Monday, 06 March 2023
A study, which created the first ever guidance on how to design and operate non-domestic buildings to minimise the spread of airborne viruses, has beaten competition from across the country to scoop a prestigious award.
The AIRBODS project (Airborne Infection Reduction through Building Operation and Design for SARS-CoV-2) was funded by the government and helped to allow the resumption of large-scale events in the aftermath of the Covid-19 lockdowns.
The study, which involved researchers from the university’s Faculty of Engineering, won the Learning and Development Award at the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) Building Performance Awards. The annual event recognises the people, products and projects that demonstrate engineering excellence in the built environment.
Benjamin Jones, Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham, said: “There were times during the Covid-19 pandemic when many of us probably wondered whether we’d ever get back to the ‘normality’ in buildings and at large-scale events. This is why the importance of projects like AIRBODS can’t be underestimated – as the need to better understand the risks of airborne transmission of viruses in buildings has never been more crucial.
The past few years have seen massive commitment to this project by all partners to ensure the success of our research, so to be recognised nationally by our peers in the industry is a wonderful achievement and the perfect way to bring the project to a close.
AIRBODS was led by Loughborough University, in partnership with the University of Nottingham, University College London, the University of Cambridge, the University of Sheffield, London South Bank University and Wirth Research.
Malcolm Cook, Professor of Building Performance Analysis at Loughborough University, said: “It has been a privilege to lead such a committed team of researchers who worked tirelessly during the pandemic to collect extensive data and run bespoke computer simulations.
The work has substantially increased our understanding of indoor air quality which has become such a key focus for our nation's health and wellbeing. This award recognises this commitment and contribution to knowledge.
New detailed guidance developed from the team’s work – the largest ever study of non-domestic building air quality – will be released later this month.
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More information is available from Danielle Hall, Media Relations Manager at the University of Nottingham, at danielle.hall@nottingham.ac.uk or 0115 846 7156.
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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