Dr John Littlewood created the SuRBe group in 2017, which evolved from the EBERE group that formed in 2009, to bring together expertise in Architectural Design, Engineering and Technology; Building Control; Building Performance Assessment; Environmental Public Health; Innovative Construction; Manufacturing Management; and Product Design.
SuRBe’s overall aim is to improve the quality of building fabric design, construction and move to offsite manufacturing, by using a range of inspection protocols in order to maximise the performance of buildings to mitigate fuel poverty and provide comfortable, healthy and safe buildings for their users, with minimal use of energy. We work across TaF (thermal, acoustic, and fire) performance. We strive to collaborate with partners to enhance and increase the use of natural and renewable materials where possible.
Our ethos is that for buildings to be sustainable they must also be resilient to change in the global climate, buildings materials and systems and more importantly user needs. As such the majority of our work meets a number of pillars of the Welsh Government’s Wellbeing of Future Generations Act (2015): a healthier and a resilient Wales, which affects our work in whichever country we undertake projects.
Our work is within Wales, the UK and internationally including Australia, Abu Dhabi, Canada, Italy, Kuwait, and South Africa. We work in collaboration with housing associations, building contractors, housing developers, building system manufacturers, material suppliers, a range of consultants and also Universities. We cover a wide range of expertise from design, construction and manufacturing of building components and complete buildings, monitoring, testing of buildings and their heating, ventilation and lighting systems. In addition, to engaging with building users. The group has won funding directly from industry for consultancy projects; the EPSRC, ESF and ERDF for research projects; InnovateUK and government funding for entrepreneurial innovation projects.
SuRBe’s team are drawn from Cardiff Metropolitan University and Sustainable Construction Monitoring & research Ltd.
