Profile
Doctoral Researcher (PhD) Loughborough University
Projects
W2LP6 - The indoor air quality of a Victorian school with a post-1968 extension. [Kate Simpson, LU]
W2LP14 - Energy efficiency refurbishment in UK owner-occupied dwellings: The occupant’s perspective [Kate Simpson, LU]
Biography
Current research is focused on the occupant's perception of energy efficiency improvments to UK owner-occupied homes. Please see project page W2LP14 for further details.
My MRes dissertation was focused on the indoor air quality (IAQ) of a Victorian School with a post-1968 extension . This study, supervised by Malcolm Bell, required me to collect CO2 and temperature data from the school. As a consequence of this research I gained an increased awareness to the health implications poor indoor air quality can entail. This sparked further interest into issues relating to IAQ within dwellings. See project page W2LP6 for further details.
I first graduated with a BSc in Building Surveying from Leeds Metropolitan University (RICS accredited). I was initially interested in building fabric restoration and refurbishment. My objective was to build upon what I had learnt during my previous AVCE in 'construction and the built environment'. As the programme progressed my knowledge surrounding energy efficiency expanded. I became concerned about the amount of energy buildings consume in order to maintain a healthy internal environment whilst preventing moisture related defects.
During a year in industry I worked within a 'traditional' building maintenance and refurbishment department. This provided an opportunity to gain a wealth of experience of the planned and reactive maintenance and refurbishment of solid-wall dwellings. I chose to expand my knowledge of this area through my first dissertation titled ‘the issues relating to energy efficiency in traditional dwellings’ supervised by Malcolm Bell. This research entailed the application of a parametric model to calculate the energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions of a traditional dwelling case study. It incorporated twelve phases of fabric and energy source improvements.
Publications:
Simpson, K. (2011)”The indoor air quality of a Victorian school with a post-1968 extension”, Arup Conference: People and Buildings Conference for Masters Students, 23 September 2011. London