Dr. João Alencastro is Lecturer in the Built Environment at the University of Plymouth, combines over 20 years of industry experience with academic expertise in construction and quality management. He is a Co-I of the Urban Microclimate-Aware Retrofitting framework for climate-resilient energy demand reduction (UMAR) project.
His research focuses on bridging construction management with sustainability, particularly addressing how quality defects undermine building energy performance. He explores digital innovation, off-site manufacturing, and project management strategies to enable low-carbon, resilient buildings. He investigates technological solutions to reduce defects and energy losses, including modern methods of construction and natural, eco-friendly materials that support greener, more efficient built environments.