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Centre for Digital Built Britain completed its five-year mission and closed its doors at the end of September 2022

This website remains as a legacy of the achievements of our five-year foundational journey towards a digital built Britain
 
Read more at: Precision Engineered Timber - Digital design and delivery of healthier schools

Precision Engineered Timber - Digital design and delivery of healthier schools

As of 2019, the UK Government has committed to a “presumption in favour” of off-site construction for procurement of all new buildings by all key government departments. This multi-pronged research programme set out to show how timber can meet one specific public procurement need—more school...


Read more at: Research Profile - Precision Engineered Timber – Digital design and delivery of healthier schools

Research Profile - Precision Engineered Timber – Digital design and delivery of healthier schools

22 September 2022

Engineered timber offers a cost-effective solution to the UK’s building needs, improving construction productivity and performance. Combining digital design and off-site manufacturing, engineered-timber buildings can be efficiently and sustainably built, operated and maintained, and provide pleasant facilities for those...


Read more at: Growing the future

Growing the future

31 March 2022

A Construction Innovation Hub enabled project by the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Natural Material Innovation (CNMI) aims to showcase the benefits of modular school design and construction through a demonstrator project at a primary school in Cambridge. The design for a new school extention at the Fawcett Primary...


Read more at: Darya Bahram

Darya Bahram

Research background

Darya Bahram is a chartered architect (RIBA), project manager (MAPM) and member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb) and has been working as  Research Associate at the Centre of Construction Law & Dispute Resolution, Kings College London for well over 5 years, since the completion the Centre’s MSC in Construction Law & Dispute Resolution.


Read more at: Dr Aurimas Bukauskas

Dr Aurimas Bukauskas

Research background

Aurimas recently completed his PhD at the University of Bath, developing new approaches for architects and structural engineers to design low embodied carbon structures using reclaimed structural elements and minimally processed timber. Prior to his PhD, Aurimas completed a Bachelor of Science in Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.


Read more at: PolyChora Alpha: a new digital interface for interdisciplinary city design

PolyChora Alpha: a new digital interface for interdisciplinary city design

The aim of this project was to develop a new digital interface to integrate the data and visualisation of the designs of land use, buildings, transport infrastructure and associated urban services at both the neighbourhood and city scale. The interface can also be used by non-specialists to modify...


Read more at: Digital Energy Estimation Tool (DEET)

Digital Energy Estimation Tool (DEET)

How can buildings’ energy use and embodied energy both be optimized at the design stage? This project aims to enable the generation of real-time data from operational energy use and from energy embedded in building components. It will do this through 3-D computing paradigm at an early building...


Read more at: Case Study: Platform approach to design for manufacture and assembly

Case Study: Platform approach to design for manufacture and assembly

This project set out to show the benefits of a manufacture-led approach to construction, showing how it would support the commitments made by the UK government to improving the construction sector. In particular, it looked at ways in which the construction sector could learn lessons from the...


Read more at: Dr Darshil Shah

Dr Darshil Shah

Research background

Dr Darshil Shah is a senior researcher within the Centre for Natural Material Innovation, working to combine sustainability with performance and functionality in natural materials. He collaborates with scientists across disciplines on developing biomaterials, such as engineered wood, bamboo and natural fibre composites, as light-weight, sustainable and structural alternatives to conventional materials for diverse application sectors, including wind energy, construction, transport, health care, and consumer products.


Read more at: Dr Aftab Jalia

Dr Aftab Jalia

Research background

Dr Aftab Jalia studied architecture at the University of Pune in India before pursuing postgraduate degrees at MIT and the University of Cambridge.

He worked for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in New Delhi and Hyderabad for 5 years on non-profit heritage conservation and environmental development projects. At the Centre for Natural Material Innovation, University of Cambridge, he was a Commonwealth Trust scholar studying building crafts and masonry vaulting techniques that use environmentally responsible materials.