The Built Environment Futures (BEF) research group is dedicated to shaping the future of the built environment through transformative research and innovation. The BEF team aspires to establish itself as a global leader in built environment research, recognised for its groundbreaking contributions to sustainable design, intelligent construction, and impactful urban development. BEF focuses on advancing the built environment by exploring sustainable design practices, harnessing the power of digital technologies, and fostering values-driven education and research.
BEF is committed to advancing the Built Environment by exploring sustainable design practices, harnessing the power of digital technologies, and fostering values-driven education and research. We strive to create a sustainable and resilient future for the Built Environment through research, innovation, and collaboration.
Our research sits within the School of Engineering and the Built Environment and we conduct our research under three main themes:
A multidisciplinary network comprising of Planners, Architects, Engineers, Technologists and Construction Professionals that promotes research and collaboration on policies, principles, technologies and design solutions to healthy buildings and high energy performance. Researchers in this network seek to engage with policy makers and industrial partners to develop and implement carbon-free renewable energy solutions and technologies with the potential to improve energy efficiency in buildings.
Including:
This covers areas such as:
These themes are indicative, but our research is integrative of historical and contemporary theories, policies, practices, tools, and techniques that can shape the future of our built environment.
BEF has core and affiliate members who work in networks comprising of researchers, distinguished academics and industrial partners. The networks organise research seminars, stakeholders' fora and partnership events.
The network focuses on design research across disciplinary fields and scales, With a focus on architecture, architectural technology, urban design, town planning, and landscape design. The network is interested in the intersections between theory and practice, creativity and media studies, human and nonhuman agents, history and future agendas, rural and vernacular approaches, inclusive and sustainable spaces, sociology and psychology.
This is currently under development.
ARU is the largest provider of built environment education in Essex and the South East region. Our School offers postgraduate research opportunities in Engineering and the Built Environment through the traditional PhD route, as well as Professional Doctorates for mid-career and experienced professionals who want to pursue a doctorate while working full time.
We provide comprehensive support for rigorous quantitative or qualitative studies and analyses. We are a multidisciplinary team with expertise in Architecture and design technology, Town and Urban Planning, Engineering and Project management, surveying and Construction management, and Civil engineering. We also have specialist expertise in Artificial intelligence, Digital technologies, qualitative and quantitative research methods to foster any form of a collaborative research in all areas influencing the built environment.
Dr Christian Henjewele: [email protected]