Thesis and Research Data Repository Leeds Beckett University
Not a member yet
631 research outputs found
Sort by
ADVANCING CULTURE BEYOND THE 2030 AGENDA: INTEGRATION OR A STANDALONE SDG?
No full textLooking beyond the 2030 Agenda, a critical debate concerns whether culture should be recognized as a standalone Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). This paper presents a compelling argument against establishing a separate cultural SDG, advocated by many, cautioning that this could risk isolating culture from the broader sustainability agenda and undermining its crosscutting relevance. The paper goes beyond identifying effective pathways for embedding cultural sustainability across multiple existing goals.Recognizing culture not as an add-on pillar but a cross-cutting enabler of transformative change aligns with the original spirit of the 2030 Agenda and offers a more coherent and culturally grounded pathway for global sustainability. This would also avoid silo effects and reinforcing culture’s vital role as a transversal pillar of sustainable development.Using NVivo qualitative content analysis of United Nations SDG documents, implementation reports, and policy briefs, the study uncovers persistent gaps in how culture is addressed, as well as its implicit and explicit roles within various targets. The qualitative and quantitative findings were triangulated to identify conceptual gaps, structural omissions (such as the lack of cultural indicators), and emerging best practices in national reporting. Building on these insights, the outcome of this paper is the development of Crosscutting Policy Recommendations for the post-2030 agenda, along with a Proposed Cultural Reframing of the SDG framework. This includes specific strategies for embedding culture more systematically across existing goals, supported by practical indicator suggestions and pathways for implementation. These outputs aim to support a more coherent, inclusive, and culturally responsive global development architecture beyond 2030.</p
Environmental impacts of PVC-U pipe recycling: An integrated MFA–LCA framework for decision support in UK construction waste management
No full textThis study examines the environmental implications of end-of-life management options for PVC-U pipes, a widely used yet under-researched material in the UK construction sector. While consumer plastics have been extensively studied, infrastructure-grade polymers containing legacy additives like lead and cadmium remain poorly understood in terms of their waste impacts. Addressing this gap, the research evaluates three principal EOL scenarios—mechanical recycling, incineration, and landfilling—for post-consumer PVC-U pipes. A static Material Flow Analysis was used to quantify material and pollutant flows, alongside an attributional Life Cycle Assessment to measure environmental impacts. To support comparative decision-making, the Analytic Hierarchy Process was applied within a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis framework using indicators derived from literature and expert input. Data collection involved field visits to UK recycling facilities and secondary sources. Although final results are pending, the integrated methodological framework provides a solid basis for identifying environmentally preferable disposal strategies and offers insights relevant to EU circular economy goals and UK waste regulation.</p
What is a sustainable construction project?
No full textTo contribute to sustainability, or even to merely “be” sustainable, the built environment needs to deliver change and change the way that it delivers. The making of the built environment is dominated by the paradigm of construction project management. These projects change ‘stuff’ but also control and constrain change . This is a working paper in which we seek to develop a theoretical approach to understanding construction projects, change and sustainability. We adopt an interpretative methodology to create a bricolage built from our reflections on three collaborative episodes of making sense of sustainability in the built environment. Starting with the question “what is a sustainable construction project?” we interpret our experiences using research on system change to widen our analysis beyond the planning and control of asset delivery. Among other levers, that will be the subject of future research, we identify the need for a shift from the language of sustainable ‘construction projects’ to ‘sustainable construction’ projects. Our reflections are a set of steps towards locating such projects within a socio-technical transition system of sufficient reach and scope to address the sustainability challenges we face.</p
Exploring the Costs of Automation: A Comparative Study on the Energy Consumption and Performance of Open-Source Automated Machine and Deep Learning Libraries
No full textMachine learning (ML) solutions have surged across various domains, requiring significant specialized expertise to execute. To make ML more accessible, automated machine learning (AutoML) and deep learning (AutoDL) have emerged, simplifying model development without extensive user intervention. While AutoML and DL offer more accessibility, their environmental impact given their increased computational demand, remains unexplored. This study addresses this gap by comparing the energy consumption and performance of five popular open-source AutoML libraries: FLAML, H2O AutoML, AutoGluon, TPOT, and AutoKeras. The experiment results of the study demonstrate a statistically significant difference with 99% confidence using the ANOVA and T-test methods in CPU and GPU energy consumption between these libraries. The study also provides discussion on the importance of considering both performance and sustainability when selecting libraries through a weighted scoring algorithm. The study's key findings show that Autogluon and FLAML offer a balanced approach, achieving good performance while minimizing energy consumption; H2O AutoML excels in model versatility; AutoKeras emphasizes performance over energy reduction; and TPOT excels more for tree-based algorithms, rather than general ML tasks. Future work may include investigating the impact of parameters like early stopping, training-test splits, and hyperparameter selection on energy consumption and exploring these libraries with various datasets to increase the generalizability of results.</p
Measuring the airtightness and heat loss of vehicles under controlled conditions
No full textWith electric vehicles (EV), and EV to Home technology becoming increasingly prominent, the efficiency of EV’s is an important factor in a home’s energy usage. As EV’s function as an extension of homes, pre-conditioning an EV from the homes mains supply is common practise year-round. Therefore, the thermal fabric of the vehicle is important to characterise, as the better performing this is, the less energy it will require to be conditioned to a comfortable environment. Further, the fabric performance is more important in EV’s than traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) cars as this is closer linked to the range the vehicle has, due to the EV solely relying on a battery for all functions. The air tightness and heat transfer coefficient of any kind of vehicle has not been widely studied within the industry, so through air tightness tests and a new methodology generated for this purpose, under controlled conditions in the University of Salford’s Energy House 2.0 test facility, the stationary thermal performance of various EV’s can be measured. The new method developed in this research is a modified version of a buildings aggregate heat loss test, incorporating air tightness and U-value measurements. The results from an array of both EV (n=5) and ICE (n=2) vehicles are presented within this paper.</p
Understanding environmental impacts is essential for creating effective designs that support mental well-being and sustainability
No full textAlthough there has been a lot of research conducted on the relationship between sustainable design and mental wellness, there are still several gaps and limits. There is a gap in residential architecture because most studies on natural light, air quality, and green spaces have been conducted in commercial or healthcare spaces.This research paper explores the relationship between environmental factors, overall mental well-being, and sustainable residential building design. It focuses on how factors such as natural light, air quality, and green spaces can shape buildings to promote mental health and sustainability. Through addressing overall mental well-being, this study links design strategies to psychological needs while advancing sustainable practices. The study adopts a mixed methods approach, using surveys to collect qualitative and quantitative data on how environmental conditions shape our buildings to affect residents’ mental well-being. The sequential search optimisation method is employed to identify sustainable design solutions that enhance mental health outcomes. This method is appropriate as it allows for iterative improvements, ensuring both psychological and sustainability objectives are met. Guided by a pragmatic worldview, this research seeks practical solutions that balance environmental impacts with the mental well-being of residents. It focuses on residential buildings within specific geographical and cultural contexts, considering how global sustainability standards, such as BREEAM, can be applied locally.This interdisciplinary study connects architecture, psychology, and environmental science, offering a fresh perspective by integrating mental well-being into sustainable design. The findings will provide actionable insights for architects, policymakers, and residents, supporting informed decision-making in the design of sustainable, health-promoting residential environments. By establishing guidelines for building design that consider environmental impacts and psychological benefits, this research contributes to the evolving dialogue on sustainable architecture, with potential for practical applications across different contexts.</p
Blending Traditions: A Case Study on the Integration of Electronic Sounds in Contemporary Orchestral Music
No full textThis dissertation investigates the processes involved in composing a large-scale orchestral work integrated with electronics, exploring the artistic and technical dimensions of blending orchestral composition with immersive electroacoustic practices. While inherently artistic in nature, the project addresses practical methodologies for creating such hybrid works, offering a perspective that builds upon established approaches while navigating the unique challenges of this underexplored combination.
As practice-based research, the study examines the orchestral and electronics compositional processes, the development and spatialization of electronic components, the rationale behind the creation and role of mockups, and the integration of these elements within a cohesive narrative and aesthetic framework. To structure the interaction between electronics and the orchestra, the research introduces a terminological and typological classification that distinguishes thesource origins, textural roles, and gestural functionsof the electronic elements within the orchestral fabric. By formalizing these distinctions, the study provides a structured analytical framework for electroacoustic-orchestral composition, contributing to a broader understanding of mixed-media music while offering a practical approach to navigating its compositional and aesthetic complexities.</p
Cutting Carbon Emissions in Water Hygiene: The Environmental Benefits of Remote Legionella Monitoring in the Built Environment
No full textLegionnaire’s disease presents a significant public health risk, yet current monitoring methods remain reactive. Traditional methods involve engineers conducting monthly site visits to collect temperature data from sentinel outlets. While effective, this approach has significant environmental and financial costs due to frequent travel.The rise of Internet of Things (IoT) technology has enabled remote monitoring across various industries, including water management. By transitioning to remote monitoring, this reduces annual site visits from twelve to one, which significantly cuts carbon emissions, water wastage, time and hence costs.This study presents the findings of two independent case studies assessing the environmental and operational impacts of implementing IoT-enabled remote monitoring. The first case study evaluates five sites (A to E). For instance, results from Site A indicate that replacing on-site monitoring with remote systems can reduce CO₂ emissions by 1,993 kg annually, a 96% decrease, alongside fuel cost savings of approximately £1,020. When extrapolated across all Aquatrust monitoring sites, requiring extensive travel, potential annual savings reach 49 tonnes of CO₂ and £24,500. The second case study, based on four representative outlet locations typical to these sites, shows a 90% reduction in water wastage, saving approximately 9,843 litres per year. Together, the findings highlight the significant sustainability and efficiency benefits of remote monitoring, including reduced manual intervention, improved regulatory compliance, and enhanced predictive maintenance enabled by continuous data collection.Additionally, IoT-driven systems improve efficiency by reducing manual testing and maintenance costs while ensuring compliance with water safety regulations. Furthermore, continuous data feeds enable trend analysis, allowing for predictive maintenance and early intervention. However, despite the clear benefits, challenges such as initial implementation costs, data security concerns, and industry resistance must be addressed. Nevertheless, pilot studies and regulatory incentives can facilitate a broader adoption.This approach represents a transformative step in Legionella risk management, offering scalable solutions for both industrial and domestic applications. Future research should focus on optimising deployment strategies and addressing industry-specific challenges, ensuring technology and sustainability continue to drive advancements in water hygiene management.</p
Optimising Indoor Air Quality and Thermal Comfort in Residential Buildings: Integrating Passive Strategies and Low-Cost Monitoring Technologies in Sub-Saharan Africa
No full textThis study investigates the comparative impact of passive design strategies and low-cost environmental monitoring on indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort in low-income residential buildings in Abuja, Nigeria, a hot-humid climate. Focusing on three case study locations: Lugbe, Dutse Alhaji, and Bwari. The research distinguishes between naturally ventilated homes (NVH1) and air-conditioned homes (ACH2) to evaluate differences in performance and occupant experience. The study assesses the effects of polyurethane (PUR) roof insulation, PUR wall insulation, and stabilised lateritic brick (SLB) construction in NVH1 homes and compares them to adjacent ACH2 homes using EnergyPlus simulations, field monitoring, and validated low-cost sensors. The results show that NVH1 homes upgraded with passive strategies had indoor temperatures that were up to 5.0°C cooler and maintained CO₂ levels below 900 ppm, achieving better air quality than homes with air conditioning, despite their temperatures fluctuating more. CIBSE TM52 and EN16798-1 assessments confirmed significant reductions in overheating risk. Post-occupancy evaluations (n = 127) showed higher comfort satisfaction in NVH1 homes where post-retrofitting is adopted in the future, alongside reduced reliance on fans. Meanwhile, ACH2 homes faced performance constraints due to frequent power interruptions and high energy costs. The findings support the use of scalable, low-cost passive retrofitting as a resilient and equitable alternative to mechanical cooling in Sub-Saharan African housing contexts.</p
Reviving the Forgotten Heart of Gqeberha, South Africa: Adaptive Reuse Challenges and Opportunities in Urban Regeneration
No full textThis paper examines the challenges and socio-economic impacts of adaptive reuse in Gqeberha's Central Business District (CBD). It focuses on understanding the barriers to converting vacant office buildings into residential units and explores how adaptive reuse can contribute to urban regeneration and sustainable development within Gqeberha's unique context.A qualitative approach within an interpretivist paradigm was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine construction professionals with over five years of experience in conversion projects. Data was analysed using thematic narrative analysis, supported by ATLAS.ti software, to uncover recurring themes and insights into adaptive reuse.The study identified significant challenges to adaptive reuse, including regulatory barriers such as zoning and heritage laws, technical issues like structural deterioration and deep space configurations, and economic obstacles including high conversion costs and insufficient municipal enforcement. Despite these challenges, adaptive reuse presents compelling socio-economic benefits, including improved safety, housing availability, community revitalisation, job creation, and enhanced property values.The study's scope was limited to professionals with experience in Gqeberha and focused solely on conversion projects within the central business district (CBD). Future research could explore broader urban development strategies, comparative studies between South African cities, and financial risk mitigation in adaptive reuse projects.The findings provide actionable insights for policymakers, developers, and urban planners, emphasising the need for revised zoning regulations, streamlined heritage approval processes, and municipal incentives to facilitate adaptive reuse. Recommendations include creating dedicated teams for approvals, offering tax incentives, and prioritising urban decay remediation.This research addresses a significant gap in the literature by providing localised insights into the feasibility and impacts of adaptive reuse in Gqeberha's CBD. It contributes valuable insights to the urban sustainability discourse and provides practical recommendations for stakeholders involved in urban regeneration.</p