Contact
Biography
Dr Lorna Kiamba is an Assistant Professor in Environmental Design and Architecture at the Department of Architecture and Built Environment of the University of Nottingham. Lorna qualified as an architect in Kenya in 2007. She has experience working in practice developing and implementing design projects for private and public-sector clients in Kenya and other Sub-Saharan countries. She has attained a Bachelor of Architecture degree (Hons) from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, an MPhil in Environmental Design from the University of Cambridge, UK, and a PhD in Architecture from the University of Nottingham. Her focus on environmental design and sustainability stems from her conviction to improve awareness of issues impacting the environment, and the actions that built environment professionals can take to improve and sustain it.
Expertise Summary
Lorna has expertise in the areas of: thermal performance of buildings and its implications on thermal comfort and energy use, community energy, community resilience and energy policy.
Teaching Summary
Lorna teaches at both undergraduate and post graduate level where her teaching is largely centered on integrated environmental design. She works with students in early and final stages of their… read more
Research Summary
Overall, my research work involves addressing the architectural and urban implications of sustainability issues ranging from energy use to occupant comfort, with the aim of achieving net zero carbon… read more
Lorna teaches at both undergraduate and post graduate level where her teaching is largely centered on integrated environmental design. She works with students in early and final stages of their architectural and built environment degree programs, working to introduce or delve further into architectural and environmental design concepts. She prides herself in creating a studio and classroom environment that accommodates the needs of her individual students while still promoting a high level of critical thought and design skills.
Current Research
Overall, my research work involves addressing the architectural and urban implications of sustainability issues ranging from energy use to occupant comfort, with the aim of achieving net zero carbon targets without compromising comfort. Specific areas of interest linked to my past and present work include: climate-responsive buildings and urban spaces (human comfort); energy efficiency in buildings (decarbonisation); vernacular architecture (lessons for contemporary buildings); energy policy (barriers to decarbonisation); community energy (socio-economic aspects and just transitions); post-occupancy evaluation (performance gaps and user feedback) and community engagement (for sustainability).
Largely influenced by my professional background as a practicing architect, I am specifically interested in engaging in research that has practical applications. In addition to supporting my teaching practice, I see my work on sustainability as helping bridge the gap between research and industry/practice locally and internationally. Presently, I am a co-investigator in the Climate Emergency Design Initiative (CEDI) project that is seeking to develop visual guidance and standards within Nottingham City Council (NCC)'s Design Quality Framework for the design and delivery of zero carbon buildings and developments, aligned with the Carbon Neutral Nottingham 2020-2028 Action Plan. This initiative is expected to support the development of Supplementary Planning Policy Documents focused on carbon neutrality.
Past Research
Focusing on the socio economic aspects of community energy, I was involved in a H2020 project - Project SENSIBLE (http://www.h2020-project-sensible.eu). The overall aim of the project is to develop, demonstrate and evaluate a storage-enabled sustainable energy supply for buildings and communities. In this research Lorna is focused on the review of the socio-economic impact of storage business models and the overall dissemination of the project outcomes.
I have been involved in developing practical new solutions for more sustainable and resilient urban areas as part of a large EU project entitled TURaS (Transitioning towards Urban Resilience and Sustainability). This work included, but was not limited to: exploring the growth of community resilience through energy security, ownership and management, exploring the build-up of community capital through localised food production and distribution, and exploring the relationship of resilience with social identity and networks.
My PhD research examined integrated environmental design and with a focus on the thermal performance of buildings and its implications on thermal comfort and energy use.
Future Research
I welcome enquiries from potential PhD candidates from Home, EU and international countries who are interested in the following research areas: Sustainable design in architecture, passive design of buildings, thermal building performance, shading performance analysis, thermal comfort, comfort and energy efficiency in buildings, vernacular architecture and building regulations in developing countries (focus on comfort and energy efficiency).