 2050. Fourwalls will provide the Building Performance Evaluation element of this project, launched by the government this month. Led by Ian Mawditt, Fourwalls role will be to lead the post-construction performance testing and 12-month energy and comfort performance of the study properties. Fourwalls will be working with AECOM and other consultants Pollard Thomas Edwards Architects and Delta Energy & Environment to…
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Register for the HEMAC sandpit event, Glasgow

Register for the HEMAC sandpit event, Glasgow

The HEMAC (Health Effects of Modern Airtight Construction) network are holding a sandpit event on 25th April 2017 at The Glasgow School of Art. The aim of the event is to determine key research needs and identify opportunities for funding applications for cross-disciplinary projects, building on the outcomes of the previous activities. It is hoped that the sandpit event will assist with the development of novel research projects (with strong leadership from architectural design) by allowing participants to brainstorm and refine ideas for collaborations under the theme of ‘healthy buildings’. If you are interested in attending the event, please visit the HEMAC web-page for registration and…
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Health Effects of Modern Airtight Construction (HEMAC)

Health Effects of Modern Airtight Construction (HEMAC)

The HEMAC Network, hosted by the Mackintosh Environmental Architecture Research Unit (MEARU) at the Glasgow School of Art, and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, held its first symposium on 21st September 2016. The network aims to bridge the gap between the fields of indoor air quality, health, sustainability and the built environment, providing a platform for discussion and collaboration while facilitating knowledge exchange to the built environment professionals. fourwalls director, Ian Mawditt - a committee member of HEMAC, gave a presentation at the first symposium. Entitled 'The State of Ventilation in the UK', Ian presented findings from his…
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Zero Carbon Hub Ventilation Study

Zero Carbon Hub Ventilation Study

fourwalls were part of the project team for this study, led by the Zero Carbon Hub. The study team visited 33 dwellings across 6 construction sites in 2015 to see how effectively their mechanical ventilation systems were designed, installed, commissioned and handed over to occupants. In summary, we found things going wrong at multiple stages of the construction process at every site. The cumulative effect of these issues ultimately outweighed any good practice, as the systems we tested showed significant under-performance. At 5 of the 6 sites, fans were operating at only half the required duty or lower, i.e. flow…
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Characteristics and Performance of MVHR Systems

Characteristics and Performance of MVHR Systems

A long time in the making, but we are pleased to announce that the MVHR meta study has now been published. The meta-study was commissioned by Innovate UK as part of the Building Performance Evaluation (BPE) Programme to provide an overview of the performance and use of whole-house heat recovery ventilation (MVHR) systems in domestic projects. With increasing requirements for energy reduction, the impact of ventilation strategies has increased in importance, both in terms of energy reduction and indoor air quality (IAQ). The primary aims of this meta-study are to: Review the characteristics of installed systems in relation to air…
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Indoor Air Quality Research

Indoor Air Quality Research

We need your help... fourwalls are working together with AECOM  to undertake a study of indoor air quality in naturally ventilated homes in England constructed to Part L / F 2010 of the Building Regulations. The study, which has been commissioned by the Government, will help inform future ventilation standards, and accompanying technical guidance such that they are appropriate for the health and wellbeing of occupants living in increasingly airtight homes.  We are currently approaching developers and housing providers to request their assistance with identifying suitable homes. We will be carrying out the monitoring in recruited homes during the winter…
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Zero Carbon Hub – Ventilation Study

Zero Carbon Hub – Ventilation Study

fourwalls is pleased to be working with the Zero Carbon Hub on their In-Use Performance of Ventilation Systems in New Homes Study. The aims is to gather sufficient evidence in relation to design, installation and commissioning issues, which can lead to poor performance, both in air quality terms, and energy use. fourwalls is providing a technical lead role in the field work, which includes walkthrough evaluations, volume air flow measurements and tracer gas air exchange measurements. For more information about this study, see the Zero Carbon Hub page here or download the study summary here.
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