Bath, United Kingdom
University of Bath
The Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at the University of Bath brings together the related disciplines of Architecture and Civil Engineering. Each discipline is serviced by an active group of academics who bring specific expertise to postgraduate courses and research supervision.
Teaching
Traditionally natural building technologies have not been taught as part of undergraduate engineers, builders or architects curriculum. We have started to change this at Bath by offering a joint introductory course on Natural Building Technologies to undergraduate Civil & Architectural Engineering and fifth year MArch Architecture students. The course is supported by a number of external speakers such as Rowland Keable (In-situ Rammed Earth Co.), Prof. Tom Woolley (Queens University), Ian Pritchett (Lime Technology), Rex Harries, Neil May (Natural Building Technologies ltd), Lionel Jayanetti (TRADA Technology) and Richard Harris (Buro Happold). Course content includes lectures on:
- Background to climate change and sustainable development
- Building with stone
- Earthen construction
- Lime construction
- Introduction to natural binders & pozzolans
- Natural fibres in construction
- Straw bale construction
- Sustainable timber construction
- Bamboo construction
- Future for natural building
Research
We are currently engaged in and developing a number of research projects on rammed earth construction, green oak carpentry joints, dry-stone walling, lime concrete, and straw bale construction. Many of these projects involve active collaboration with industrial partners and we welcome new approaches from organisations seeking to develop work in the area of natural building technologies. Members of the group have acted as consultants to a wide number of projects in the UK and overseas.
Entrance Requirements
At present courses are offered to students of architecture and civil engineering at the University of Bath. In the future professional CPD and practical weekend courses on various Natural Building Technologies will be presented.