Susan Roaf
Encyclopedia
Susan Roaf is a visiting Professor at the Open University
and Arizona State University
as well as an Oxford city councillor. In 2005, she became Professor of Architectural Engineering at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh.
She was born in Malaysia and completed a degree from Manchester University. Her doctoral thesis was on the windcatchers of Yazd in Iran from Oxford Brookes University
where she taught from 1989 to 2005 both in professional studies, technology and design. She has practiced for a number of years on the design of housing, schools, hospitals and town planning.Heriot Watt School of the Built Environment
In 1995 Susan Roaf built the Oxford Ecohouse, a house in Oxford designed to maximise energy efficiency. It is equipped with the first photovoltaic cell roof installed in Britain.
A six bedroom family home, it produces only 130 kg /annum per metre square, in contrast to comparable UK houses that produce 5000 kg /annum m2. It has 4 kW peak of photovoltaic output, 5m2 of solar hot water panels and additional heating from a passive solar sun space.
It was designed using low energy construction techniques, high thermal mass and a wood burning stove to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 95%.
The house has featured in a number of architecture books and is used as a research source in sustainable design.
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
and Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
as well as an Oxford city councillor. In 2005, she became Professor of Architectural Engineering at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh.
She was born in Malaysia and completed a degree from Manchester University. Her doctoral thesis was on the windcatchers of Yazd in Iran from Oxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes University is a new university in Oxford, England. It was named to honour the school's founding principal, John Brookes. It has been ranked as the best new university by the Sunday Times University Guide 10 years in a row...
where she taught from 1989 to 2005 both in professional studies, technology and design. She has practiced for a number of years on the design of housing, schools, hospitals and town planning.Heriot Watt School of the Built Environment
In 1995 Susan Roaf built the Oxford Ecohouse, a house in Oxford designed to maximise energy efficiency. It is equipped with the first photovoltaic cell roof installed in Britain.
A six bedroom family home, it produces only 130 kg /annum per metre square, in contrast to comparable UK houses that produce 5000 kg /annum m2. It has 4 kW peak of photovoltaic output, 5m2 of solar hot water panels and additional heating from a passive solar sun space.
It was designed using low energy construction techniques, high thermal mass and a wood burning stove to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 95%.
The house has featured in a number of architecture books and is used as a research source in sustainable design.
Books
- Ecohouse 2, Architectural Press 2nd Edition edition (31 Jul 2003) ISBN 0750657340 Professor Susan Roaf
- Closing the Loop: Benchmarks for Sustainable Buildings, RIBA Enterprises ISBN 1859461182 Professor Susan Roaf