Winner of the 2020 Flemming Bligaard Award

The first ever winner of the Flemming Bligaard Award is a researcher who wants to provoke the industry and push ideas about what’s possible and not possible. UK architect and researcher Colin Rose receives the 65,000 EUR award for his research into secondary cross-laminated timber.

Dr Colin M. Rose

Dr Colin M. Rose, Architect and Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London (UCL)
 
Doctor of Engineering, urban sustainability and resilience, 2019, UCL
 
Master of Research (Distinction), urban sustainability and resilience, 2014, UCL
 
RIBA/ARB Certificate in Professional Practice, architecture (RIBA Part 3), 2009, Cambridge
 
Bachelor of Architecture (Hons) (Distinction), architecture (RIBA Part 2), 2006, Cardiff
 
Bachelor of Arts (Hons), architecture (RIBA Part 1), 2003, University of Cambridge

UCL Impact Award for his work on Engineering the System of cross-laminated secondary timber.
Outstanding Contribution Award at SCMT5 Conference for a paper, Feasibility of CLST.
Colin on LinkedIn

 
In June, former CEO for Ramboll Flemming Bligaard Pedersen stepped down as chair for the Ramboll Foundation. To honour Flemming’s accomplishments in his 44 years of serving Ramboll and the Ramboll Foundation, the Ramboll Foundation has established the Flemming Bligaard Award. This year, the award funds goes to a researcher working with Circular Economy in the built environment.

This year’s winner is Dr Colin M Rose who will do research into secondary timber in his role as a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London – UCL.

On a mission to replace concrete with recycled timber

 For the Foundation, Colin’s ultimate ambition to help the industry bring down emissions, is something to support. The Board’s motivation reads: 

“The aim of Colin’s research is to replace concrete and steel with pieces of compressed secondary timber, also known as cross-laminated secondary timber (CLST). Colin proposes an action research approach to be adopted, in which theoretical and lab-based investigations are interspersed with a live demonstration project and engagement with practitioners. This iterative process can accelerate learning, bring together a network of collaborators, and exchange knowledge from research to practitioners and vice versa”. 

Colin Rose and his research

Colin Rose became a Doctor of Engineering, urban sustainability and resilience, 2019, from the UCL and this is where he will continue his research with the funds provided by the Ramboll Foundation. In his application, Colin writes:

-“My doctoral research began to explore a solution for timber: its reuse as part of cross-laminated
secondary timber (CLST). The Award will allow me to take the next steps in demonstrating the technical and economic viability of CLST, while exploring the wider application of this approach to materials through collaboration with industry.”