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National Retrofit Conference to accelerate the retrofit skills gap

Opinion Piece National Retrofit Conference to accelerate the retrofit skills gap Opinion piece by Derek Harrocks, founder and chair of the National Home Decarbonisation Group With The National Retrofit Conference set to create the roadmap that will lead the retrofitting industry, Derek Horrocks, founder and chair of the National Home Decarbonisation Group, a key partner […]

AT Awards 2023

Opinion Piece What is a Building Safety Case? Opinion piece by Allan Binns, Safety Director, Ryder Architecture In preparation for changes to the Building Safety Act, the safety team at Ryder Architecture partnered with their digital counterparts and Ryder sister company BIM Academy, for a unique collaboration on safety and digital strategies to support ‘accountable persons’ […]

What is a Building Safety Case?

Opinion Piece What is a Building Safety Case? Opinion piece by Allan Binns, Safety Director, Ryder Architecture In preparation for changes to the Building Safety Act, the safety team at Ryder Architecture partnered with their digital counterparts and Ryder sister company BIM Academy, for a unique collaboration on safety and digital strategies to support ‘accountable persons’ […]

Taking a Stand for Better Buildings

Opinion Piece What do we need to change to make better use of our digital twins? Opinion piece by Rebecca De Cicco, Principal– Digital Enablement, Aurecon & Global Chair, Women in BIM  A Grenfell Tower tragedy survivor only realised the 24-storey building was on fire when they heard fire engines arrive. The building’s lack of […]

Greenwashing – what’s true, what’s not, and does it matter?

Opinion Piece Greenwashing – what’s true, what’s not, and does it matter? Opinion piece by Charlie Martin, Co-Founder at The Anti-Greenwash Charter Earlier this month, The Anti-Greenwash Charter carried out an industry-wide survey with Futurebuild. The survey report – ‘Greenwashing – what’s true, what’s not, and does it matter?’ – includes data on how greenwashing […]

What do we need to change to make better use of our digital twins?

Opinion Piece What do we need to change to make better use of our digital twins? Opinion piece by Rebecca De Cicco, Principal– Digital Enablement, Aurecon & Global Chair, Women in BIM  A Grenfell Tower tragedy survivor only realised the 24-storey building was on fire when they heard fire engines arrive. The building’s lack of […]

Why is the reuse of construction materials and products so important?

Opinion Piece Why is the reuse of construction materials and products so important? Opinion piece by Debbie Ward, Reuse/ Circular Economy from Alliance of Sustainable Building Products Looking at the bigger, biggest, picture, we are not in great shape. Our world has finite resources and we have been using, are using and will continue to […]

Welcome to Death Valley

Opinion Piece Welcome to Death Valley Opinion piece by Dr Olli Jones, Head of Sustainability & Innovation, Cundall What is the death valley curve? In the process of technological innovation there is something called the “valley of death”. In the innovation of new products and technologies, we typically see an early buoyant, even jubilant peak […]

Embracing Ground Source Heat Pumps: A Climate Win We Can’t Ignore

Opinion Piece Embracing Ground Source Heat Pumps: A Climate Win We Can’t Ignore Opinion piece by Ken Gordon, Chief Executive Officer of Ground Source Heat Pumping Association (GSHPA)  As the global community grapples with the urgency of climate change, one technology stands out as a promising solution in the fight against greenhouse gas emissions – […]

How to close digital skills gaps

Opinion Piece How to close digital skills gaps Opinion piece by Rebecca De Cicco, Global Chair and Founder of Women in BIM, and Principal for Digital Enablement at Aurecon. Digital impacts everything we do from the homes we live in to the roads we travel on and the places in which we work. The construction industry […]

Why we must all work together for trees

Opinion Piece Why we must all work together for trees An opinion piece by Sue James and Keith Sacre, Trees and Design Action Group ‘Working in collaboration for better places’ and ‘Working together for trees’ are long-standing aims of the Trees and Design Action Group. The evidence-based environmental, social, and economic benefits of trees have […]

Fast Labs: Accelerating Lab Deployment for the Bio-Revolution

Opinion Piece Fast Labs: Accelerating Lab Deployment for the Bio-Revolution An opinion piece by Alastair Powell, Director, Bryden Wood. The Bio-Revolution The ‘bio-revolution’ is a term used to describe the recent and rapid advancement in the life sciences, brought about due to a convergence in major scientific breakthroughs and maturing technologies, including AI, automation, and […]

Why now is the time to ‘take a lead’

Opinion Piece Why now is the time to ‘take a lead’ An opinion piece by Adrian Catchpole, CEng FCIBSE, CIBSE President We are faced with an urgent need to bridge the engineering skills gap internationally. It is no secret that the demand for skilled professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is rapidly […]

Circular construction is a degenerative design option, unless we specify harm-free materials first

Opinion Piece Circular construction is a degenerative design option, unless we specify harm-free materials first An opinion piece by Chaline Church, Founding Partner, 540 WORLD As regenerative design consultants, we have concluded that the links critically missing from many conversations around circular design and building ‘sustainably’, is full stakeholder integration and secondly, and vitally, what […]

Net Zero Pioneer special: 60 seconds with Hanson

Opinion Piece Net Zero Pioneer special: 60 seconds with Hanson Hanson Concrete is committed to reaching net zero by 2050. Looking specifically at concrete, what are you doing to achieve this? Approximately 90% of the CO2 in a cubic metre of typical 35 MPa CEM I concrete comes from Portland cement. While we are investing […]

Building Capacity for Climate Action: Adopting the Climate Framework

Opinion Piece Building Capacity for Climate Action: Adopting the Climate Framework An opinion by Mina Hasman, RIBA, ARB, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, BREEAM AP, Sustainability Director, SOM & Climate Framework Initiative Lead. The built environment and construction industry, as well as associated professional and educational bodies are showing a momentous culture shift, reporting much […]

CIOB launches new digital resources for construction clients

Opinion Piece CIOB launches new digital resources for construction clients Being a construction client isn’t just about creating the right building for the right price within the right timeframe. It is also an opportunity to solve some of the biggest economic, ethical and ecological problems we face today. Construction clients play a pivotal role in […]

Breaking boundaries: How Futurebuild pitch winners are changing the game

Opinion Piece Breaking boundaries: How Futurebuild pitch winner are changing the game Futurebuild is one of the most exciting events in the construction industry calendar. It provides industry leaders with the chance to share expertise and knowledge and also helps start-ups and SMEs gain increased recognition for pioneering products and ingenious ideas. Two of the […]

How could the specification of materials in construction projects help the industry reach net zero carbon targets by 2050? Futurebuild asks four experts.

Opinion Piece How could the specification of materials in construction projects help the industry reach net zero carbon targets by 2050? Futurebuild asks four experts. The challenge lies in changing the culture around construction. Dr Gavin Dunn, CABE CEO and former Chair of the Future Homes Standard Working Group for the Building Regulation Advisory Committee (BRAC), […]

The WELL Equity Rating:  A Rating to Meet the Moment[KC1] 

Opinion Piece The WELL Equity Rating: A Rating to Meet the Moment An opinion piece from the International WELL Building Institute. For two years, we had been on a listening and learning tour. Every chance we had — during face-to-face interviews, over zoom meetings, via mobile calls, at facilitated roundtables at the WELL Summit, and […]

Collaboration is key if construction wants to hit net zero

Opinion Piece Collaboration is key if construction wants to hit net zero Burry Port Community Primary School, designed by Architype; © Architype David Hopkins is CEO of Timber Development UK, the leading voice for the £10bn UK Timber supply chain. A passionate campaigner for the decarbonisation of construction for over 20 years, David also sits […]

2023 Conference Programme best picks, by the EDGE

Opinion Piece 2023 Conference Programme best picks, by the EDGE The Edge conference steering group carefully considered the overall framework for the programme and no topic is included that does not make a significant contribution. Below are our personal number one picks! Day 1- 7th March Lynne Sullivan, OBE, Architect and Chair of the Good […]

TIME TO TRANSLATE THINKING INTO ACTION

Opinion Piece TIME TO TRANSLATE THINKING INTO ACTION Sara Edmonds, Coordinator at Architects Climate Action Network If your job, your livelihood, your family was under grave threat, you’d do everything you could to protect them. Wouldn’t you? As an industry, we should be well aware of the current state of climate and ecological emergency. The […]

TIME FOR INNOVATION: CUTTING-EDGE BRANDS THAT CHANGE THE CONVERSATION

Opinion Piece TIME FOR INNOVATION: CUTTING-EDGE BRANDS THAT CHANGE THE CONVERSATION Robynne Hammer, COO at Eco Design Green Environment Showroom (EDGE) Innovation is at the heart of what we do at EDGE. Finding sustainable building materials and interior products that are produced by innovative brands is what we do best, whilst connecting the general public […]

A NATIONAL RETROFIT HUB – COLLABORATION + KNOWLEDGE FIT FOR THE CHALLENGE AHEAD

Opinion Piece A NATIONAL RETROFIT HUB – COLLABORATION + KNOWLEDGE FIT FOR THE CHALLENGE AHEAD An opinion piece by Lynne Sullivan OBE RIBA, Chair of Good Homes Alliance and Chair of National Retrofit Hub Interim Board Numerous industry reports since the UK’s 2008 Climate Change Act have highlighted the challenge of buildings heating – which […]

TIME FOR CHANGE: UNLOCKING A CLEAR WORKABLE PATH TO NET ZERO

Opinion Piece TIME FOR CHANGE: UNLOCKING A CLEAR WORKABLE PATH TO NET ZERO David Partridge, Chair of Related Agent and the Net Zero Carbon Standard For many of us, achieving net zero carbon is seen as one of the most significant drivers for change in the construction industry, but we need to look beyond just […]

TAKE A STAND FOR SAFE, CIRCULAR REGENERATIVE DESIGN

Opinion Piece TAKE A STAND FOR SAFE, CIRCULAR REGENERATIVE DESIGN Chaline Church, Founding Partner of 540 WORLD The built environment has never been more aware of its environmental impact, but there remains a great, but not impossible, challenge before us all. At present, thought leadership tends to focus on reducing CO2 and some plastics, but […]

SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE AND COLLABORATE

Opinion Piece SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE AND COLLABORATE Dr Oliver Jones, Research Director at Ryder Architecture Our net zero targets are written in law which means we are legally obliged to eliminate emissions creating not only a driver to change the industry, but also an economic impetus. There’s a great deal of talk about how we […]

Net Zero Pioneer special: 60 seconds with hub.brussels

Opinion Piece Net Zero Pioneer special: 60 seconds with hub.brussels   What is ecobuild.brussels by hub.brussels and when was it established? hub.brussels, the economic development agency of the Brussels-Capital Region has a worldwide presence through its diplomatic network often within Belgian embassies around the world. Its economic expertise is organised along sectoral clusters of expertise. […]

Net Zero Pioneer special: 60 seconds with hub.brussels

Opinion Piece Net Zero Pioneer special: 60 seconds with hub.brussels Net Zero Pioneer special: 60 seconds with hub.brussels   What is ecobuild.brussels by hub.brussels and when was it established? hub.brussels, the economic development agency of the Brussels-Capital Region has a worldwide presence through its diplomatic network often within Belgian embassies around the world. Its economic […]

The built environment – How innovation can help us to achieve net zero

Opinion Piece The Built Environment – How innovation can help us to achieve net zero An opinion piece by Tim Cook and Sally Fenton, Co-Heads of the Built Innovation, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Driving forward innovation within the built environment will be vital to deliver technology and processes we need to decarbonise […]

TAKE A STAND FOR SAFE, CIRCULAR REGENERATIVE DESIGN

Opinion Piece TAKE A STAND FOR SAFE, CIRCULAR REGENERATIVE DESIGN Chaline Church, Founding Partner of 540 WORLD The built environment has never been more aware of its environmental impact, but there remains a great, but not impossible, challenge before us all. At present, thought leadership tends to focus on reducing CO2 and some plastics, but […]

Net Zero Pioneer special: 60 seconds with tepeo

Opinion Piece Net Zero Pioneer special: 60 seconds with tepeo 1. How long has tepeo been in business? I  founded tepeo in the summer of 2018 and after a few years of R&D and product development, we started selling our Zero Emission Boilers (ZEBs) at the end of 2021 2. How long before you started […]

I’m taking a stand for a place-based approach to Net Zero

Opinion Piece I’m taking a stand for a place-based approach to Net Zero Opinion piece by Emma Ashcroft, Associate Director, Cities & Regions, Carbon Trust There is no one-size fits all solution in the transition to Net Zero. The cities and regions that we live in are diverse and unique. Whether it’s for power generation, […]

Meeting our net zero ambitions will not happen with government pledges alone

Opinion Piece Meeting our net zero ambitions will not happen with government pledges alone Opinion piece by Gillian Charlesworth, CEO, BRE It’s now clearer than ever that science-based digital solutions can help many organisations make better sustainability decisions. As Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently said, “in a world where data is everywhere and statistics underpin […]

Building Safety and the Golden Thread: where does it go next?

Opinion Piece Building Safety and the Golden Thread: where does it go next? Opinion piece by Dr Melanie Robinson, Senior Digital Consultant, BIM Academy It has been almost six years since the Grenfell Tower disaster, which tragically took many lives, and as a result we have the Hackitt report which called for the introduction of […]

Scotland mandates Passivhaus equivalent legislation

Opinion Piece Scotland mandates Passivhaus equivalent legislation Opinion piece by Sarah Lewis, Research & Policy Director, Passivhaus Trust A seismic change in building standards is underway in Scotland. All new build homes in Scotland will soon have to meet greater levels of energy efficiency after the Scottish Government agreed to progress legislation proposed by Scottish Labour […]

Researching building insights

Opinion Piece Researching building insights Opinion piece by James Parker, Managing Editor, Architects’ Datafile (ADF) To keep the magazines as closely aligned as we can with our audiences’ concerns, and to bring them even richer content, we embarked on a programme of ‘Industry Viewfinder’ reader research in 2020. We’ve produced several white papers on the […]

Showcase building good practice ethos with adoption of product ID technology

Opinion Piece SHOWCASE BUILDING GOOD PRACTICE ETHOS WITH ADOPTION OF PRODUCT ID TECHNOLOGY Opinion piece by Ross Matthews, Head of Sales at BSI Identify The industry is facing many challenges and everyone will need to adapt accordingly. This adaptability is particularly pertinent to manufacturers as we rely on their innovations to help us create better […]

Celebrating 10 years of Women in BIM

Opinion Piece Celebrating 10 years of Women in BIM Rebecca De Cicco, Founder and Global Chair of Women in BIM (WIB) reflects on a decade of action to improve diversity and inclusion in the construction industry. As WIB enters its tenth year, I felt it was appropriate to reflect on the importance of the initiative and […]

Debating the future of the construction industry, how to develop and improve worker health?

Opinion Piece Debating the future of the construction industry, how to develop and improve worker health? An opinion piece by Nathan Baker, Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) In May of this year, Futurebuild in collaboration with IOM released a Construction Industry Insight report on how working practices could further develop in the […]

Working together to inspire the next generation

Opinion Piece Working together to inspire the next generation An opinion piece by Kevin Mitchell, Mott MacDonald Building Services Global, Practice Leader, CIBSE President COP27 demonstrated the scale and urgency of the action required to avoid climate catastrophe. The UN’s Emissions Gap Report 2022 states that without a dramatic transformation, the current trajectory would see […]

Climate Change – Ambition into Action is all that Matters

Opinion Piece Climate Change – Ambition into Action is all that Matters An opinion piece by Martin Baxter, Director of Policy & External Affairs/ Deputy CEO at IEMA The negotiations and discussions at COP27 in Egypt are in full flow and it’s fair to say there’s an element of both trepidation, as well as some […]

Building Safety Act 2022 receives Royal Assent: Commentary by CIAT

Opinion Piece Building Safety Act 2022 receives Royal Assent: Commentary by CIAT An opinion piece by Adam Endacott, Creative & Communications Director, Editor, Architectural Technology Journal, Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists The Building Safety Act, which is a culmination of the activities that have taken place since the Grenfell disaster in 2017, received Royal Assent […]

The city of the Future is a Forest

Opinion Piece The city of the Future is a Forest Image by: Adrià Goula An opinion piece by Joe Giddings, UK Networks Lead, Built by Nature This week saw the release of a succession of heavyweight reports from global scientific bodies warning that we are on the brink of catastrophic and irreversible global heating. The […]

The performance gap and how to overcome it

Opinion Piece The performance gap and how to overcome it An opinion piece by Keith Sacre, Urban Forestry Director, Barcham Trees One thing is certain unless the ‘performance gap’ between tree planting and healthy tree survival is closed, the anticipated and desired benefits achieved from mass tree planting is likely to be less than successful […]