About Us

The Centre for Net Zero High Density Buildings (CeNZ-HighDB) is a new UKRI Green Economy Centre. Led by the University of Edinburgh, this research partnership combines the Universities of Glasgow, Strathclyde, West of Scotland, Edinburgh Napier University, and BE-ST – Scotland’s construction innovation centre.

High density building areas within cities and towns have the greatest challenges in meeting net zero targets and are ‘keystones’ of the future UK green economy. Diverse complexities of building archetypes, multi-use, historic and ‘listed status’ planning constraints requires a range of innovative low carbon green solutions. This is a critical net zero challenge not just for the UK (6M buildings) but also globally with 55% of the world’s population living and working in urban areas, rising to 68% by 2050.

CeNZ-HighDB will develop, test and underpin delivery of identified new ‘green’ innovations including high-energy efficiency building fabrics, new lower cost rapid-fit heating technologies, novel community heating-cooling systems for complex multi-use streetscapes and advancements in thermal-cooling modelling and data driven innovation to drive green economy growth. A major proportion of the UK’s key workers, low-income households and disadvantaged groups live in high density buildings and the Centre’s impacts will enable reduced energy costs, substantial carbon emission reductions and accelerate ‘inclusive’ retrofit delivery for social housing sectors and urban buildings.