UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering researcher Reham Alasmar wins CIBSE award

The CIBSE ASHRAE Technical Symposium 2023 took place from 20-21st April at the University of Strathclyde, in Glasgow. The theme of the conference was, 'Delivering Sustainable, Safe and Healthy Buildings for a Net Zero Future.'

The programme included presentations of a range of peer reviewed papers outlining the latest developments in practice, technology and policy and showcase the latest guidance for building services engineers. The stated purpose of the conference was to bring to the practitioners the most current information about how those working in the built environment are trying to meet net zero carbon imperatives, and also on the latest building safety related reforms in the UK industry.

Congratulations are due to Reham Alasmar for being selected as a CIBSE ASHRAE Technical Symposium award winner, namely, 'Most effective delivery of material' for her presentation entitled, 'Evaluation of Energy Performance of the Most Prevalent Housing Archetypes in Jordan'.

Reham's research demonstrates a method of generating a housing stock model for Jordan by defining and categorizing the dwelling archetypes into variant models based on typologies, climate region, and urban/rural distribution. Three types of improvement strategies were considered following an environmental design hierarchy, and Reham's analysis concluded that new dwellings and refurbishments in Jordan have the potential to produce 70% less carbon-based emissions.

No statutory guidance is yet available to reduce emissions in residential buildings in Jordan, although the government aims to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement by achieving net zero carbon by 2050. Reham's generated housing stock model will feature prominently in the studies by the Jordanian state articulating life cycle assessments of Jordanian dwellings within different climate regions, facilitating the transition towards zero-carbon emissions buildings. Her work provides a framework to help identify the correct strategies for the refurbishment of each archetype in the current building stock, and sustainability improvements to new-builds in Jordan.

Links

• To learn more about Reham's research, go here.
• To learn more about the CIBSE ASHRAE conference, go here.