Environment and Sustainability Institute

Resources and facilities

The Environment and Sustainability Institute, which opened in 2013, was made possible by funding from the European Regional Development Fund Convergence Programme and the South West Regional Development Agency. Whilst much of our research and activities are national or international in scope, we ensure that Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are at the heart of our endeavours. We are proud to contribute to the environmental, educational and economic futures of Cornish communities. 

Our building

The ESI has been designed to BREEAM ‘Outstanding’, the highest classification of  one of the world's foremost environmental assessment methods and rating system for buildings. Its score in this category was 91.57%; this was exceeded, after completion, by the score gained at the post construction stage (PCS), which was 94.33% 

The award-winning ESI boasts  highly-resourced laboratories; a large research hall and dedicated workshop; a creative studio; eight Controlled Temperature (CT) rooms; a variety of work areas and meeting rooms; and a cafe, conference and social space in a central interactive area. The conscious integration of different types of spaces within a single building encourages informal discussions between researchers and visitors, and facilitates genuine interdisciplinary collaboration. 

Environmental features

  • Recycled plastic void formers in the floor structures minimised the quantity of concrete required in the building frame 
  • Triple glazed windows provide ultra-high levels of insulation and minimal air permeability 
    “Kalwall” panels used in some areas to provide ambient daylight whilst maintaining the insulation values of solid walls
  • A bespoke integrated absorption chiller, water-cooled heat rejection and ‘coolth tank’ system minimises the electrical demand of the CT rooms
  • A North Light harnesses and funnels natural light into work areas on the ground floor 
  • A 35,000ltr rainwater harvesting tank stores ‘grey water’ for use in the Institute’s toilets
  • Bright, light, open-plan work areas reduce the need for artificial lighting
  • On-site generation, via 250m2 of solar panels, meets just under a quarter of the ESI’s daily power needs.

Guides to the ESI building

Detailed guide: An outstanding building - a BREEAM case study 
Short guide: ESI: An outstanding building and facilities 

Facilities

Our research facilities and equipment span a range of sectors and disciplines and allow us to carry out cutting-edge environmental research. Below are the facilities available to our staff and students that can be used as part of collaborative research projects with businesses.

DroneLab

The ESI DroneLab has been operational for over 10 years, delivering research and practical solutions for drone surveying of ecological systems. Our surveying capability is supported by a fleet of lightweight camera- and specialised sensor-equipped drones. We combine drone survey flights with expert ground-support using field validation methodologies which we have developed and refined to generate high quality photogrammetric and multispectral products.  We have a high accuracy differential GPS to support registration of data and access to a specialised computing and software to enable rapid data processing. 

Some drone papers:  

LabRover

Landrover car with red cross

The LabRover is a unique facility providing a flexible and mobile field-laboratory, in support of a range of terrestrial ecology and geography research areas based on the Penryn campus. The LabRover is based on an ex-MOD Land Rover Defender 130 Battlefield Ambulance, incorporating modular units that permit easy conversion for specific needs.  Being 4-wheel drive and fitted with a self-rescue winch, it is well suited to remote field situations.  It has been effectively used as a radar operation control vehicle in harmonic radar studies of social bee foraging and orientation behaviour, as well as a mobile shelter for observation hives, and associated electronic and AV monitoring equipment, during studies of behaviour in isolated landscapes.  It also provides an essential mobile laboratory for collection of field samples where rapid processing and safe storage is key. 

Meeting rooms

ESI meeting room

The ESI’s Richard Trevithick room on the ground floor, is an ideal space for hosting meetings and events for collaborative projects with businesses and stakeholders. With a projector and hybrid facilities, the space is perfect for board meetings, workshops and guest speakers. The room can accommodate 22 people in a boardroom layout and 40 in a seminar layout. It can be split into 3 smaller room if needed, each seating 8 people. The ESI café and interactive space is just around the corner from this meeting room. 

The ESI has two other meetings rooms: Elizabeth Carne and Davies Gilbert. They are both on the first floor, accommodating 6 – 8 people and offer hybrid facilities. 

More information about the meeting rooms and their booking in the Staff area.

ESI Café

Cafe in the ESI buiding

Located on the ground floor of the Environmental Sustainability Institute, our sustainable café serves Fairtrade Peros espresso-based coffee and teas, and light snacks including vegetarian soup, a selection of sandwiches, salad boxes and cakes.  

The café is open Monday to Friday during term-time and is ideal for small meetings or hosting visitors. Sustainability is very important to us, which is why we use local produce and Fairtrade whenever possible. View our 2020 successful ESI cafe Sustainability initiatives.

Laboratories

Laboratory benches

To be updated soon.

Resources

Details about our research, facilities, collaborations and the way we work are included in our growing range of web-based, electronic and print resources.  This section of our website will expand as our work develops so please check back regularly.

 

If you would like any of our resources in a different format, please contact esienquiries@exeter.ac.uk

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