Project Ideas: Campus Housing

What unique barriers do students face to divert waste while in residences? Does this change by different types of buildings? What are opportunities to reduce those barriers?

Many of the University of Waterloo's campus buildings were built at a time when insulation, air sealing, and thermal bridging were not major concerns. Consequently, these buildings are not optimal for saving energy and are a large source of greenhouse gas emissions. How can we improve these buildings by prioritizing high-performance building envelopes?

Many buildings and rooms at the University of Waterloo are not performing at the level they were designed to operate at. Recommissioning involves identifying and addressing systems that are not operating at optimal levels and considering how these systems interact to affect overall performance. Which rooms on campus require the greatest improvement and how can we determine this?

Canadians have some of the highest personal water footprints in the world. At the University of Waterloo, water is heated using natural gas and therefore contributes to our total operational emissions. Since students are the main users of campus showers, how can we promote the importance of reducing shower duration among the student population?