@BEACON we investigate the drivers, requirements, benefits and responses to deployment of advanced technologies in Built Environment, Architecture & Construction.
Our research triangulates people, information, technology and environment to find out the most viable and highly acceptable solutions to the problems in the field. We work on both hard and soft technologies to achieve this.
Research @BEACON spans over a diverse range of thoughts, methods and techniques and solutions to enable us handle the most complicated situation as a result of ever-growing complexity of our times. We work with a broad range of stakeholders to understand their actual problems, find out about their perceptions, figure out about their resources, recognise their needs, requirements and preferences and finally offer the best technological solutions to best resolve their problems.
Our research thrives on appreciation of diversity, and individuality of people, and aims to benefit from the state-of-the-art in technology toward tailoring best niche answers.
Mission Statement
@BEACON is dedicated to the investigation of new and advanced technologies in the built environment, architecture and construction. Its work spans over a broad variety of themes on or related to design and implementation of building technologies in the building and construction industry. In doing this, we focus on knowledge capacity, adaptive capacity as well as the specificity and transferability of our findings. This requires understanding people and processes and working with stakeholders to realise solutions that are usable and applicable in the long term.
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Research themes
Information technologies and systems
Current projects:
PODIT
PODIT (Post-Occupancy Design Information Toolkit) is a collaborative research project funded by the School of Environment and Technology, University of Brighton. The fund has facilitated collaboration with schools and local councils, starting with the Sussex Counties. It focuses on post-occupancy processes and the interaction between design, operation and maintenance of school buildings and associated facilities.
With the help of stakeholders; business and finance managers, governors, premises officers and other professionals, the project is exploring an integrated solution to aid day to day decision making about the built facilities as well as provide living knowledge and information infrastructure for major works.
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Previous projects:
Rule-based Systems
The alternative thinking and non-classical logics have led into new frontiers in decision making and control in theory significantly since 1960s. What was scientifically challenged at its gestation process, established itself as a strong academic standing as a direct result of commercial worldwide. In this theme we have used fuzzy logic as a representative of rule-based systems to investigate how it can contribute into the process of decision making in construction industry.
The research has looked into the specification of prefabricated envelope systems with all the possibilities and benefits they have to offer as well as all the restriction they may impose on different stages of the construction process from design to fabrication, and from logistics to assembly. A toolkit has been devised to assist the decision makers in choosing the most appropriate system which suits their projects’ specifics within their budget range
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Resource efficiency
Current projects:
Water Efficiency in Buildings
With global climatic and increasing pressure on water resources, water consumption and resultant waste, requires a joined-up strategy and collaborative action. Funded by DEFRA, this research explores integrated solution for achieving the efficient use of water in buildings. The research emphasises an integrated; people, building, technology, process approach which is likely to yield medium to long term results rather than short term solutions. The multi-disciplinary approach also encourages collaborative working between academic and professionals who aim to devise non-legislative ways to approach water challenges in buildings. The two main strands of the research explore technology and innovation in buildings on one hand, and households and communities on the other.
A toolkit has already been devised in the first phase of this research. It demonstrates the concept of how customers can choose solutions which will best serve their requirements as well as the psychosomatic preferences of the household. To build on this experience, DEFRA has funded a network to provide a forum to collaboratively explore the supply, treatment, distribution, risk monitoring, improved efficiency and conservation of water within the built environment. The network investigates the challenges to improving the adaptive capacity of building users, providers and professionals, and consequently facilitates long-term, adaptable water efficiency through behaviour change and the use of technology. More information on this project is available here.
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Food in Sustainable Development
The concept of sustainable communities in the UK has lead built environment professionals to embrace ideas about energy efficiency, waste recycling and water use with directions on these being included in key policy documents. As yet, food, although identified globally as a scarce resource and major contributor to carbon emissions, rarely features in the UK government policy and is hardly considered by the built environment professionals.
This research, based on the evaluation of a lottery funded project, explores the use of community engagement and carries out evaluation of a number of urban food projects against the set targets. Working with a collaborative and multi-agency approach, the research reflects on how the work being carried out has started to develop strategies and guidance that support land use and infrastructure for urban agriculture in Brighton and elsewhere.
The research also explores innovative systems of ‘closing the circle’ of food consumption within buildings where facilities managers can address food growing in their operations. This includes incorporating local food and fair trade in catering operations, introducing food co-ops and edible planting to encourage health and well-being at work and to enhance community participation, composting and rain water collection.
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Process efficiency
Current projects:
Mass Customisation & Personalisation
Mass customisation and personalisation are well-known strategies in manufacturing and service industries. This research theme aims at investigating the application of those strategies in the built environment, architecture and construction. We have explored latest findings in the pioneering industries as well as high-end technological, organisational and theoretical developments in the field across the board. Carrying out comparative analyses between the two sectors has helped point out similarities and differences and facilitate transfer some of the latest findings across into the building industry.
Another newer area to develop on is the application of personalisation in teaching and learning in construction disciplines. In a CLT funded project we studied how the particular needs, learning styles and preferences of students can potentially develop into a method to tailor the module programme to best suit students individually.
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Education
Current projects:
Intensive design weeks for architectural technology programmes
Architectural Technologists are uniquely positioned to deliver wholesome technological building solutions; solutions that address sustainability, economics, social and psychological requirements. The structure of the architectural technology courses differs from institution to institution in the UK; however, at the core is the objective to prepare the students for the real challenge of the multi-disciplinary nature of the profession while in practice. The teaching, learning and assessment strategies employed in delivering the curricula are crucial for achieving this objective. In order to facilitate or improve the teaching and learning experience in architectural technology programmes, it is imperative to design and structure teaching in a manner that reflects what the students will experience after graduation. To achieve this real and active learning process, a hands-on approach to teaching (and learning) is required.
The design block week is an intensive learning experience which aims to immerse students in a focussed, project-based environment where through collaborative working they are encouraged to explore unique solutions to design and technological problems. It has long been recognised that intensive block weeks offer advantages to enhance core competency in students as well as fine-tune soft skills. To further contribute to the pedagogical debate, the aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the intensive block week method for delivering experiential learning to students.
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Personalising teaching and learning experience of built environment students in large groups
One of the persistent problems in the higher education sector is the perpetual predicament of teaching students in large groups. Despite passing over the mass production paradigm in manufacture and service industries, higher education has not yet been quite successful in leaving this paradigm behind. Although theoretically the structure of higher education sector has undergone fundamental changes and the technological advancements support every movement in right directions, there are yet practical problems to overcome on this way.
Teaching students in large groups as far as vocational courses are concerned becomes a very critical task and highly prone to disastrous failure, if the practical applications of the taught subjects are not fully taken into account. The problem is even more conspicuous where the concerned group is a blend of students on different courses with allegedly different sets of expectations, preferences, priorities, needs, and wants. Added to these complexities are the learning styles of the individual students.
Funded by the Centre for Learning and Teaching, University of Brighton, this research project was designed to gauge the needs and the practical possibilities for personalised learning and teaching logs for individual learners in large groups.
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