Tag: Merchiston Campus

Students complete European first build of bamboo structure

Students complete ‘European first’ build of innovative bamboo structure
The design could be used to create sustainable large span roofs in future

A project to build Europe’s first bamboo-timber composite gridshell at Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) has been successfully completed.

The 9×8 metre structure was put up in just four days by a team of 31 visiting students from the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi) in an engineering lab at ENU’s Merchiston campus.

The team used cutting-edge design and construction methods, including augmented reality technology to visualise the plans in real time.

Project leaders hope to now replicate it at a larger scale, allowing researchers to investigate the use of bamboo-timber gridshells as a sustainable building design, and to train construction professionals.

Known for their structural efficiency and aesthetic appeal, gridshells are curved, shell-like structures made from an interconnected grid pattern.

Experts believe their design – which makes the most of bamboo’s strengths as a sustainable building material – could be used to create large-span roofs.

This latest effort follows the construction of a similar structure in China by a team of ENU students last year.

Professor Johnson Zhang, Head of international for Edinburgh Napier’s School of Computing, Engineering & the Built Environment, led the project. He said: “The construction has gone really well. The last time we did something like this in China it took a month – so it has taken a huge effort to get it all done in four days.

“We were delighted to welcome the students to Edinburgh for the project. They have all learned a lot from the process, as have we.

“Using the technology allowed us to monitor the construction, so we could make changes and corrections in real time during the build. It has huge potential in the industry.

“It’s the first time something like this has been done in Europe, and we’re hoping to create an even bigger gridshell here in future.

“We first demonstrated the idea behind bamboo-timber gridshells at COP26 in Glasgow, and this is another step in the journey to realise its potential.”

As well as ENU and THEi, the project backed by the Construction Industry Council of Hong Kong and the British Council, alongside partners: Built Environment – Smarter Transformation, Xylotek – Advanced Timber, Glenalmond Timber, and Intelligent Wood Systems.

A group of academics from the Department of Architecture of Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology (IMUST) also came to Edinburgh to support the construction.

The finished structure was shown off during a closing ceremony for visiting partners at Merchiston. Plans are underway to develop bamboo-timber gridshell technology further at Edinburgh Napier University.

Tears of Laughter

Project helps families find solace during dementia journey

An Edinburgh Napier degree show project is helping families find solace during a dementia diagnosis – by bringing laughter to the fore.

Tears of Laughter, by fourth year graphic design student Claire Todd, encourages families to journal the lighter, funnier moments they experience with someone affected by dementia as an alternative coping method for the condition.

Alongside the journal, Claire has also designed a series of stickers and shapes that can be used to illustrate the book with memories. Storytelling dice also act as a prompt for those wishing to use the resource.

The eye-catching journal – which is currently on display as part of Edinburgh Napier’s 2023 Degree Show at its Merchiston campus – is bright, tactile, and full of fun and has been developed with the support of several families who currently have a loved one affected by dementia.

Claire was inspired by her own experiences with dementia after her gran, Gladys’ own journey with the condition sadly came to an end in 2021.

Although she didn’t journal at the time, the 21-year-old and her family from Fauldhouse, West Lothian would regularly reminisce about some of the funnier things her Gran had said during their many visits to see her.

And it was from here, and a desire to document many of these memories, that the idea for Tears of Laughter was born.

Claire said: “The idea for Tears of Laughter really stemmed from my own experience of watching my gran suffer from dementia. It was a really tough time for the family, but the funny things she’d say and do would make us laugh and lighten the situation by a fraction for a moment.

“It was those moments that helped us cope and provided us with lighter memories during a tough time. The funny things she said made care home visits bearable and it strengthened the bond with my gran at a time when it was difficult to bond.

“Tears of Laughter is a resource that allows adults and grandchildren affected by dementia to document the funny and lighter memories during their loved one’s dementia journey. Ultimately it creates a personal journal of nicer memories to look back on during a tough time. The journal is somewhere to escape the darkness of dementia for a moment and is a space to reflect on those nicer memories.

“As a family, I feel we had to use humour to cope. It was the only way of finding some light during that time. Dementia is a really upsetting disease to watch someone you love suffer from, so using humour would sometimes reduce its full impact.

“I really hope the idea behind this journal can help families find just a little bit of happiness during this tough time. I love how my knowledge in graphic design through my studies has given me the toolkit to design material to potentially help those who are struggling.”

Claire’s project, along with many others, is currently on display at Edinburgh Napier’s 2023 Degree Show as its Merchiston campus. The show, which is an annual celebration of talent from its School of Arts and Creative Industries, until 8pm on 1 June.

More information on the show can be found at www.napier.ac.uk/degreeshow.

Higher Education Strike: Support workers on the picket lines

Higher Education workers have had enough of poverty pay while senior management take 6 figures plus expenses!

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During this cost of greed crisis a 3% rise is an insult. We are demanding a real pay rise of RPI+2%!

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Pickets tomorrow and Wednesday, get along to support!

Cycling Friendly Campus Award for Edinburgh Napier

University praised for commitment to encouraging cycling to and from campus 

Edinburgh Napier University’s commitment to getting more staff and students cycling to campus has been recognised with a top award from Scotland’s national cycling organisation.

The University’s Merchiston campus has received a Cycling Friendly Campus Award from Cycling Scotland in recognition of the support Edinburgh Napier offers to its cycling community.

Presented during the University’s Sustainable Travel Fair at Merchiston this week, the award – which is delivered with funding from Transport Scotland – sees Merchiston join Edinburgh Napier’s Sighthill campus in being accredited. The University also holds a gold Health Working Lives Accreditation.

The University’s Merchiston campus provides 100 bicycle storage spaces, with 14% of staff based at the campus using their bikes to get to and from work – 4% more than the 2020 vision of 10% set by Cycling Action Plan for Scotland.

Merchiston campus shows the highest number of staff and students travelling on foot and by bicycle out of the University’s three main campuses.

Overall, 66.8% of Edinburgh Napier staff and students either cycle, walk or take public transport when travelling to the University – something that Edinburgh Napier is committed to improving even further in the months ahead.

Kerry Dewar, Director of People and Services at Edinburgh Napier, said: “We are delighted to receive this award and would like to thank all of our staff and students who have shown a commitment towards sustainable travel.

“We hope to build on this by continuing to support our cycle to work agenda and aim to have even more people cycle to work in the future.”

Jamie Pearson, Environmental Sustainability Manager, said: “The support we receive from organisations such as Cycling Scotland is absolutely fantastic. Their resources and funding help the University to identify and develop better facilities on campus for current prospective cyclists.

“We will use the recommendations highlighted within the assessment to work with our community and plan our next steps. Thank you to everyone at the University that has contributed towards gaining this award.”

Cycling Scotland’s Valentin Jeanjean, who delivered the award, said: “With two-thirds of Edinburgh Napier students and staff travelling by bike, on foot or by using public transport, the University has worked hard to support its community to make sustainable transport choices.

“Having installed cycle storage, ran promotional events over the last four years and developed successful partnerships with external organisations such as Sustrans and Bike for Refugees, to name just a few, we’re very pleased to recognise the University with this well-deserved Cycling Friendly Campus Award.”

The award for Merchiston campus was received as Edinburgh Napier launched its 2020 Travel Survey at its Sustainable Travel Fair.

Guests from Sustrans, Lothian Buses, Edinburgh Trams, Police Scotland and Just Eat Cycles (Edinburgh’s Cycle Hire Scheme), joined staff and students with travel information and advice across all three campuses, with free bike advice and sustainable smoothies also available to attendees.

The Edinburgh Napier Travel Survey looks at travel behaviour by asking how people get to University and to meetings. It gives the participants a chance to comment on their journeys and what factors influence their travel choices.

The University will use its results to determine how best it can support and encourage more sustainable travel. The insight gained also helps it feed into public infrastructure consultations alongside calculating its carbon impact as a University.

The last survey was conducted in 2017 and had over 2000 responses. More information on Edinburgh Napier’s 2020 Travel Survey can be found here.

The Cycling Friendly Campus Award is run by Cycling Scotland with funding from Transport Scotland and recognises exemplar projects from Scotland’s college and university campuses where cycling is a real and accessible part of campus life.

Campuses can register to become a Cycling Friendly Campus at www.cycling.scot