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 development of shared housing much easier.

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 different actors. When the availability and dimensions of materials are not known in advance, it is necessary to build in room for different options already in the detailed planning stage—something that today's planning and building permit processes, which are adapted for new construction with standardized building products, have difficulty handling.

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 rooms – may trigger subtle but chronic stress responses that, over time, could contribute to serious illness.

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 at the crossroads of architecture, neuroscience, and immunology, in the emerging field of neuroarchitecture.

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 collaboration with the Chemicals Group at RISE, the company has built up knowledge, structures, and processes to work more systematically with chemical management.

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 developed a verification program that makes the recommendations safe and reliable tools for the construction sector - a clear testament to credibility and quality.

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 wellbeing – with the ambition to set a new global standard for the built environments of tomorrow.

Showers are one of the biggest energy guzzlers in the home. But now, the technology to change this has been given the green light. With type approval and the go-ahead from industry bodies for its heat-recovery floor drain, the start-up company Enduce is ready to enter the market.

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 heritage becomes part of the green transition.

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, Sustainability Director at Husqvarna Construction.

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 leader and transition strategist at RISE and part of the Viable Cities program office, the ambition is for all Swedish municipalities to become climate neutral, and it is not an impossibility. The initiative is driven by Viable Cities, which is one of Sweden's national strategic innovation programs.

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 technology.

Requirements to reduce the environmental impact of buildings are becoming increasingly stringent, including the EU's EPBD directive. One challenge will be to have a complete picture in order to implement the right measures at the right time.

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.

Plastic can be highly damaging to the environment thus replacing it with entirely new bio-based materials could be one solution to reducing environmental impact. In the future, fibre-based foam could be used in everything from packaging and furniture to cars and houses.

Digitalisation and AI are major enablers of future spatial planning and sustainable growth. Our existing built environments, as well as the new ones that are emerging, need to transform in line with the roadmaps set out in the 2030 Agenda. But there are many challenges in the built environment sector that we need to address to fully benefit from the technology.

Many Swedish buildings were built in a different era. Today, extreme weather conditions are becoming more frequent. This puts new stresses on buildings that can be difficult to withstand. But who is responsible for preventing damage and protecting buildings? The answer is not simple. – For example, in the event of a major flood, property owners sometimes feel that it is the municipality that has failed to take responsibility. However, it is the property owner who should be protecting themselves against the climate risks in question, says Stina Stenquist from RISE.

Around the world, people are struggling to cope with the effects of climate change. Can AI help us tackle one of the great issues of our time? "High-tech AI is unlikely to be the whole solution. But it can improve low-tech solutions and make them more efficient," says Olof Mogren, research leader at the Centre for Applied AI at RISE.Here's how it could work.

Buildings account for a large proportion of society's energy consumption. But things like inefficient ventilation, excessive cooling or heating, and incorrectly set fans waste a lot of kWh unnecessarily. "Improving energy efficiency may be complex, but it is also profitable," says Sofia Stensson, researcher and project manager at RISE.

The New European Bauhaus (NEB) is an initiative by the EU Commission that aims to harness the potential in culture and the creative sectors of architecture, art, and design to ramp up climate action efforts. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, has stated that “If the European Green Deal has a soul, then it is the New European Bauhaus, which has led to an explosion of creativity across our Union.”

RISE part in the Swedish Innovation system comprises, among other things, a vast range of test beds aimed at accelerating the development of new materials and processes. Let's get to know Sara Wallstén and her research which is being transferred from the lab to a brand new pilot scale test bed at MoRe Research, a RISE subsidiary in Örnsköldsvik.

Reducing the demand for electricity can both strengthen the competitiveness of businesses and save money for households. "There are a number of quick fixes that can be taken, but to really make a difference, energy efficiency improvements are needed at the system level," says Sara Bargi, project manager at RISE.

European households are rapidly phasing out fossil fuel heating, and one of the key pieces of the puzzle is heat pump technology. In Sweden, the technology is already being used in record numbers of homes. Heat pumps are also a way to create more flexibility in electricity use – something that an electrified society will need.

Cooling buildings requires a lot of energy and is expected to increase with climate change. By using certain materials and colors, part of the cooling can take place passively and inexpensive, even in full sunlight.

Today, many companies set goals for using recycled materials. But far too few actually do so. So how do we build trust in using recycled materials on a large scale – and how do we get everyone involved to accept the challenges it entails?  “It’s often more expensive,” says Christina Jönsson, a department head at RISE. “Traceability is uncertain. And the quality varies. This is, of course, challenging.” 

The consequences of climate change, such as wildfires, torrential rain, and floods, can be very costly. The possibility is now being investigated of introducing so-called climate resilience certificates, a system that shows the climate risks linked to a property, and which can help property owners reduce their vulnerability and allow banks and insurance companies to better assess risks. 

The cities of the future are already built – but they need to become more climate-smart and socially sustainable. To achieve this, we need to become better and wiser in terms of renovating, transforming, and densifying. The research school ASSURE focuses on how we can transform our existing cities into something more sustainable. 

Energy-efficient mixer taps can reduce domestic hot water consumption by almost thirty percent. Something that saves water, energy and money. However, it is important that the manufacturer can show that this holds true. RISE has helped Gustavsberg to certify the energy efficiency of two series of mixer taps, giving Gustavsberg major competitive advantages. 

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.

FairSHARE is a method that helps those who work with societal development to integrate human rights into planning. Certification for equality by a third party ensures that municipalities achieve their set goals in terms of equality in urban planning. The first public space to be certified is People's Walk – a promenade in Helsingborg.