Thomas Lane reportsHidden away in a small courtyard within Manchester Metropolitan University is a slip of a building that seeks to redefine how we think about low carbon construction. Measuring just 70m2, this single-storey project is one of the first to be benchmarked against the new net zero carbon building standard (NZCBS). This is intended to account for lower carbon building materials being developed, increased energy efficiency and better energy management. The Robotics Living Lab, as this building is called, is a pilot project for the NZCBS. “The opportunity to use a native UK timber was something really important to us even if that’s just to highlight that the UK timber industry needs to step up to meet demand,” he says.