The Exemplar Sustainable Building Awards (ESBAs) were established by the Passivhaus Trust (PHT) and the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP), in partnership with the Sustainable Development Foundation (SDF), to mark two decades of advancing sustainable construction in the UK. This one-off, evidence-based benchmark honours the technical rigor, policy influence, and collaborative momentum of our community over the past 20 years, while spotlighting today’s high-performance projects to influence future delivery. With the accelerating climate crisis, it is time to amplify those achievements and connect them into something more cohesive, visible, and influential. Futurebuild has consistently championed bold ideas, technical leadership, and actionable solutions. Their support for these awards signals an aligned mission: to accelerate progress through real-world performance.

“We didn’t want to create just another industry awards – we wanted to create a milestone showing how far the leading players in the industry have come, and which the whole sector could learn from.”

The awards emphasise measured, not predicted, performance, and catalyse the sector’s shift from compliance to measurable outcomes. As Chair of the Passivhaus Trust board and a judge for these awards, I’ve had the privilege of reviewing an inspiring cross-section of the industry’s best, being delivered at all scales. I’ve been delivering Passivhaus projects for over 15 years, starting with the UK’s first multi-residential certified scheme for Exeter City Council. Since then, I’ve seen first-hand how high-performance buildings transform lives, and these awards reinforce just how far that movement has come.

Raising the bar:
This awards scheme is demanding & data driven. Grounded in the SDF’s 10 sustainability indicators, the judging framework cut across disciplines. The finalists represent the current leading edge of sustainable building in the UK. Delivering operational energy, embodied carbon, with occupant health & wellbeing at the core is exceptionally challenging. Yet these truly outstanding teams have excelled in multiple categories. I was impressed with the detail & robust performance data provided. That level of transparency is essential in tackling some of the systemic challenges faced in construction today, such as closing the performance gap, and minimising overheating.

• Occupant comfort & health: Mandatory reporting of winter and summer performance – projects were asked for monitored indoor air quality, thermal comfort analysis, and overheating risk mitigation.
• Operational energy: Projects exemplify advanced modelling workflows (PHPP, TM54) and interdisciplinary procurement strategies to actualise zero carbon pathways. Overall energy use, running costs, post-occupancy feedback, and building service strategies were provided.
• Embodied carbon: Finalists had to disclose construction specifications and full life-cycle carbon metrics from materials to operation – meeting LETI and RIBA guidance on whole-life carbon assessment.

These exciting & impactful schemes are not just technically outstanding, they have demonstrated wider social impact, skills & delivery innovation, and pay consideration to costs & resilience – under varying climatic conditions, particularly pertinent in a cost of living crisis and rising fuel poverty.

Delve into the case studies not only for technical data, but insights into design decisions, delivery processes, materials, trade-offs, and lived experience. This is practical, replicable, real-world learning, and it’s open to all.

You may recognize some of the older schemes such as the Entopia Building retrofit or the UEA Enterprise Centre that are still performing well and continue to exceed current standards, making them even more impressive in my eyes! With continued collaboration, the application of emerging technologies, and data-driven delivery models, the trajectory for the next 20 years of sustainable building is encouragingly promising.

Spotlighting success stories:
Exemplars matter because we urgently need trustworthy, replicable models providing proof that sustainable building is not just possible – it’s happening now. The UK has committed to net zero by 2050, yet progress in decarbonising the built environment remains fragmented. Too often, the most innovative work is hidden away in silos or one-off pilot schemes. As judges, we’ve seen how the application process encouraged deep reflection. We’ve seen entrants reflect on their own delivery and reconnect with post-occupancy data. We’ve seen new relationships form between organisations that now realise they share the same goals.

It’s fascinating to explore such a range of solutions & standards, including Passivhaus, AECB Retrofit, Well Standards & more. I’ve enjoyed learning about the transformative initiatives, platforming training, tools, and components.

Deliberately designed as a one-time initiative & not as another annual calendar entry – these anniversary awards acts as a landmark event that captures and elevates what leading teams are doing today in the UK right now, across sectors & scales.

This initiative does celebrate high performance outliners, but more importantly it’s about sharing the how. The shortlist shows how rigorous procurement, and joined-up delivery can result in spaces that are resilient, healthy, affordable, and replicable. We also know the market is hungry for this. Forward-thinking clients, local authorities, and developers are increasingly looking for solutions that align with net zero pathways & ESG reporting, circular economy principles, and are good long-term investments with positive legacies.

“We’re not just handing out trophies. We’re handing over tools for change.”

Your Invitation
To all finalists: Thank you for your generosity and precision in sharing. You’ve shown that we can build better, now. To everyone working across the built environment – this is your moment to engage. Whether you’re part of a shortlisted project, considering how to apply similar thinking to your next build, or looking to connect with others delivering truly sustainable outcomes, these awards are your platform.

We invite you to explore the finalists, read the data, absorb the insights, and ask: how can I apply this? Who can I collaborate with? What can I do better, today? Whether you’re designing buildings, commissioning them, regulating them, or living in them, your role is essential.

The Exemplar Sustainable Buildings Awards aren’t just about buildings. They’re about people coming together to share what they know, push what’s possible, and build a better future. This is a one-off initiative, but we want them to have lasting influence. We’ll also push for greater transparency and verification in performance data, supporting the shift toward measured outcomes over predicted models.

https://esba.uk