Urban carbon emissions remain a pressing concern for climate researchers and academics across the UK, as the United Nations’ Net Zero 2030 target nears. Aiming to improve air quality and comfortable heat levels in local buildings, PhD student Connor Watson undertook a placement at Southampton City Council in collaboration with the Sustainability and Resilience Institute (SRI).

Connor joined Southampton after completing an integrated master’s degree in mathematics, where he was introduced to fluid dynamics and related mathematical models. After discovering the city’s unique infrastructure and role in the shipping industry through a hobby in urban design, he arranged a visit to the university where he was introduced to the work of the SRI and registered to do a PhD focusing on thermal comfort and building air quality.

With support from his supervisors, Professor Christina Vanderwel, Professor Stephanie Gauthier, and Professor Sebastian Stein, Connor applied to do a placement with the Council, focused on climate risk and vulnerability. Whilst there, he was able to collaborate with policy officers at the SRI to complement his keen interest in city planning with their knowledge of decarbonisation, climate change, and sustainability practices:

“The contact I had with the SRI was fantastic – I discussed the things that I was doing throughout my placement with a policy officer which allowed me to ask questions about sustainability and get different perspectives. We even had follow ups after I finished the placement, and I had the opportunity to present my findings at an event.”

Combining machine learning with knowledge of fluid dynamics and building physics, Connor investigated the pressure, temperature, humidity, and quality of the air in several office buildings across Southampton City Council’s jurisdiction to determine their operational efficiency.

This resulted in a report describing the risk of heat and flooding across Southampton, as well as suggestions for improving resilience measures in communities particularly affected by social isolation and deprivation, such as groups aged over 65.

Connor explains the findings of his PhD project:

“As air pollution and temperatures rise, it becomes increasingly important to ensure that conditions in buildings protect the health of people inside. My research has identified ways to improve air quality and thermal comfort while decreasing energy consumption, which can be applied to refurbishment practices and even buildings still under construction”.

Looking to the future, he hopes that the placement offering will expand to provide opportunities for better communication between academia and industry:

“The report I produced alongside the SRI opened a dialogue between the university, local communities, and governments. If the university can deepen those relationships, it could benefit the community in a big way – not only economically, but socially too.”

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