Dr Karen Blay

My research interest falls under the following broad themes: Resilience in Projects, Building Information Modelling, Information Resilience, and Inclusion in the Built Environment. I am currently supervising PhD students in the area of Building Information Modelling (BIM)/Geographic Information Systems/Blockchain/Digitalisation in the Built Environment. At the undergraduate level, my supervised research areas include Information Security, Digitalisation, and Inclusion in the Built Environment. 

Current research activity

• Social Value in a Digitalised Built Environment
• Information Security in the Built Environment
• Artificial Intelligence for RAAC Monitoring
• Blockchain for Project Governance
• Digital Inclusion in the Built Environment

Recently completed research projects 

• Information Resilience in the Built Environment
• See here for additional information
• Building Information Modelling in Africa
• Digital strategies for community resilience
• The interplay between density, design, and well-being toward developing resilient cities

Kurwi, S, Demian, P, Hassan, T, Blay, K (2022) A process model for collaboration at the design stage of rail project delivery, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 148(10), 04022105, ISSN: 0733-9364. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0002355.

Blay, K, Yeomans, S, Demian, P, Murguia, D (2020) The information resilience framework: Vulnerabilities, capabilities and requirements, Journal of Data and Information Quality, 12(3), 14, ISSN: 1936-1955. DOI: 10.1145/3388786.

Blay, K, Tuuli, MM, France-Mensah, J (2019) Managing change in BIM-Level 2 projects: benefits, challenges, and opportunities, Built Environment Project and Asset Management, 9(5), pp.581-596, ISSN: 2044-124X. DOI: 10.1108/BEPAM-09-2018-0114.

Amankwaa, EF and Blay, K (2018) Cities at risk? Exploring the synergies between smartphones and everyday vulnerabilities, Cities, ISSN: 0264-2751. DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2018.06.015.

Undergraduate

• Building Information Modelling technologies
• Building Measurement
• Collaborative Design Management
• Human Resource Management
• Project Planning, Monitoring and Control
• Qualitative Research technologies
• Risk Management
• Simulations and Clash Detection

Postgraduate 

• Federated Building Information Modelling

Short courses 

• Inclusive Engineering for Project Management Institute (PMI)

Consultancy

• Cross-Government Program of the Research into Reinforced Aerated Autoclaved Concrete Plank Performance

Career 

I graduated from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with a First-Class Bachelor of Science degree in Building Technology. Prior to my degree, I completed a Hardware and Networking Professional (HNQP) and a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) certification program and studied various programming languages. I have a Master of Science degree (with Distinction) and a PhD in Construction Project Management from Loughborough University and I am a Fellow of The Higher Education Academy.

I have previously worked as a Quantity Surveyor on local and international projects and worked with diverse teams in managing Information Technology Systems and Construction Projects. I am currently researching in the areas of Socio-technical systems and Inclusion in the Built Environment. Within the school, I am the Part A tutor for the Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying Program, a member of the Wellbeing Committee and I assist on the Athena SWAN Charter.

Professional affiliations

• FHEA
• ACM
• AMASCE

External activities

• Co-chair of European Council on Computing in Construction (EC³) Summer School
• Member of the BIM4Health Task Group
• Reviewer for the BIM Dictionary Project
• External Examiner for the MSc BIM Management & Integrated Digital Delivery program- Middlesex University
• Scientific Committee Member of the Association of Researchers in Construction Management (ARCOM)
• Research Committee member of the BIM Africa initiative

Key collaborators

My research and enterprise activities are conducted with a range of academic and stakeholder partners, including:

• Association for Project Management
• Center for Digital Built Britain