My research interests are focused on deepening our understanding of emerging properties concerning new forms of sustainable energy infrastructure, such as Distributed Renewable and Interactive Energy Systems (herein DRIESs). The hypothesis is that this new form of energy infrastructure co-evolves with the settlements. Thus, it can be adopted to regenerate the environmental, architectural and urban qualities of pieces of the city as a niche of innovation to promote a broader Low Carbon Transition (LCT).
I am interested in exploring theoretical, socio-technical and designing implications of DRIES as a Low Carbon Transition tool. In detail, exploring these issues implies the creation of complex organisational systems and the implementation of several primary strategic measures such as the hierarchical organisation of buildings as active (i.e. the renewable energy production from the building is greater than its consumption), neutral and passive nodes of the energy network.
In this regard, I am also interested in new cross-sectorial alliances (i.e. the so-called Technology Support Net) to establish how to put DRIES into practice at the local level. I am promoting Transformative Pedagogies to prepare a future generation of professionals to act as the main intermediaries of the transition. Here, another peculiarity of my research plan lies, integrating my research and teaching ambitions through the development of a pedagogical approach to developing skills and competence to manage these alliances.
Research group membership
SMART CONSTRUCTION AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT
Research grants and awards
2020, InClimate, Erasmus+, European Commission, €282,224.00 (OBU, €55,466.00)
2020, Oxford Brookes’ Research Excellence Awards 2020-21, £18,480.24
2019, Transforming Construction Network Plus, UK Research and Innovation, £76,606.24
2018 Oxford Brookes Global Challenges Collaborative Research Award (£12,319)
Funding for collaboration with Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) and The Beijing City Lab (BCL), Tsinghua University- two premier research and teaching institutions in China
2017 Oxford Brookes Collaborative Research & Travel Grant (£3600
2017 H2020 Marie-Sklodowska Curie Individual Fellowship (€183,454)
Research projects
2021-now Transforming Construction Impact Programme
Funds: Innovate UK
Oxford Brookes University (OBU)
Team:
Tech Transfer Office representative: Dr Eduard Cole, OBU
Business Advisor: Stephen Brown, OBU
Researcher: M. Manfren, Southampton University, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Science
Budget: £3940
2020-now InCLIMATE. Integrating climate resilience in EU higher education
Funds: European Commission - ERASMUS+ KA2 – Cooperation and Innovation for Good Practices- Strategic Partnerships
Oxford Brookes University (OBU)
Partner:
Aristotelio Panepistimio Thessalonikis, Greek (Coordinator) | Università degli Studi Roma Tre, Italy | Universitatea De Architectura Si Urbanism Ion Mincu Din Bucuresti, RomaniaMalta Intelligent Energy Management Agency Miema, Malta | Universidad Pablo De Olavide Upo, Spain
Budget: €55,426 (OBU)
2019-now Integration of BIM and LCA for supporting the implementation of DRIES in Urban Environment
Funds: Oxford Brookes’s Research Excellence Award
Partner:
School of the Built Environment | Institute of Sustainability in Civil Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
Budget: £18,480
01.20-now Co-creation of distributed renewable and interactive energy systems & citizen-centred low carbon cities
Funds: Collaborative grant, TDE Faculty, Oxford Brookes University
School of the Built Environment and School of Architecture, Oxford Brookes University
Budget: £60,000.00
02.20-08.20 Developing a Tool Kit for Knowledge Integration: Envisioning Buildings-as-Energy-Service
Funds: UK Research and Innovation - Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund - UCL
School of the Built Environment, Oxford Brookes University
Partner:
Southampton University, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Science | Active Building Centre | SMARTKLUB – Empowering Communities Ltd; Energy System Catapult Ltd.
Budget: £76,606.59
02.18-07.18 Users & Distributed Renewable and Interactive energy systems (DRIEs):a comparative study between the United Kingdom and China
Funds: Oxford Brookes Global Challenges Collaborative Research Award
School of the Built Environment, Oxford Brookes University
Partners:
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), Dr. Marco Cimillo | The Beijing City Lab (BCL), Tsinghua University, Prof. Ying Long
Budget: £13,947.00
09.17-09.19 CmapER: Innovative Learning Platform for Knowledge Integration in Energy Retrofit
Funds: H2020-MSCA-IF-2016
Host Institution: School of the Built Environment, Oxford Brookes University
Budget: €183,454.00
03.17-06.17 Distributed renewable and interactive energy systems in Urban Environment
Funds: Oxford Brookes Collaborative Research & Travel Grant
Oxford Brookes University, UK | Sapienza University of Rome
Budget: € 4,075.00
Research impact
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE4aWiFtvL0
Further information
/research/units/tde/projects/inclimate
/research/units/tde/projects/c-maper
/research/units/tde/projects/envisioning-bases