Sustainable living lab
A Living Lab for
Climate-Resilient
Urban Futures
The Climate Resilient Test House (CRTH) is an interdisciplinary research project at the University of Nottingham China.
It aims to establish a renewable energy-integrated test house with indoor farming facilities, creating a real-world platform for sustainable living, experiential learning and climate action.
CRTH brings together renewable energy, indoor farming, climate resilience and sustainability education in one experimental house. Designed as a Living Lab, it enables students, researchers, community stakeholders and industry collaborators to co-create and test solutions for future urban living.
Cities are increasingly exposed to interconnected sustainability challenges, including extreme heat, urban heat island effects, energy demand and food security risks. Future buildings needs to do more than reduce energy consumption; they must also support climate adaptation, local food production and public engagement with sustainable behaviour.
The Climate Resilient Test House responds to these challenges by creating an experimental environment where renewable energy systems, indoor planting facilities and climate-resilient stratigies can be tested, demonstrated and improved in real conditions.
By integrating building performance, food production,low-carbon energy and digital research tools, the project provides a visible and measurable platform for exploring sustainable urban development.
Fesibility & Co-design
Cross-campus collaboration
Feasibility study
Planning
Concept co-design
System Design & Construction
Renewable energy system design
Test house construction
PV system procurement
HVAC & indoor farming integration
Installation, Monitoring & Publication
Indoor climate sensor installation
Indoor farming facilities
System testing & monitoring
Experimental findings and publication
Digital twin & Remote Experiment
Digital twin modelling
Remote experiment platform
Simulation & optimisation