Multi-disciplinary teams of students and recent graduates from 39 universities took on the challenge to design a carbon neutral masterplan and timber housing fit for our future in a four-month competition on a real life site at Riverside Sunderland.
Students were alerted to the online timber challenge at the second Climate Literacy workshop I ran with Scott McAulay in November 2020, which was our first foray into online teaching.
Taking a voluntary competition online in late 2020 when students were struggling with Covid, isolation and online lectures was seen by many as foolhardy, impractical and likely to attract no entrants. But with a Zoom license for 500, over-subscribed Climate Literacy workshops and the backing of the Confederation of Timber Industries (CTI) as a major sponsor – we could but try.
To meet our legally binding carbon and climate change obligations we need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Construction contributes around 40% of these emissions annually, so if we design and build wisely using resources that lock in more carbon than they take to produce, such as timber; if we design for longevity and use of minimal resources; if we design with fabric first and to the energy standard of Passive House, we can make a major impact.
Riverside Sunderland is a major regeneration site in the city centre, that stands on the edge of the Wear. Transformation is being led by Sunderland City Council to design and build a vibrant new urban quarter, with 1,000 ultra-sustainable homes.
Working with the Sunderland City Council, the TTF’s North East Timber Trade Association and MOBIE, we planned the Riverside Sunderland online University Design Challenge 2021 to design, engineer, plan and cost a three-bed family home from timber and timber-based products along with an indicative masterplan for 100 homes that meet RIBA2030 Climate Challenge targets.
With a certain amount of trepidation, we launched #RSUDC21 in February and invited students from across the UK to take part in the competition to collaborate, innovate, and create future-facing designs that reimagine how residents might live, work and play together in beautiful, low-carbon, and multi-generational housing. The response was overwhelming, with 300 students from 39 universities registered to participate and 27 inter-disciplinary teams formed.
To give all our teams the best start possible, we invited 80 professionals at the forefront of sustainability to give masterclasses, which we recorded and uploaded to a dedicated YouTube channel.
Starting with the climate challenge, we addressed sustainable timber and timber products and offsite construction, carbon (operational and embodied) and how to count it, desirable homes and communities, fabric first, health and well-being, timber challenges (moisture and fire), structural engineering and concrete free foundations, procurement and costing, placemaking and future homes. Over 1,000 attended the live events and a further 2,000 have so far viewed the recordings.
Throughout March, April and May we worked with our participants and sponsors – the CTI, Accoya, Rothoblaas, the Timber Decking and Cladding Association, DesignPH, PEFC, the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products, Wood for Good and BSW – to provide extra knowledge and support, often meeting online on a Friday evening in a virtual pub.
Before we knew it, June was upon us and entries flooded in. With 16 teams making it through to the longlist, we asked Jane Anderson, Kate Blackburne, Adrian Campbell, Florence Collier, Danny Garwood, Mina Hasman, Sarah Jones-Morris, Rob Littlewood, Will Mawson, Martin Milner, James Turner, Patrick Usborne, Joe Jack Williams and the team from MOBIE to draw up a shortlist of eight teams.
In the online final, each of the eight shortlisted teams presented their entry and were then questioned by our knowledgeable and high-profile judges.
The results were as follows: Highly Commended – Team R: Andrew Spence, Robert Andrew Casling-Andoniou, Sarah Warrick, and Lauren Bailey, all from Teesside University.
Highly Commended – Team I: Boyang Xu, Hang Xu, Shen Zhekai, Weilin Lai, Xiao Han and Ziyu Li, all the University of Sheffield.
“Team R in their presentation really pushed the boundaries with their concept of a village in the city, and their passion was evident,” said Neil Guthrie, development director (residential) of Sunderland City Council.
“The scheme looked deep into the history of the city, bringing to life the traditional industries of shipbuilding and glassmaking into their scheme, these new communities, and the spaces they aimed to create.
“Team I really considered the role of materials, of construction, including assembly and disassembly, amongst other technical aspects, while designing desirable homes which form a community. The methodologies and the way they sought to bridge their own knowledge gaps of the UK market was incredibly impressive to the judges.”
The fourth placed winner was Team D: Ananth Balakrishnan, Cardiff University; Joseph Meehan, University of Bristol; Mohammed Numaan Amar, University of Birmingham; and Tsveta Karagyozova, University of Sheffield.
“This entry stood out through its considerations of the technical detail,” said Mark Farmer, CEO and founding director at Cast Consultancy.
“We work in a practically led industry, and this team showed they knew this through their attention to such matters as delivery logistics, including the size of CLT panels and how they could be transported to site without needing lorry escorts. In addition, there was real effort applied to optimising sourcing strategy and the use of local supply chains, as well as consideration of disassembly and the circular economy.
“It was a really strong entry from a multi-disciplinary team which spanned four universities, showcasing the power of collaboration, and an array of future talent for the industry.”
The third placed winner was Team B: Callum Hewitt, University of Liverpool; Daniela Lopez Pardo, University of Gloucestershire; Jade Biado, University of Bristol; Kyle Henderson, Robert Gordon University; Madeleine Clarke, Coventry University; Samuel Briar, University of Bath; Zaleekha Iqbal, University of Gloucestershire; Freya Noonan, University of Bristol.
“The community focus and detailed consideration of the structure really stood out to us in this entry, with a lot of work going into the engineering, as well as the carbon costing of the project,” said Kelly Harrison, associate director of Whitby Wood.
“Excellent attention was given to every technical detail which we could expect. The inclusion of a project manager was great to see and was evident with the inclusion of planning documents and minutes from all the meetings, showing an impressive level of work.”
The second placed winner was Team A: Elenor Naraidoo, University of Bath; Fathimath Ema Ziya, University of Bath; Heba Tabidi, University of Bath; Scott Thompson, Northumbria University; Sophie Whinney, University of Bristol; Wendy Young, University of Sheffield.
“This team made landscape the driving factor in their design, with the architects and landscape architects working side-by-side with engineers, surveyors and the rest of the profession to make sure landscape was not an afterthought, but integral to the scheme,” said Dr Gemma Jerome, director of Building with Nature.
“Streetside trees are used as part of the drainage systems, and natural spaces are made to be inclusive, accessible and enjoyable – making the most of the riverside ecology.
“The landscape focus was evidenced throughout the masterplan, which looked right down to the detail of the salt run-off from the roads and what plants will best suit this environment. This meant attention to landscape was not just an aspiration but seen as vital to the well-being of the residents, the wider community, and those in future, with a view to how this site will appear in 10 years, 20 years, or even in two generations.”
The first placed winner was Team M: Aidana Roberts, Cardiff University; Brian Cheuk Yan Ho, University of Bath; Chian Ying Xuan, University of Sheffield; Dakari Brathwaite, University of West London; Kersten Chandy Mathew, Cardiff University; Milda Klimanskyte, University of West London; Oisin Higgins, University College Dublin.
“We felt this scheme was a comprehensive response to all senses of the brief,” said Andy von Bradsky, head of architecture with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
“We were really excited by the commitment to the sense of place and community, with an aim to create a place that would be a gem in the future of Sutherland. It really understood the context, the wider area, even looking to how it may compensate for lack of facilities elsewhere in the city to be not just satisfying for the people who live there, but a place to visit for the wider area.
“The design considers the riverside location to enhance the environmental, social and design value for their communities and comprehensively addresses the technical, landscape and carbon aspects of their house and masterplan, making this scheme almost buildable. It would give real design teams a run for their money.”
I’d like to thank our partners, sponsors, speakers, supporters and participants for making the #RSUDC21 the most successful university engagement project so far.
Planning is under way for 2022.
