Students visit William Davis Homes
Award winning housebuilder William Davis Homes has opened its doors to a group of PhD students from the UK and Ireland, studying energy and buildings.
The visit to the Loughborough-based company’s Lace Fields development in Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, gave the students the ideal opportunity to look behind the scenes and view homes in various stages of construction.
William Davis Homes Contracts Manager Russell Pitman said the development was chosen because it demonstrated every stage of a property’s construction, from excavation and concrete through to completion.
The students are starting a four year PhD focussing on energy and the built environment. They are part of a collaborative training programme for the Centre for Doctoral Training, involving Loughborough University, University College London and a number of institutions in Ireland.
Professor Kevin Lomas from Loughborough University said the visit gave the students a valuable insight into how buildings are constructed.
“The first-hand experience of seeing houses built is hugely beneficial to our students’ understanding,” he said.
“It’s important for the students to appreciate that house builders have to think about so many other things in addition to energy efficiency, like the ingress of water, fire protection and humidity control.”
Russell Pitman said the students, including some from Loughborough University, were accompanied around the site in two groups.
“As a local company, we were delighted to help when Loughborough University approached us. The students took photographs and asked a variety of interesting questions, which we were very pleased to answer,” said Russell.
Professor Lomas added: “Our site visit is one of the most interesting parts of the course. We’re very grateful to William Davis Homes for helping the next generation of building engineers and scientists.”
