Freya Wise

I have a BSC(hons) in Environmental/Earth Science from The Open University and a MLitt in War Studies from The University of Glasgow. I started my PhD with The Open University in October 2018 and I am combining these these two areas of interest though my project.

My PhD is looking at ways to reduce whole life energy and carbon emissions from heritage buildings while retaining their heritage values. I am investigating three broad areas: the whole life energy and carbon impact of different retrofit options; the acceptability of these options to heritage building residents and the energy behaviours and comfort perspectives of these residents and how this affects the current building performance.

My fieldwork is focused on the English county of Cumbria, including the Lake District National Park which has been recently inscripted as a World Heritage Site.

I am interested in sustainability and climate change mitigation with a particular focus on the built environment, energy usage reduction and renewable energy. I am particularly interested in interdisciplinary research which combines the what and how of hard science with some of the why of social science.

I am also interested in history, especially military history from ancient times through to the 18th century with a focus on naval warfare, ship design, logistics and military leadership. Military history is a product of its society, so I am also interested in how social, political and technical history intersects with military developments.