https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0346-2318
Dr Filbert Musau's past and ongoing research interests have focused on energy efficiency in buildings in the context of thermal control, daylight & natural ventilation; urban density; space planning; and more recently, embodied carbon. A related area has focused on simulation of environmental and energy performance of buildings with various software packages. He has published numerous scientific papers on these areas in the Architectural Science Review, International Journal of Ventilation; the Building and Environment Journal; the Sustainability journal; the Passive and Low Energy (PLEA) organisation; and the International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA).
Dr. Musau is actively engaged in research and consultancy partnerships with industry. He has led two international research collaborations on Indoor Environmental Quality of Housing for the Urban Poor. One between India, Kenya and UK, funded by the ODA-GCRF; and the other between Kenya and UK, funded by the British Academy. He has completed research as the Principal Investigator of four projects funded by Innovate-UK, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Innovation Vouchers, ODA, among others. In these, he has explored links between building development processes; energy and environmental performance; and occupant satisfaction. He was also the Principal Investigator of research on a Control System for Energy Reduction in Vacant Environments (ConSERVE), with support from Danfoss Ltd. and funding from Innovate-UK. He has completed several research projects funded by GSA’s Sustainability in Action Fund; GSA’s Research Development Fund; won several CIC Start Online funding competitions; won several Scottish Innovation Voucher Scheme competition calls; and the Scottish Funding Council. Completed UKRI funded research as Co-Investigator include Other past research projects explored: ‘Urban Density and Microclimate’; ‘Daylight Design in Exhibition Spaces’; ‘Façade Design for Thermal Control in Office Buildings in the Tropics’; and ‘Building Form and Natural Ventilation’.
Dr. Musau is a registered Architect and teaches courses on 'Environmental Design in Architecture' and 'Energy and Environment in buildings' across the undergraduate, diploma and graduate programmes at the Mackintosh School of Architecture (MSA). He has been a member of the faculty since 2009,and is Co-Director of the Mackintosh Environmental Architecture Research Unit (MEARU). He directs two Pathways of the Masters in Architectural studies: (i) Energy and Environment, and (ii) ZEMCH; and supervises PhD students in these subjects. He initiated, developed, and led an MSc in Environmental Architecture between 2014 and 2021.
Energy in Buildings, Carbon in Buildings, Indoor Environmental Quality, Building Occupant Health, Environmental Design in Architecture.
2021 – 2023 Musau F. (PI), Mumma A. (Co-I), Kanyiva M. (Co-I), Samson, J. (Co-I), Particulate pollution justice in low resourced settlements. Funded by the British Academy - Humanities and Social Sciences Tackling Global Challenges Programme 2020. [£49,914]
2020 – 2021 Gokay D. (PI), Musau F. (Co-I), Foster, J. (Co-I), Michelle, V. (Co-I), Design Optimisation and Prototyping for Affordable Housing. Funded by UKRI – Transforming Construction Network Plus. [£74,670]
2020 – 2020 Musau F. (PI), McGill, G. (Co-I) Environmental Quality in Homes and Children’s Health (Pilot). Funded by the
Glasgow School of Art – Research Development Fund. [£7,500]
2017 – 2020 Macdonald A. S. (PI), Chambers M. (Co-I), Laragione R. (Co-I), Musau F. (Co-I), Matthieu P. (Co-I), Wyles K, (Co-I), AMRSim: A Microbial Reality Simulator. Funded by the EPSRC – AMR Indoor and Built Environment Pump Priming Call. [£249,994]
2018 – 2018 Musau F. (PI), Mukesh K. (Co-I), Bernard M. (Co-I), & Michael G. (Co-I), Characterisation of Informal Settlements for Indoor Air Quality Monitoring. Funded by the Glasgow School of Art - GCRF ODA Fund. [£6,500]
2016 – 2016 Musau F. (PI) and Morgan C. (Co-I), Testing of retrofit options of efficient air handling units to improve ventilation in 314 Flats, Cedar Flats Garscube rd. Glasgow. Funded by the Scottish Enterprise. [£5,000]
2013 – 2015 Musau F. (PI), ECD Architects (Industry partner), Low energy retrofitting, Bowmore Distillery. Funded by the
Technology Strategy Board (Innovate-UK). [£58,000]
2012 – 2014 Musau F. (PI), ECD Architects (Industry partner), Building Performance Evaluation, Lochgelly. Funded by the Technology Strategy Board (Innovate-UK). [£63,000]
2012 – 2014 Musau F. (PI), Queens Cross Housing Association (Industry partner), Indoor environment and energy performance evaluation of Garscube road sheltered housing, Glasgow. Funded by the Technology Strategy Board (Innovate-UK). [£62,000]
2012 – 2014 Musau F. (PI), Deveci (Industry partner), Performance Evaluation of Passivhaus homes in Dunoon. Funded by the Technology Strategy Board (Innovate-UK). [£49,880
2012 – 2012 Musau F. (PI), Deveci (Industry partner), Performance Evaluation of Passivhaus homes in Dunoon (Pilot study).
Funded by the CIC Start innovation voucher scheme - Scottish Govt. and EU. [£5000]
2012 – 2012 Noguchi M. (PI), Musau F. (Co-I), PV Solar Thermal heat recovery systems. Funded by the CIC Start innovation voucher scheme - Scottish Govt. and EU. [£5000]
2012 – 2012 Musau F. (PI), Insu-flatable window retrofit blinds for Historic Buildings. Funded by the Scottish Enterprise Innovation voucher fund. [£5000]
2012 – 2012 Musau F. (PI), Sunbuster window blinds for daytime sleeping of babies & night-shift workers. Funded by the Scottish Enterprise Innovation voucher fund. [£5000]
2011 – 2011 Musau F. (PI), Sharpe T. (Co-I), Control System for Energy Reduction in vacant spaces. Funded by the Technology Strategy Board (Innovate-UK) - Energy Efficient Whitehall call. [£20,000]
Energy in Buildings, Carbon in Buildings, Indoor Environmental Quality, Building Occupant Health, Environmental Design in Architecture.
Salam Madiha:
Urban dwellings morphology and occupant’s health: Investigating Karachi’s housing structure and characteristics and their impact on health.
Dr Alejandro Moreno:
Continuous IAQ monitoring with low-cost monitors: Protocol development, performance and application in residential buildings.
2023 – current:
Sefaira software simulation (daylight and energy performance) [UG B.Arch. Year 3, and PG Dip. Arch. Year 5]
2020 – current:
Embodied Carbon in Buildings [PG Dip. Arch.]
2010 – current
1. Energy and environment lecture series - M. Arch.
2. Individual Research Paper 1 [M. Arch.
3. Research Papers 1 & 2 [M. Arch.]
4. Research Project 4 [Dip. Arch.]
2009 – current
Architectural Technology (Integration in Design Studio) [UG B.Arch. Year 3, and PG Dip. Arch. Years 4 and 5]
