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Staff Profile

Dr Kumar Biswajit Debnath

Research Associate in Passive Building Design

Background

I am a Research Associate in Passive Building Design with the School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape (APL) at the Newcastle University, UK. As an architect, I am interested in bio-integrated (and bio-climatic) passive building design for climate change adaptation and mitigation. I have extensive experience in biomimetic design, building physics modelling and simulation, and particularly interested in passive building design and architectural engineering. Also, I am highly interested in the decarbonisation of energy systems, especially within the built environments in developing countries. 

I have two years of experience working as a Lecturer (in Southeast University, Bangladesh), three years of experience as a teaching and research assistant (in Cardiff University), and three years of experience working as a Research Associate (with predominantly research, some teaching and supervision responsibilities) in Heriot-Watt University in 2018-2021. I have been working on multiple research projects as Principal Investigator, Researcher Co-Investigator, Research Associate and Research Assistant for the past ten years.

Qualifications:

  • PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cardiff University, Wales, UK [2018]

  • Master in Architecture (MArch), Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka, Bangladesh [2014]

  • Bachelor in Architecture (BArch), BUET, Dhaka, Bangladesh [2012]

Research

Research interests:

  • Passive building design
  • Building physics
  • (Responsive) bio-integrated design
  • Energy and environmental sustainability
  • Smart buildings and cities
  • Adaptation and resilience to climate change

Current research: [2021-2024]

My new research (as a PDRA for the RESPIRE: Passive, Responsive, Variable Porosity Building Skins [Funding authority: The Leverhulme Trust, UK] project) within the HBBE sits within the Responsible Interactions theme and aims to explore the use of natural moisture-responsiveness of (selected) organic materials ―such as Wood, hydrogel (made from seaweed), wool and flax fibres― in response to moisture to produce novel breathing building skins with minimal cost and environmental impact. I am researching the operational requirements for the variable porosity building skins and developing strategies for integrating bio-based materials in low-energy buildings, which involves prototyping and testing.

Past research:

As a Post Doctoral Research Associate (PDRA):

  1. Community-scale Energy Demand Reduction in India (CEDRI) [Time: 2018-2021; Funding authority: Newton-Bhabha Fund, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), UK and Department of Science and Technology (DST), India]

  2. Cooling for all [Time: 2019; Funding authority: Global Challenges Research Fund 2018 Small Grants]

  3. Power Forward Challenge: funding for UK/Canada joint challenge on smart energy systems innovation [Time: 2018-19; Funding authority: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), UK]

As a Research Assistant (RA):

  1. 2050.Welsh [Time: 2017-18; Funding authority: Wales government, UK] 

  2. BD2050: Bangladesh energy and emissions pathways [Time: 2014-16; Funding authority: Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC), UK]  

  3. Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction Strategies (EVRS) for Unplanned Urban Areas –in the Context of Old Dhaka City [Time: 2011; Funding Authority: University Grants Commission (UGC), Bangladesh] 

  4. Promoting the Green Architecture Concept in Bangladesh and Supporting the Textile and RMG Sector in Bangladesh towards Implementing Green Strategies in their Building Design [Time: 2011; Funding authority: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Bangladesh]  

Research fundings:

Principal Investigator (PI), Researcher Co-Investigator (RCoI), Named Researcher (NR); Total amount of research funding awarded: £1 million (2019-20).

  1. Decarbonisation of energy systems of South Asian developing economies through regional collaborations [Role: PI; Amount: £50,000; Time: 2019-2021; Funding authority: EPSRC Supergen Energy Network Hub] 

  2. Fast-track vaccine cold-chain assessment and design for mass scale COVID-19 vaccination in Bangladesh (VaCoBD); [Role: RCoI; Amount: £631,661; Time: 2020-2022; Funding authority: UKRI GCRF/NF Agile response call 2020]

  3. Dispatchable Air Conditioning (DAC); [Role: RCoI; Amount: £288,761; Time: 2020-2021; Funding authority: Innovate UK (Energy Catalyst 7: Early Stage)]

  4. Transforming farming value-chains in sub-Saharan Africa through social and economically inclusive sustainable energy solutions (TRANSFARM); [Role: NR; Amount: £53,224; Time: 2019-2020, Funding authority: Scottish Funding Council (SFC). SFC GCRF Institutional Sponsorship 2019-20] 

  5. Rapid Assessment Methodology for Vaccine Cold-Chain for Mass Immunisation; [Role: NR; Amount: £30,000; Time: 2020; Funding authority: Scottish Funding Council (SFC). SFC GCRF Institutional Sponsorship 2020]

Publications