The CIRS research agenda is ambitious, bold, and focused on one big question: what if human activity could improve environment quality, rather than detract from it?
The many answers to this query form the basis of the CIRS research program, which studies the significant potential that exists to build truly sustainable structures in urban settings that enrich their surroundings and create healthy, balanced communities.
Using CIRS and its inhabitants as the key subjects of study, researchers from various disciplines work collaboratively to explore the sustainable technologies, tools and approaches being applied in the new CIRS building, designed to be the most innovative high-performance building in North America.
The pursuit of sustainability solutions at CIRS is categorized into three distinct research areas, which aim to address some of the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges.
Research Visual Burnaby Corridor Low-carbon simulation.jpg)
Research activities are conducted by a team of researchers and graduate students from various... Launch
Research area focusing on strategies to influence policy and facilitate the adoption of sustainable... Launch
Research area exploring the transition from constructing green buildings to creating sustainable... Launch
Research
Research Overview
CIRS studies the performance gap between sustainable development, design and construction theory and application when humans enter the equation.
Sustainable Building Design and Operation
This research area focuses on environmentally sustainable building design processes and the performance of building operation technologies, systems and strategies, and explores how to replicate sustainable buildings to create whole communities.
Tools for Modeling, Visualization and Community Engagement
With two interconnected topics at its core - modeling and simulation tool development and user and community engagement - this research area explores how new technologies can help humans to become more engaged citizens, and create socially sustainable communities.
Policy Analysis and Strategy
This emerging research area at CIRS explores the ways to make the sustainability agenda a priority for policymakers and governments at the local and regional levels and beyond.
Publications
Sharing our research findings is a priority at CIRS. The Publications section serves as an archive for sustainability research related to the CIRS research agenda.
Publications by Author
Featured Publications
Elsevier,
(2004)
369–384
Abstract
The paper reviews how the concept of sustainable development has played out in industrialized countries since 1987. It examines the theory and practice of sustainable development in the context of three criticisms (it is vague, attracts hypocrites and fosters delusions), and...
Wiley Online Library,
(2010)
697–717
