This session is ideal for anyone working in the construction industry who is looking for a concise, easy-to-understand introduction to the key issues surrounding sustainable building practices before exploring more specific technical topics.    

Included in this comprehensive overview:  

• Global issues & essential definitions   
• National issues including key legislation  
• The Whole House Approach  
• Key principles of moisture movement, airtightness, indoor air quality, ventilation and overheating  
• Key issues relating to heat loss:  
• Solid wall insulation; IWI & EWI   
• Roof and floor insulation  
• Thermal mass  
• Windows, doors & heritage issues  
• Low Carbon Technologies  
• Interior finishes, well-being & healthy buildings  
• Reducing water use  
• Materials and reducing waste  

Our standard sessions are one hour. For longer sessions, please contact us.

There is extensive information – and legislation – around operational energy but we are still specifying and installing building materials with high whole life carbon.   

The construction industry is becoming more effective at reducing the operational energy of buildings and therefore the whole life carbon as a proportion of a building project increases.  

This session will explain how all members of the design team can play their part in reducing the environmental impact of building materials and will cover:  

• Clarification of terms such as embodied carbon, embodied energy and whole life carbon  
• The five stages of Lifecycle Analyses (LCAs)  
• The cradle-to-grave, cradle-to-gate and cradle-to-cradle approaches  
• Closing the loop and reducing waste in construction  
• An overview of some alternatives to high environmental impact materials and products (samples available when delivered in person)  
• Using window frame materials to test the effectiveness of LCAs  

Our standard sessions are one hour. For longer sessions, please contact us.

The art and science of building physics is a term that describes an understanding of how buildings respond to moisture, heat, light and air movement. This concept, together with the Whole House Approach, looks at buildings in a holistic way and how one measure can affect other measures. By bringing together all the key aspects of building physics we can build safely, healthily and sustainably.  

However, sometimes the terms used can be a bit mysterious…what’s the difference between a breathable and a hygroscopic building material for example?  

These terms – and some of the science behind them –will be explained:  

• The Whole House Approach  
• Fabric first  
• Breathability  
• Hygroscopicity  
• Moisture risk in buildings 
• Ventilation strategies  
• Airtightness  
• Heat loss  
• Interstitial condensation  
• Avoiding unintended consequences  
• Appropriate building materials  

Our standard sessions are one hour. For longer sessions, please contact us.

The construction industry has for many years understood that adequate ventilation in buildings is essential for human health and to maintain indoor air quality (IAQ). 

Fortunately this is finally being recognised as an important issue and there has been significant coverage in the media due to some tragic outcomes because of poor IAQ. 

In this overview session our speakers will explain why it is so important to understand the need for ventilation and some of the methods that are used today. 

Topics covered: 

• Why do we need to ventilate 
• System types 
• Impact of Energy Efficiency measures on existing buildings 
• Relevant legislation including PAS 2035 
• Requirements to meet Part F and PAS2035 
• Brief overview of MVHR and MEV in Retrofit

Our standard sessions are one hour. For longer sessions, please contact us.

There is energy – and therefore carbon emissions – associated with both hot and cold water usage in buildings.   

Power showers, high flush WCs and older taps can use much more water at the point of use than is necessary. Fortunately, there are many simple solutions, many of which are described in this session which will cover: 

• Why it is so important to reduce the use of mains water  
• The options for heating hot water using low carbon solutions  
• What rainwater can be used for in buildings and landscapes  
• Water efficiency solutions for WCs and showers  
• The technical details of a solar thermal system  
• How to recover heat from waste water  
• The benefits of rain gardens  

Our standard sessions are one hour. For longer sessions, please contact us.

Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) are an important built environment solution in both new-build and retrofit situations as the intensification of climate change causes an increasing number of extreme rainfall events in the UK as well as worldwide. The increasing intensity and duration of rain events threatens to overwhelm the UK’s drainage systems and the ability of SuDS to attenuate, treat and dispose of stormwater run-off from a site without resorting to hard engineering solutions plays an important part in mitigating the damaging effects that are caused.   

SuDS provide biodiversity as well as reducing the impact of stormwater on the local environment through a variety of different design solutions, including source solutions such as green roofs, permeable paving rainwater harvesting and raingardens, and conveyance and infiltration devices such as swales, detention basins and balancing ponds.  

This talk is an introduction to SuDS solutions looking at best practice examples from the UK and abroad. Since not all solutions are suitable to all scenarios this session can be modified to match the core projects undertaken by your company.  

Our standard sessions are one hour. For longer sessions, please contact us.

This interactive workshop introduces the core plumbing issues that architects and other construction professionals involved in building services need to consider when designing domestic and small commercial buildings.  

Delegates will learn the different options for cold water, hot water and heating, the advantages and disadvantages of each, how they interact with each other or with existing systems if in a refurbishment situation.  

Materials choices, costs issues, ease of installation, where they fit into a sustainable strategy and how they interact with renewables are all covered through guided learning and group work. 

The session will address questions such as: 

• Do you know the difference between direct and indirect cold water supplies and which one would be more suitable in any given situation?  
• Are you confident in specifying the optimal type of hot water solution for your client taking into account installation and running costs?  
• Do you know the most sustainable plumbing materials to specify?  

Our standard sessions are one hour. For longer sessions, please contact us.

A healthy interior environment can reduce the environmental impact of the interior design choices (interior finishes, lighting, furniture and furnishings) and provides comfortable conditions that contribute to the wellbeing of the occupants.  

This session will outline some of the health implications – such as sick building syndrome, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, asthma and other allergy-related diseases – of some commonly used building materials.  

The talk will discuss how alternative paint & flooring products, daylight, ventilation and heating controls can not only minimize the impact on the environment (such as embodied energy), help to promote good health for the occupants but also increase productivity and well-being.  

Our standard sessions are one hour. For longer sessions, please contact us.

The proportion of the UK renewables share of electricity generation has risen steeply in the past few years (from 25% in 2016 to nearly 50% in 2022) and this level of generation is set to increase even further in the future.   

Consumer demand for low carbon and renewable technologies has significantly increased over the past few years due to awareness of the climate emergency and the carbon emissions that fossil fuels generate. To date, the most popular technologies have been solar thermal and photovoltaic panels but some energy systems that have previously not been considered low carbon options as they rely on electricity – such as heat pumps – are seeing a rise in popularity as electricity in the UK is increasingly generated by renewables.  

This session will distinguish between low carbon technologies and renewable energy technologies; take a look at the pros and cons of the main technologies available including the technical aspects of some of the main systems and review Government incentives past, present and future such as the Renewable Heat incentive and the Feed-In Tariff.  

Our standard sessions are one hour. For longer sessions, please contact us.

A Shift to Credibility: Certify Your Buildings as Net Zero

In this session, delegates will learn about what Net Zero in construction and operation means and how to formally certify them. The speakers will explain what needs to be measured – and by what means – to overcome any typical challenges so that you can certify your building’s Net Zero pathway.

The Devil’s in the Detail: Climate Resilience in Buildings

This CPD will explain some of the most important – and relevant – definitions of climate resilience so that delegates can understand and evaluate their building assets, risks and opportunities.

Joining the Many Dots: Sustainability for Planning

In addition to national planning policies, each local authority will have their own sustainable building guidelines and requirements which can be confusing. This CPD will help delegates navigate the sustainability policy landscape and overcome the challenge of integrating the outputs required for a successful application.

Whole Life Carbon in Buildings: From Holistic to Realistic

Sometimes embodied carbon, embodied energy and whole life carbon are used interchangeably but it is the latter that looks at the holistic picture. Discover the nuances of circularity studies and understand the ins and outs of designing for resilience so you can maximise your building’s circularity.

Real Estate ESG: Delivering Tangible Impact

ESG – Environmental, Social and Governance – is a set of standards measuring a business’s impact on society, the environment and how transparent and accountable it is. In this session, the speakers will explain what is necessary for a strong ESG strategy in real estate, including building resilient assets, reducing Value at Risk of properties and meeting key regulatory requirements.