Sustainability Scholarships Presentation

Join us virtually as we celebrate this year’s Sustainability Scholarship Scholars, Martha Godina and Megan Haslam, as they present on their respective research focusing on repurposing timber and biodiverse cities.

Martha and Megan will both then be joined by guest speakers Steve McIntyre, Principal Urban Environment Consultant at ANS Global, Charlie Law, Founder and Managing Director of Sustainable Construction Solutions, Dr Renuka Thakore, Research Officer at University College and Estate Management and Sandi Rhys Jones, Vice President CIOB for a round table discussion chaired by Martin Gettings, Chair of the Climate Action Change Committee.

Details of the guest speakers and more info on our scholars and their research can be found on Eventbrite.

The Sustainability Scholarship is awarded in conjunction with both the CIOB & the University College of Estate Management and supports research into sustainability. The Master cordially invites all members to attend this important function in our calendar.

Martha Godina

Bio

I have an interdisciplinary background, with a bachelor’s degree in architecture, a postgraduate degree in lightweight roof structures and a PhD in structural engineering focused on bamboo as a construction material. I have been interested in sustainable construction for many years at different stages of my career. I started working in architecture and I also have postdoctoral research experience working with natural building materials and structures. I’m now a graduate structural engineer at Elliott Wood, where I joined in 2020 and engaged with an R&D project looking into applying circular economy principles to existing building structures.

Research Title

Strategies for salvaging and repurposing timber elements from existing buildings

Research Summary

The reuse of construction materials and the elimination of construction and demolition waste (CDW) is at the core of the circular economy in the construction sector. Unlike recycling, re-use enables us to keep construction materials at their highest value while at the same time eliminating the need to source new materials. In addition, some structural materials such as timber can be upcycled – e.g. into engineered wood products (EWPs) like Cross-laminated timber (CLT) or Glulam – creating components with the potential to replace carbon intensive materials like concrete or steel. Timber is one of the most promising sustainable construction materials that can help mitigate climate change; however, there is no guidance or route within the current business model to enable its circularity (i.e. recovery and repurposing) and assessment to guarantee that the material is fit for purpose. This research investigates strategies for salvaging and repurposing (reusing/upcycling) timber elements from existing buildings. The aim is to gain an understanding of the challenges and opportunities for salvaging structural timber during demolition activities and for reusing second hand or upcycled structural timber during construction activities.

Megan Haslam

Bio

My interest in the natural environment led to gaining a degree in Geography prior to entering the construction industry in 2016 as an Engineer for Sir Robert McAlpine. Whilst working full time, I studied to gain a Masters in Construction Management and then worked toward earning MCIOB, recently becoming a Chartered Construction Manager. My next challenge, the scholarship with the WCC, has enabled me to bring together both my career and passion for wildlife. I believe the construction industry has huge potential to support nature recovery and biodiversity through green infrastructure and nature based solutions. I have recently begun a secondment with the Sustainability Department at Sir Robert McAlpine and look forward to utilising my technical experience and understanding of building physics to influence sustainable design.

Research Title

My Wild Manchester: Building a BiodiverseCity

Research Summary

Building on the momentum of the pandemic which amplified the value of nature and wildlife, this study aims to inspire key stakeholders within the construction industry to put biodiversity at the heart of development through nature based solutions. Due to growing recognition amongst policy makers that the challenges of climate change and the loss of biodiversity are interwoven, UK future policy is expected to enforce a minimum 10% increase in biodiversity for new developments. The benefits of biodiversity in cities are discussed within the literature review, citing research undertaken by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust which inspired this study. Crucially, pockets of nature within city centres bring the following benefits: ‘Nature Recovery Networks’ for wildlife to connect and survive; Combat environmental pollutants; Resilience against climate change; Access to nearby nature for urban communities supporting health and wellbeing.  The primary research of this study identifies existing pockets of nature in Manchester city centre including parks, landscaping, urban wildflower meadows, wildlife habitats, waterways and green infrastructure and plot these on a map. The hope is that this map will raise awareness of existing nature in Manchester and inspire the community to engage with and protect nature. My research journey will also be shared on a Blog.

Guest Speakers

Steve McIntyre

Principal Urban Environment Consultant at ANS Global

Having trained in horticulture and with years of experience in living walls and green roofs, Steve is an expert on the possibilities of green infrastructure in urban design. Steve works to educate and inspire specifiers, planners and councils on the endless potential within our urban spaces in view of improving biodiversity and air quality.

 

 

Charlie Law CEnv, MIEMA, ICIOB

Founder and Managing Director of Sustainable Construction Solutions

Charlie has worked in the construction sector for nearly 35 years, and is the Founder and Managing Director of Sustainable Construction Solutions, a consultancy that specialises in moving organisations towards a circular economy business model, with a key focus on responsibly sourced timber. He has extensive knowledge of the construction industry through his previous roles in cost management, construction management, training, and sustainability.

He is also Sustainability Director at Timber Development UK (TDUK), the new entity formed by the merger of the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) and Timber Research and Development Association (TRADA), and Head of Contractor Engagement at Pallet Loop, a circular economy start-up.

Charlie started his career at Kyle Stewart, with its subsidiary Andrew Murray Joinery, which grew into BAM Construct, the UK arm of the €9billion turnover Dutch based construction services organisation Royal BAM Group. Prior to setting up his own consultancy, Charlie was Head of Environmental Management at BAM, where he was thought leader in the areas of circular economy thinking, resource efficiency, and responsible sourcing. Since setting up his consultancy Charlie has work for a number of large construction organisations including Kier and Lendlease, as well as specific projects for HS2, the Building Research Establishment, the Timber Trade Federation, and Confederation or Timber Industries, Supply Chain Sustainability School and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).

Charlie is also a main board director of Timber Development UK (TDUK), a member of the Grown in Britain Executive, and a member of the Ska technical committee.

 

Dr Renuka Thakore

Research Officer at University College and Estate Management

Dr Renuka Thakore, PhD, MSc, BSc (Hons) PIEMA AFHEA, Research Officer, University College of Estate Management, Founder of Global Sustainable Futures: Progress through Partnership Network, UK, provides leadership to a global Network, administering multidisciplinary activities and research partnerships development platform. Her research interests include sustainability and sustainable development and transformations. Her passion is to investigate the challenges of natural and societal systems and identify emerging trends that are competent in offering sustainable solutions.

She contributes to the knowledge by revealing the strategic reality of real-world problems researched through transdisciplinarity and systems thinking. She is trying to widen the knowledge base from concepts to the real world, bringing together technologies, future scenarios, different elements of the built environment, societal systems evaluated through the multi-dimensional integrated framing of sustainable development.

 

Sandi Rhys Jones OBE FCIOB FWES

Vice President of the CIOB

Sandi Rhys Jones began her career in construction, property and engineering as a journalist, working for a variety of technical organisations before forming her management and marketing business. She has worked for contractors, consultants, suppliers, representative organisations and government, both in the UK and overseas. An advocate for construction and its contribution to society – housing, workplaces, infrastructure – Sandi brings her experience both as employer and non-executive director to help organisations find innovative ways to improve performance and develop new business, including market and customer research, staff recruitment and retention, culture change, talent management and public and political engagement.

She developed and delivers a cross-disciplinary national mentoring programme at Women in Property and leads on Public Affairs, representing the organisation on two All Party Parliamentary Groups. She was appointed OBE in 1998 for her work in promoting women in construction. Sandi is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building, a Fellow of the Women’s Engineering Society and trained as a mediator after completing an MSc in Construction law.

Sandi will take office as CIOB President in 2023