Articles and blog posts about the built environment

Housing companies, architects, and sustainability teams are under pressure to cut emissions, use space efficiently, and support social sustainability. Shared housing models like co-living and co-housing can help resolve these challenges and recent actions by the Swedish government may make the devel...

With the help of common guidelines, known as industry recommendations, contractors, designers, and builders can ensure that they meet the functional requirements of the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning's new building regulations. As an independent third party, RISE has develo...

This is a blog about real estate and energy efficiency. About research that leads to reduced energy use, which in turn leads to reduced environmental impact. But also about what I hear in discussions about innovation and trends, as part of my research role and in my daily life as a project manager.

Although reuse is often highlighted as an obvious part of sustainable construction, there are several challenges that affect how building components and materials can be utilized. The issue is not just about technology, regulations, or economics, but also about processes and cooperation between diff...

Catastrophic fires, those with exceptional costs or many casualties are increasing. What can be done about this? Researcher Johan Sjöström explains why fires in southern Europe are becoming increasingly severe and how common birch trees can help to reduce similar risks in Sweden.

Climate change is making heatwaves more frequent and intense, even in cold countries like those in the Nordic region. This creates new challenges for our buildings, which are designed to retain heat rather than release it. RISE is addressing this pressing issue from several angles.

What if the buildings around us are quietly reshaping our minds? RISE researchers have developed a groundbreaking framework proposing that our built environments might fundamentally influence brain function.

We spend more than 90 percent of our lives indoors. But what if the very buildings designed to protect us are quietly undermining our health? Emerging research, within the field of neuroarchitecture and neurodesig, suggests that certain architectural features – from narrow hallways to windowless roo...

What if the places we live and work in could affect more than just our moods — what if they could influence the very health of our brains? This is the question driving Cleo Valentine, Senior Researcher and Innovation Lead at RISE, and PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge. Her research sits a...

Many companies face the challenge of managing chemical issues that are becoming increasingly complex due to new regulations and rising expectations for transparency. For Blåbær Production AS, a chemical crisis in 2015 marked the starting point for a change in their way of working. Through collaborat...

A groundbreaking index in the emerging field of neurodesign and neuroarchitecture could transform the way we plan and invest in our cities, schools, and workplaces. Drawing on brain science and AI, researchers can now measure how physical environments influence our health, cognition, and overall wel...

New technology met history when RISE and the Swedish National Heritage Board joined forces in an AI project. Together, the two parties have developed an innovative method for identifying and classifying heritage buildings. The method can become an important piece of the puzzle when Sweden's built he...

Giving used products a new life is not only a sustainable solution—it can also make strong business sense. Join Husqvarna Construction on its journey towards a more circular business model. “We see both environmental and economic benefits in reintroducing products to the market,” says Adam Björk,...

Sweden's largest initiative for sustainable cities, Climate Neutral Cities 2030, is stepping up. 48 of Sweden's 290 municipalities are coming together to tackle the climate crisis. In just five years, the original nine cities in the initiative have now become 48. According to Lars Johansson, change ...

More and more individuals and property owners are investing in solar panels, and the market is growing rapidly. Patrik Ollas, researcher at RISE and former industrial PhD student at Chalmers, published his thesis on battery storage and solar energy in the spring, looking at new opportunities for the...

The construction and property sector is in urgent need of a transition to circular business models, not least to meet future sustainability requirements. One of the challenges is to create a working system for the reuse of construction products. Those who find the right solutions have a lot to gain.