An industrywide survey has revealed low carbon composition and greater sustainability were the key factors for customers when specifying building products. The poll, which garnered responses from nearly 400 representatives from across the construction sector, was created to coincide with the launch of Futurebuild 2023. The responses were
Showcasing the technologies that will enable the built environment to reach net zero The construction industry is one of the oldest and largest sectors in the world and plays a vital role in industrial, social and economic development. Despite its importance, the industry still uses traditional building techniques and materials
James Latham, distributor of timber, panels and decorative surfaces (stand D55), today unveils its Futurebuild (March 1-3, Excel) activity which will showcase a suite of timber-based, sustainable construction and interiors options. James Latham’s stand will be subject to a “take-over” from Kiss House, the innovative homes company, and Passivhaus offsite-manufacturer.
Sustainable built environment event Futurebuild has launched the keynote stage programmes for its 2022 event. From March 1 to 3 2022, the seminar programme, which takes place throughout the show across two stages, will give visitors practical advice on how to act on climate change. The Futurebuild 2022 exhibition will
Practical advice on achieving COP26 objectives The built environment has been given twelve months to turn climate pledges into significant action to limit temperature rises to 1.5°C. To encourage transformational change, Futurebuild, the sustainable built environment event, has announced its 2022 conference programme. Now that COP26 has established what we
A call to action for all pioneers and disruptors The term sustainable development was first coined in Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report, published by the United Nations in 1987. The report defined the term as ‘the ability to meet the needs of all people in the
Following the last highly successful collaboration, sustainable built environment event Futurebuild has once again enlisted the support of offsite construction experts from Cogent Consulting and Explore Offsite. The companies will collaborate to ensure the most innovative and advanced offsite systems and solutions are on show at the 2022 event. Taking
Because we don’t want the pandemic to result in lost time in the fight against climate change, Futurebuild is launching The Lost Sessions. The series of webinars will take place from March 2 to March 4, the original planned dates for the physical Futurebuild 2021 show and will identify the
How we can transform the construction industry According to a report by Atkins, 95 per cent of senior decision makers in infrastructure businesses believe that digital innovation will be increasingly important after the current COVID crisis. Here Martin Hurn, event director at built environment event Futurebuild, explores the changes in
~ How companies can make the most of the Green Homes Grant ~ To achieve net zero targets by 2050 the government must invest up to £70 billion in the built environment each year — that is enough money to run three and a half Olympic games every year between now
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
An industrywide survey has revealed low carbon composition and greater sustainability were the key factors for customers when specifying building products. The poll, which garnered responses from nearly 400 representatives from across the construction sector, was created to coincide with the launch of Futurebuild 2023. The responses were among discussion points at an exclusive industry event, ‘Role of Specification in Meeting Net Zero’, which was held at the EDGE Showroom in London to promote next year’s Futurebuild – the premier showcase for product innovation in the construction industry. Designed to gain insights into people’s appetite for innovation in the building sector, the survey showed most respondents (61.5%) believed ‘resistance to switch from traditional technologies,’ was the main barrier to developing smarter, cleaner working practices. Martin Hurn, Futurebuild’s Event Director and host of the launch event that included presentations from a panel of building industry experts, said: “From my point of view, the take away from this fantastic event was the need for the building supply chain to come together and take a stand for a better built environment. The time for road maps is over. We need to take action now to really drive the built environment towards the government’s net zero goal.” Speakers at the Futurebuild launch event included Dr Gavin Dunn, CABE CEO and chair for Future Homes Standards; Dr Oliver Jones, Research Director, Ryder Architecture; Chaline Church, Founding Partner for 540 World; and Duncan Baker-Brown, Director at Baker-Brown Studio. The expert panel fielded questions from a host of specially-invited attendees from across the building sector. The findings from Futurebuild’s innovation survey proved a key discussion point, along with issues such as the Future Homes Standard, building material reuse and the circular economy.Poll respondents included input from senior architects, local government employees, housebuilders, manufacturers and contractors. Other results revealed most respondents (60%) were actively sourcing new innovations in renewables such as solar PV panels, heat pumps and biomass heating systems, as a way of achieving greater sustainability. In terms of developing clean technologies, 67% of respondents felt that government support was necessary to the process. By way of a conclusion to the panel’s discussion, it was agreed that better engagement between manufacturers, architects and specifiers was key to innovating products that led to a more sustainable built environment. “We’re all on a journey to achieving the government’s net zero goal by 2050,” Martin Hurn continued. “I believe forums, such as the one we provided for industry delegates are a vital part of that journey. The solutions exist within the supply chain to create a better built environment. It’s now about giving those innovative brands the platform to really showcase their products, solutions and innovations. Futurebuild 2023 will be that platform.” To download Futurebuild’s ‘Barriers of Specifying Innovation’ survey and view the full results, click here
Showcasing the technologies that will enable the built environment to reach net zero The construction industry is one of the oldest and largest sectors in the world and plays a vital role in industrial, social and economic development. Despite its importance, the industry still uses traditional building techniques and materials that often gives it a reputation of being slow to innovate. Here, Martin Hurn, event director at sustainable built environment event Futurebuild, explains why this is not the case. In November 2021, COP26 established that we must limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees. Around 40 per cent of global CO2 emissions come from constructing, heating, cooling and demolishing buildings — so innovation in this sector is important now more than ever to reduce the construction industry’s carbon footprint. Innovating the industry doesn’t require futuristic technology that hasn’t been invented yet — it requires us to create change by thinking differently or using technology to solve existing problems in new ways. There are some forward-thinking businesses who are already developing the materials, products and services that are changing the built environment. The innovation trail at Futurebuild 2022 will showcase the companies who already have the tangible solutions that may solve the common challenges that the construction industry faces. The innovation trail Futurebuild’s innovation trail features a range of materials, products and technologies. 540 WORLD, for example, will showcase a variety of Cradle to Cradle Certified® materials including Accoya, a gold certified wood produced from a fast-growing pine. It’s more sustainable to produce than traditional hardwood, is anti-fungus and anti-mildew and does not require sanding or coating, which can be a drain on resources. Drainage and surface water management systems specialist ACO will showcase its new Habitat Matters Mapping System. The new system was developed as part of ACO’s Habitat Matters campaign, which aims to reverse the impact the built environment has had on the natural world. The mapping system is a free tool that enables users to create a digital twin for the habitats and built environment asset they have designed, constructed or simply observed. The public can contribute to Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) monitoring and record keeping and begin to understand how materials and buildings benefit the habitats around them. Aico, a European market leader in high-quality alarms, aims to address the needs of social landlords and their residents with new HomeLINK Environmental Sensors. The sensors are designed to create better maintained, healthier, more energy efficient homes, by monitoring temperature, humidity and CO2. Worcester Bosch is the UK leader in domestic boiler and renewable technologies. At Futurebuild 2022 Worcester Bosch will showcase its award-winning hydrogen-ready boiler prototype. The boiler can run on natural gas until hydrogen becomes readily available, saving costs all round and enabling homeowners to future proof for when they can switch to hydrogen. C-Probe Systems will showcase its LoCem® Modular Anode Unit (MAU) — an impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) component that can be attached directly to steel reinforcement in-situ or in the precast factory prior to pouring the concrete. Operators can use the system for repair, protection and monitoring of structural performance, removing future disruption through sustainable futureproofing tracking service life for whole life performance online. At Futurebuild, The Concrete Centre will showcase Concrete Futures — a mix of physical exhibits and case studies that demonstrate how concrete is evolving and innovating to save carbon now and in the future. Visitors can access practical guidance on low carbon concrete, efficient design with concrete and find out how the sector will achieve net zero cement and concrete. INTU Your Home reimagines everyday items, advanced technology to create the essential products for modern homes. Its INTU Evolution hot water taps, for example, are designed with safety, sustainability and speed in mind. The tap systems are not pressurised, which means quicker installation, less damage to the kitchen and reduced energy and water consumption over time. James Latham, one of the UK’s largest independent trade distributors of timber, panels and decorative surfaces, has worked with the BioComposites Centre at Bangor University to develop a carbon calculator. The calculator publishes both the carbon footprint and embodied carbon values of its timber products, enabling specifiers, architects and designers to make more informed decisions when selecting materials. Kensa Contracting is an award-winning specialist delivery partner and contractor for communal heating with district ground source heat pumps. Kensa’s networked Shoebox ground source heat pump solution will inspire the change needed to propel the construction industry to net zero and help equip new homes with low-carbon heating. Standards organisation MCS certifies low-carbon products and installations used to domestically produce electricity and heat from renewable sources. Futurebuild visitors will see how MCS is shaping the way that low-carbon domestic renewables heat and power our homes, setting the standard for home-grown energy, giving consumers confidence in the vast array of technology available to them. Construction management software provider Procore connects information and teams on one powerful and easy-to-use purpose-built platform. The platform provides full visibility, enabling users to understand exactly what’s going on across the project, make more informed decisions and improve operations, giving stakeholders confidence in their ability to deliver the project on time. While the industry has a reputation for being slow to innovate, it is clear that there are pioneering industries who are already inspiring change in the built environment. The innovation trail at Futurebuild 2022 will demonstrate that by using the technology already at our disposal, the built environment can become more advanced, efficient and sustainable. Visitors can also attend Futurebuild’s new Innovation Stage, sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, which will host live sessions from the Innovation Partners across the three days. To visit the innovation trail at Futurebuild 2022, register for the event for free here.
James Latham, distributor of timber, panels and decorative surfaces (stand D55), today unveils its Futurebuild (March 1-3, Excel) activity which will showcase a suite of timber-based, sustainable construction and interiors options. James Latham’s stand will be subject to a “take-over” from Kiss House, the innovative homes company, and Passivhaus offsite-manufacturer. Central to the experience will be two 3 x 3 x 3 m sections from the Kiss House residential construction system which visitors can explore in their own time, and that will double as a seminar space. Bespoke tours will be available of this innovative and sustainable building system which has the potential to improve the quality and performance of residential housing. Experts will be on hand to outline the latest sustainable developments in timber and surfacing. The panel of specialists will include manufacturers Accsys Technologies and WISA along with Kiss House designers. In addition, the James Latham team will be on hand to showcase its innovative carbon impact calculator. Both carbon footprint and biogenic carbon content are now shown on key James Latham documentation such as quotations, delivery notes and invoices, meaning users can fully understand the carbon impact of the products they choose. The distributor will also be celebrating some of the most exciting, sustainable surfacing and timber options on the market, including: Accoya – a FSC modified timber, developed by Accsys Technologies, with properties that match those of the best tropical hardwoods Finish Line Cladding Collection – a Latham’s exclusive with 12 unique colour options including the highly contemporary Slate Grey, Apricot and Charcoal finishes WISA Birch Premium Plywood – made from Finnish Birch this offers a beautiful light look with good strength properties, it’s a good base for lacquering, varnishing and staining Garnica Ultralight Poplar Plywood – an ultralight sandwich panel with XPS core, made from 100% European poplar from sustainable plantations. Its light-coloured faces and premium quality internal sheets make it ideal for painting and laminating/film coating. Garnica Duraply Poplar Plywood Panels – these offer exceptional durability due to an innovative ply-to-ply treatment which delivers fungi and insect resistance even under the most adverse weather conditions. The panel’s core and faces are made from sustainable European poplar. This is a Marine Plywood alternative with a great environmental story Valchromat MDF panels – engineered coloured wood, a wood fibre panel which is coloured throughout and offers high physical performance. The fibres are individually impregnated with organic dyes and chemically bonded by specifically developed resins. Commenting on James Latham’s Futurebuild experience, Stuart Devoil, Group Head of Marketing, says “The climate crisis is the biggest challenge facing us, and so we’re using Futurebuild to focus on three key things. Firstly, sustainable innovation, with Kiss House bringing to life just what is possible to achieve on the low carbon front using timber to create wonderful homes. Secondly, we’re celebrating the very real materials innovation that is afoot within timber and surfacing. Lastly, to build more sustainably, data is absolutely fundamental and so we’re using Futurebuild as a way to introduce our carbon calculator to visitors.” He added, “We wanted to collaborate with Kiss House as its broadly wood-based solution uses several grades of timber to produce high-quality, very-low embodied carbon homes. This perfectly illustrates how important timber will be in ensuring a sustainable built-environment, along with how this most traditional of materials is increasingly being used as a lynchpin element to very real innovation.” You can find James Latham at stand D55. The distributor is also part of the Futurebuild Innovation trail which consists of 14 specially selected, future-focused exhibitors.
Sustainable built environment event Futurebuild has launched the keynote stage programmes for its 2022 event. From March 1 to 3 2022, the seminar programme, which takes place throughout the show across two stages, will give visitors practical advice on how to act on climate change. The Futurebuild 2022 exhibition will be curated into six sections: buildings, energy, critical infrastructure, interiors, offsite and resourceful materials. Leading innovators and disruptors in each area will provide game-changing solutions that will address the challenges currently facing the built environment. Futurebuild’s Keynote Stage programme will also focus on these same issues, providing visitors with advice and guidance. The leading partners and associations will curate the sessions and educate visitors about how they can propel the industry to net-zero. “The daily sessions on each of the stages will share the latest thinking and research, to educate, inform and inspire visitors to make a positive change,” explained Martin Hurn, event director at Futurebuild. “By inviting pioneers in sustainability to share their success stories, visitors have the opportunity to understand how they can implement changes at scale to ensure a sustainable built environment.” If industry is to meet net zero commitments and limit global warming, it must start delivering net zero buildings now. The Buildings programme, sponsored by Procore features sessions from leading industry partners such as RIBA and Passivhaus. These sessions will explore topics that will accelerate the delivery of zero carbon buildings, looking at challenges when building new homes, successful Passivhaus projects, new policies and building a roadmap for construction’s digital transformation. Critical Infrastructure, sponsored by ACO, underpins everything that makes our cities work for us — energy, water supply, transport, green infrastructure, support for biodiversity, education and, most importantly, adapting cities to be more resilient to the impacts of climate change. The Critical Infrastructure programme, in partnership with industry leaders, such as Landscape Institute, Urban Design Group and the Trees and Design Action Group, focuses on these elements and how all must operate effectively together. Visitors can attend sessions on topics such as responding to the climate emergency, putting the high street at the heart of the community and the importance of street design. The Energy programme, sponsored by Kensa Heat Pumps, unites all professionals engaged in designing, specifying, supplying and installing products and services in the energy sector. The programme features sessions from leading industry partners, such as MCS, who will review the Government’s heating of domestic buildings strategy and a session from BEIS that explores hydrogen as an option for domestic heating. The final session in the Energy programme, curated by the Innovation Gateway, explores how the HEATzero action group is leading the UK’s net zero heat transition. The Interiors programme will focus on health and well-being in building design, materials, build and use and includes sessions curated by CIBSE and 540 WORLD. The sessions will present the latest research and case studies that demonstrate the benefits of supporting health and wellbeing inside buildings. Topics include creating a circular economy in the lighting industry, the first UK Cradle to Cradle certified materials and sustainable sourcing for interior design. The Offsite programme will explore the use of offsite technology to construct a better, more sustainable environment. A session curated by MPBA will explore volumetric manufactured building and how a confused construction chain could slow progression. AIMCH will share the key outcomes of its three-year innovation project to tackle key challenges facing the housing sector and how it could transform how we build homes. Materials are key to sustainability — by switching to greener materials in construction and interiors, lifetime emissions for buildings can be reduced by 44 per cent by 2050. The Resourceful Materials programme, sponsored by Covestro, explores material efficiency. Topics include net zero and natural materials, optimising the use of concrete and 540 WORLD provides an insight into waste-free innovations created for a healthy regenerative future. Net zero pioneer Futurebuild brings together the brightest minds, the disruptive thinkers and most exciting innovators to inspire transformational change in the industry. As well as its seminar stages, visitors can attend the conference programme and see the latest innovations from over 300 exhibitors. To find the full keynote speaker programme, visit www.futurebuild.co.uk/keynote-stages-day-one/. Register for Futurebuild 2022 here.
Practical advice on achieving COP26 objectives The built environment has been given twelve months to turn climate pledges into significant action to limit temperature rises to 1.5°C. To encourage transformational change, Futurebuild, the sustainable built environment event, has announced its 2022 conference programme. Now that COP26 has established what we need to do, the sessions at the conference will explore how to make the necessary changes at scale to take the industry from ambition to net zero. From March 1 to 3 at ExCeL London, the Futurebuild 2022 conference, sponsored by the Construction Innovation Hub, will explore some of the key questions and issues to close the gap between net zero ambition and delivery. It invites panels of industry experts to share their experience and put forward proposals on eleven selected topics, including an action programme beyond COP26, the regulation of embodied carbon, resource efficiency, financial considerations, levelling up and retrofitting. The first session on day one focuses on action plans — Beyond COP 26: our action programme.The physical impacts of climate change that we are already experiencing highlight the need for developing long-term resilience at the same time as reducing emissions, restoring natural resources and biodiversity, ensuring a sustainable food supply and recognising the impacts of climate change on human health and wellbeing. This session will focus on the actions that the UK construction industry will be taking – starting now. “There is no simple, off the shelf solution to reaching net zero, but there is a growing understanding of what needs to be done,” explained Shaun Spiers, executive director at Green Alliance and chair of the Beyond COP26 arena session. “There is an almost universal recognition that we must aim to limit global heating. The next year will give us a much clearer idea of whether the outcomes of COP26 can shift the course of the world’s economy or whether it was ‘blah blah blah’.” “We have had a difficult and uncertain time since Futurebuild 2020 and the impact of the pandemic and the opportunities and urgencies for COP26 have been explored in a number of webinars during this time,” explained Sue James, Edge member, “As our thoughts turn to COP27, we have clearly established what we need to do and must now focus on how to do it at scale’. The opportunities to change are here, do we have the courage to act on them? On days two and three, the 2022 conference programme topics include raising aspirations — leading by example to make change happen, resolving energy supply and demand and living in a sustainable relationship with nature. In each session a panel of experts will explore the key questions and issues to help the built environment sector take the action needed for us to achieve 100 per cent net zero emissions by 2050. The programme will conclude with a conversation between architect, Peter Clegg and engineer, Hanif Kara, and Hattie Hartman of the Architects’ Journal on the future of building design in our climate and ecologically challenged world. To find out the full conference programme and list of speakers for Futurebuild 2022, visit www.futurebuild.co.uk/conference-programme-overview/. Don’t forget to register for the event here.
A call to action for all pioneers and disruptors The term sustainable development was first coined in Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report, published by the United Nations in 1987. The report defined the term as ‘the ability to meet the needs of all people in the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own’. Over 30 years later, sustainability is a critical issue that we are still grappling with. So, what’s different this time? Who can we learn from? And what kind of future do we want to shape? Here Martin Hurn, event director at net zero pioneer Futurebuild joins Oliver Jones, research director at international design practice Ryder Architecture to discuss the challenge and the ambitious plans to address it. The built environment industry has talked about sustainability for decades, yet in reality, progress has been slow. “The cold hard truth of the matter is that efforts for our industry to become more sustainable generally failed because sustainability was a choice,” explained Jones. “Our net zero targets are now written in law, they are an obligation and the effects of not acting are becoming more evident as each day passes.” The UK Government’s ambitious goal for net zero by 2050 means that our industry is legally obliged to eliminate emissions, creating not only a driver to change the industry, but also an economic impetus. “Claims are coming thick and fast from many businesses that they have already delivered net zero,” continued Jones. “But the holy grail, truly net zero buildings that don’t rely on offsets are scarce — to my knowledge we are yet to realise a truly net zero building without relying heavily on offsets. Worse still, we are starting to see some wild claims and corporate chicanery when it comes to net zero claims”. “In order to deliver on net zero and accelerate our progress our industry must take action to transform itself, focus on sharing knowledge, learning from one another but most importantly learning from other sectors who are facing the same challenges. An overly competitive mindset will stifle progress and innovation, it’s time for cross sector collaboration to take centre stage”. More than net zero Its relatively simple to produce a highly insulated building to reduce operational energy, but it becomes much more complex when we factor in reducing embodied carbon and creating high quality environments that promote health and wellbeing. In taking a whole life approach to net zero we are depending on developing sustainable advanced materials and designing for disassembly and reuse to also become commonplace. “We’re at a crossroads between three competing disruptors to our sector, technology (both digital and manufacturing in the form of modern methods of construction), the climate emergency and a renewed focus on public health,” argued Jones. “We cannot focus on one challenge — sustainability in its truest sense is about more than just net zero. It requires a well-defined, holistic approach; digital technologies to monitor and measure performance and progress and an emphasis on delivering high quality environments that promote health and wellbeing of building occupants. Net zero is really just one part of the puzzle — we need a much more holistic approach to sustainability.” Instead of focusing solely on net zero, our industry must consider how it can deliver high quality environments that embrace technology to reduce carbon emissions, optimise building performance and improve occupant health. A force for change We have a definitive deadline to meet net zero targets, so the industry must now move away from tinkering with and redefining definitions and focus on the practicalities of delivering net zero, sharing lessons learnt and delivering an actionable strategy. Cop26 was a welcome line in the sand to set out the actions that the industry must take. “We know that designing net zero buildings is possible without offsets,” continued Jones. “Let’s begin to put this into practice. It will involve better alignment of the supply chain, standards, guidance and funding. But the key to this for me, is research led design that embraces advanced materials and the latest innovations while working hand in hand with material testing and certification that can inform developing standards to get advanced material innovations safely on site and into our buildings faster. This requires a much more integrated supply chain. To me, addressing these key challenges for the future begins with identifying the players in the market, mapping that supply chain and innovation ecosystem to help us better share knowledge and collaborate. “I have seen people start with what they think is the solution time and time again, focusing on a particular renewable energy strategy or extolling the superiority of one type of MMC over another. In reality it is the supply chain that is often overlooked when creating strategies and roadmaps to sustainability. Supply chains massively impact our efforts and ability to deliver net zero buildings. You can design the greatest solution in the world, but if you do not understand the limitations of the local supply chain, deliverability will be impacted, which impacts tight programmes and leads to reactive behaviours. Proposed solutions become open for interpretation or worse still, an inevitable victim of value engineering. We must embrace innovative supply chain partners and work closely with them to develop more value focussed integrated supply chains,” continued Jones. Collaborative mindset A recurring challenge is that the construction industry operates in silos. However, it is encouraging that the climate emergency has galvanised so many likeminded businesses and great thinkers. It is a global challenge that affects every sector, and we are beginning to realise the massive opportunities that exist if we start to look outside of our own industry and across other sectors to share knowledge and transfer innovative approaches. As a sector we are not where we need to be yet. We can’t rely on the same old players, employing the same old methods with a green veneer to deliver net zero buildings. Things need drastically shaking up and
Following the last highly successful collaboration, sustainable built environment event Futurebuild has once again enlisted the support of offsite construction experts from Cogent Consulting and Explore Offsite. The companies will collaborate to ensure the most innovative and advanced offsite systems and solutions are on show at the 2022 event. Taking place at ExCeL London from March 1 – 3, Futurebuild is the sustainable built environment event that will bring together those who are driving transformational change in the offsite arena by taking factory manufacture and prefabrication to the next level. As the construction industry looks to eliminate emissions, precision factory-controlled methods, products and systems are creating some of the most efficient and sustainable developments in the UK today. Offsite manufacturing removes much of the building process from the construction site, leading to efficiency, productivity and environmental benefits. As publishers of Offsite Magazine and Offsite Hub and organisers of Offsite Expo and Offsite Awards — the Explore Offsite team will partner with Futurebuild to give visitors a comprehensive and contemporary perspective of this rapidly evolving sector. The event will play host to the leading UK and international offsite manufacturers and component suppliers showcasing a broad spectrum of panelised, volumetric modular, pod and prefabricated MEP solutions. Futurebuild 2022’s accompanying world-class knowledge programme will also feature thought leaders from all aspects of the offsite arena. Leading partners including AIMCH, BRE, MPA British Precast, MPBA and LSFA will present sessions that will cover best practice and explore the use of offsite technology to effectively construct a better and more sustainable environment. “Futurebuild champions a sustainable built environment by cultivating cross sector collaboration and working with experts in their field, such as Cogent Consulting and Explore Offsite,” explained Martin Hurn event director at Futurebuild. “Offsite construction will be a key player in reducing emissions, delivering more sustainable structures and helping us to reach net zero goals. This partnership will enable us to accelerate change, giving visitors the opportunity to interact with these game-changing technologies and processes.” “Partnering with Futurebuild enables us to increase the built environment sector’s understanding of the benefits of offsite construction,” explained Darren Richards, managing director of Cogent Consulting. “Offsite manufacturing a build reduces time on site, waste, transportation and energy usage, making offsite the most sustainable way to build. We’re excited to showcase the latest developments in offsite technology at Futurebuild to accelerate our industry’s journey to net zero.” Taking place from March 1 – 3 2022, Futurebuild will connect specifiers, decision makers and disruptors with major brands and start-ups, attracting over 20,000 senior professionals from across the built environment. As the home of innovation, the event is the perfect opportunity for the industry to meet and collaborate, to achieve the transformational change needed if the built environment is going to reach net zero. To discover more about the offsite section in partnership with Cogent Consulting and Explore Offsite, visit www.futurebuild.co.uk/offsite/. Register for Futurebuild 2022 here.
Because we don’t want the pandemic to result in lost time in the fight against climate change, Futurebuild is launching The Lost Sessions. The series of webinars will take place from March 2 to March 4, the original planned dates for the physical Futurebuild 2021 show and will identify the actions needed to achieve net zero. In partnership with the Edge, The Lost Sessions: Positioning ourselves for COP26 and beyond – a plan for the built and natural environment will take place from 12:00pm to 1:15pm each day. Each webinar in the series will explore the key issues the industry must address to trigger systemic change and create a plan for the future of the natural and built environment. “We’ve held Futurebuild’s renowned conference every March for the past 15 years — we couldn’t leave it a whole year without delivering the high-level content you’d usually find centre stage,” explained Martin Hurn, event director of Futurebuild. “Although the next physical event will not take place until 2022, we cannot wait until then to take action. The Government has declared its aim to build back better and to reduce our emissions by 68 per cent by 2030. To do so, we must act now. The Lost Sessions are a new platform for built environment experts to share their advice with the industry and create an action plan to prepare the UK for COP26 and beyond.” Each webinar in the series will focus on one of the most important issues facing the industry. The first webinar, Learning for the future – biodiversity and net zero as standard — will explore the future of built environment education so that future students will have the knowledge and skills to adapt the built and natural environment for the future. The second webinar — Putting nature at the heart of decision making — will explore the role of the construction industry in protecting the natural environment and identify actions needed for systemic change. The third and final webinar — Construction led action for net zero — will explore how the industry can respond to the climate challenge and put plans for net zero into action. To find out more about the speakers and topics in The Lost Sessions series and to register for each event for free, visit www.futurebuild.co.uk.
How we can transform the construction industry According to a report by Atkins, 95 per cent of senior decision makers in infrastructure businesses believe that digital innovation will be increasingly important after the current COVID crisis. Here Martin Hurn, event director at built environment event Futurebuild, explores the changes in mindset, skills and systems we need before we can fully embrace digital innovation and navigate a transformation in the sector. There is no question that technology has transformed, and will continue to transform, businesses across a variety of industry sectors. The construction industry, in particular, has witnessed rapid upheaval over the past decade and digital technologies, such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), have unlocked unprecedented opportunities for growth. In 2020, the industry faced new challenges and many businesses had to implement new technologies and processes, from platforms such as Microsoft Teams to Augmented Reality (AR) technology, quickly to continue collaborating. As we explore what the world beyond the pandemic will look like, we have an opportunity to start making more changes — ones that will completely transform the industry. Mindset Company culture and skills are as important as tools when planning a journey to digitalisation. Everyone in the industry has a responsibility to transform and embrace change — unless we adopt a new digital mindset, we won’t be able to fully transform. “Transformation is not just about digitising existing processes — we need to disrupt and find better ways of doing things,” explains David Philp, Impact Director for Digital at the Construction Innovation Hub. “Businesses need to ask themselves about how to deliver better value, make a bigger impact and create better experiences for end users and society.” People Digital transformation isn’t just about technology — we also need the skills to use it to its full potential. The construction sector can level up in digital skills and knowledge by attracting new skilled workers, such as data scientists, to the industry as well as upskilling the current workforce. “The construction industry requires T-shaped people,” continues Philp. “The horizontal represents the breadth of knowledge we need to use data and technology across an asset’s lifecycle. The vertical represents the expertise someone has in a particular discipline. The adaptability of T-shaped people can help lay the foundations for a more resilient and technologically advanced industry.” Data management Over the past few years, the introduction of a national BIM framework and standards such as ISO 19650-3 have allowed businesses to improve the information management and operational management of assets. Now that we’ve got the basics right, we should use the data we collect to drive projects further. “Linking data from different sources, such as BIM, geospatial data, building control systems, sensors and project management data, can help us to better understand the performance of an asset throughout its life,” explains Philp. “Properly integrating tools and data, keeping them up to date can help improve data insight so that we can make better decisions during operational management of assets or projects. Taking care to integrate these tools also ensures accurate data collection without duplication that can be easily shared and interpreted.” The coronavirus pandemic did not start a digital transformation in the built environment — we were already innovating our processes. However, it did give some businesses the nudge needed to embrace change, as 76 per cent of respondents to the Atkins survey believe that the sector will not emerge from COVID-19 the same. So, let’s use what we’ve learnt during this time as an opportunity to change our mindset, skills and systems to start a digital transformation. Do you want to find out more about the digital innovations that could transform the industry? In December we’re hosting Game Changers Live — a digital event where we’ll showcase eight digital innovations in the industry. For more information about attending, visit www.futurebuild.co.uk.
~ How companies can make the most of the Green Homes Grant ~ To achieve net zero targets by 2050 the government must invest up to £70 billion in the built environment each year — that is enough money to run three and a half Olympic games every year between now and 2050. The Green Homes Grant is one of the Government funding initiatives to reduce emissions by encouraging homeowners to invest in energy efficiency while creating new jobs in the sector. Here, Martin Hurn, event director at net zero pioneer Futurebuild, speaks to Ian Rippin, CEO of Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) Certification and David Pierpoint, founder of The Retrofit Academy and Osmosis Consult to understand how to use Government funding effectively and ensure lasting change in the retrofitting industry. Retrofitting and renovating existing homes is one of the best ways to tackle fuel poverty, reduce energy waste and put the UK back on track to meet its 2050 target. Existing buildings currently account for 34 per cent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. That is why the Chancellor announced a £3.05 billion retrofitting investment, as part of the Green Homes Grant. Hopefully, in autumn, further funding will be announced during the Conservative’s comprehensive spending review. Consumers investing correctly £1.5 billion of the Green Homes Grant funding is allocated to homeowners themselves. Anyone that wants to upgrade their home to improve energy efficiency can apply for vouchers of up to £10,000 per household. While this funding can significantly reduce the upfront installation cost, consumers should seek expertise from retrofit experts to ensure they use the money to make the most valuable changes, both in terms of energy saving and sustainability. Engaging with consumers about sustainable solutions will also enable long-term investment and growth of sustainable industries. “UK households could save £7.5 billion a year on energy bills, money that could be reinvested into the recovering economy and announce a new age of low carbon retrofit, lasting 30 years,” stated Pierpoint. “To achieve net zero, consumers must be educated about energy efficiency and what will make the largest difference. After the Grant, the industry should work with the Government to further invest in consumer education to increase awareness about energy efficiency and the positive impact it can have on people’s lives.” Companies using funding effectively The Government’s investment in the environmental sector gives firms an opportunity to invest in technologies and people to improve productivity and profits. However, with the grant scheme only expected to last six months, companies should consider how they can maintain this growth. “Companies can provide high quality work by investing in staff training and achieving MCS certification,” explained Rippin. “We know that consumers are proactively looking for an installer that is certified and holds a quality mark because they can trust their quality of work and commitment to consumer care. Additionally, to receive grant money from the Government, homeowners must use an MCS certified contractor to install their renewable system.” Moving forwards The Green Homes Grant will create thousands of jobs, encourage economic growth in the construction industry and help homeowners to reduce energy usage in an affordable way. While these are all positive changes, we also need to look at how Government and industry can work together to continue making significant improvements in sustainability. “The Government needs to invest in renewable energy apprenticeships and the wider industry to attract more people into careers,” stated Rippin. “Investing in future generations will ensure high-quality tradespeople enter the retrofitting and renewable energy industries and maintain quality standards.” The Green Homes Grant will help us get closer to our goal of net zero by 2050, but it is only a small portion of the £70 billion we need. If the industry uses this grant to invest in attracting more people to work in retrofitting, gaining certification and educating consumers about energy efficiency, we can encourage the Government to provide further, long-term support to become a net zero nation. If you want to see innovative retrofitting processes in person, or showcase a technology you’ve developed, register your interest in Futurebuild 2021 on our website https://www.futurebuild.co.uk.
