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Welcome to Café Scientifique Launceston

Next meeting:
Tuesday 14 March7.00pm

at Eagle House Hotel, 3, Castle Street,
Launceston PL15 8BA

Professor Steve Goodhew PhD MSc FRICS FCIOB CEnv
Associate Head of School (Research), Art, Design & Architecture
University of Plymouth

“The CobBauge Project: Ultra-Low Carbon Buildings”


Professor Goodhew researches sustainable and energy efficient communities and buildings, particularly assessing the credentials of schemes and those linked to existing/historic buildings. He is also directly involved in low-embodied-carbon materials the thermal properties of construction materials and thermographic infra-red imaging. As Principal Investigator of the €4million-funded CobBauge project, he leads a team of researchers who aim to reduce the amount of carbon emissions created by the building sector. A winner of the 2019 RegioStar Award, the project has created a unique double-layered wall that optimises cob as a sustainable building material. It is now being used in the construction of a new ‘living lab’ building on the University campus.

Professor Goodhew was also a team member of one of the first studies to ascertain the thermal influence on living wall systems on existing building temperature scenarios. Part of the Low Carbon Devon project, these findings could be a game-changer in helping the UK achieve its net-zero commitments by reducing greenhouse gas emissions directly created by buildings. His extensive expertise in thermography is also supporting the UK's ambitious efficiency targets. The DeViz: Defect Visualisation via Thermography project uses thermal imaging to identify defects in the building and maintenance of buildings, with the aim for this to be a core component of the construction process.

The talk reviews the drivers for optimising earth building materials in light of the energy-based challenges we currently face. It offers solutions to the perennial issues that most forms of vernacular architecture face under pressure from regulations and guidelines. Finally some early-stage results from the analysis of the University of Plymouth's CobBauge building's performance are presented

CobBauge is a WINNER in category 2 of the RegioStars 2019


Recent book available for order:
Sustainable Construction Processes: A Resource Text (Wiley-Blackwell)
http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-140518759X.html

Lead Partner for the CobBauge Project
Website: http://www.cobbauge.eu/en/cobbauge-2/

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Café Scientifique Launceston, founded in 2010 by Professor Colin Webb MBE FRS, is a branch of the national Café Scientifique network.

Meetings are held most months from February to November now downstairs at the Eagle House Hotel 3, Castle Street Launceston PL15 8BA at 6.45pm. After the talk by a guest speaker, there is a short break but in these post Covid times, no refreshments at the moment. The audience then reassembles for a question and answer session and general discussion. Anyone can ask a question and those which begin "This might be a stupid question but ……. ?" are positively welcomed.

Cafés are free..However, we hope that non-student members of the audience will make a contribution of at least £5 to cover the hire of the venue and equipment and the speaker’s travel expenses. This can be done online. Contact us for the bank account details.

If you want to have a meal at the Eagle House before the meetin, please contact the hotel direct.

If you are not already on our email list and you would like to be kept informed please use the Contact Us page to send us your email address. Suggestions for future talks are extremely welcome.

A list of Cafes for 2022 is posted on the Cafes Page.

More info on our on our News page