Susan Roaf (born 20 October 1958) is a British architect, scholar and Professor of Architectural Engineering at

Heriot-Watt University Heriot-Watt University ( gd, Oilthigh Heriot-Watt) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and subsequently granted univ ...

in Edinburgh since 2005. She is best known for her work on "adapting buildings and cities for climate change."

Biography

Born in Malaysia, Roaf obtained her first degree in architecture in 1975 at the Manchester University, followed by her diploma in architecture at the Architectural Association in London in 1978. In 1989 she obtained her PhD at

Oxford Brookes University Oxford Brookes University (formerly known as Oxford Polytechnic (United Kingdom), Polytechnic) is a public university, public university in Oxford, England. It is a new university, having received university status through the Further and High ...

with a thesis on the Windcatchers of Yazd in Iran.Susan Roaf profile
at Research Gateway. Accessed 30.01.2015. After graduating Roaf lectured in Technology and Design at Oxford Brookes but moved to the

in Edinburgh in 2005 where she was appointed Professor of Architectural Engineering. She is also visiting professor at the Open University and

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...

. She has practiced for a number of years on the design of housing, schools, hospitals and town planning. In 1995, 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, 5 m² 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. Roaf served in Oxford City Council from 2001 until 2008, serving for the Liberal Democrats.

Selected publications

* Beamon, Sylvia P., and Susan Roaf. ''The ice-houses of Britain.'' Routledge, 1990. * Susan Roaf and Mary Hancock (eds.)
Energy Efficient Building: A Design Guide
'' Halsted Press (1992) * Susan Roaf. ''Ecohouse 2'', Architectural Press 2nd Edition (31 Jul 2003) * Roaf, Susan, David Crichton, and Fergus Nicol. ''Adapting buildings and cities for climate change: a 21st century survival guide.'' Routledge, 2009. Articles, a selection: * Nicol, Fergus, and Susan Roaf. "Pioneering new indoor temperature standards: the Pakistan project." Energy and Buildings 23.3 (1996): 169–174.

References

External links

at Research Gateway. {{DEFAULTSORT:Roaf, Susan 1958 births Living people Sustainability advocates Malaysian women writers Councillors in Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats (UK) councillors Farabi International Award recipients Women councillors in England