Similarly, the operation of existing non-domestic buildings is responsible for 23% of built environment emissions. Retrofitting our existing buildings without adversely increasing embodied carbon emissions is a key challenge we need to address in our transition to net zero. Our How Circular Economy Principles can impact carbon and value report explored the opportunities circular economy design principles can offer to reduce whole life carbon, and how this can be valued in built assets.

To bring to life the opportunities and lessons learned from a recent pilot project that explored this challenge, UKGBC is hosting a site tour of CISL’s Entopia building – a case study featured in our report last year, targeting WELL Gold rating, BREEAM Outstanding, and EnerPHit Classic. 

Being joined by ISG and Architype the tour will include presentations from the design and delivery teams outlining the range of sustainability interventions introduced and key lessons learned, followed by post-tour refreshments and networking. 

Why attend? 

• Deepen understanding of how to retrofit non-residential buildings and minimise embodied carbon impacts
• Raise awareness of the value of circular design principles and whole life carbon reductions
• Explore solutions, challenges and lessons learned first-hand from the design and delivery teams
• Network with fellow built environment professionals

Who should attend? 

Built environment professionals focused on the retrofit and/or the fit-out of commercial buildings who are looking to include circular design principles in their work and reduce whole life carbon emissions. 

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Hosted by School of the Wild, this half-day experiential workshop will explore approaches to boosting biodiversity in the built environment using by using processes and design ideas inspired by the natural world.

Alongside the climate crisis, we face an ecological crisis in which biodiversity in the UK is under severe and urgent threat. With 50% of the UK’s economy linked to nature and the UK, one of the most biodiversity depleted countries in the world, restoring our natural environments is critical to building our future green economy.

From November 2023, incoming Biodiversity and Environmental Net Gain legislation will mandate a 10% biodiversity net gain on all new development. For all built environment professionals in the UK, this creates a responsibility to ensure that any new development or refurbishment is designed to not only preserve nature, but also enhance it. In addition, nature-positive solutions can build more resilient environments, tackle the climate crisis, and improve people’s lives, health and wellbeing. 

To empower the industry with the knowledge and skills to embrace and exceed the 10% biodiversity uplift in all new developments, we are pleased to offer this immersive learning opportunity. 

About the session

Through extended time outdoors and inspired by nature itself, you’ll explore new ways of thinking and discover practical solutions that can encourage far greater biodiversity whilst playing to your architectural strengths.

Why attend  

• Understand the relationship between biodiversity, climate and our built environment
• Explore tangible and practical ideas and concepts that you can take away and share
• Develop a greater appreciation of the value of nature
• Draw inspiration from natural processes
• Boost creative thinking and consider new ways of building
• Make connections with peers and like minds, grow your network

Who should attend? 

This workshop is relevant to anybody with an interest in incorporating natural systems into urban design and planning, no matter your level of expertise. 

Gold Leaf members can attend this course for free using one of their complimentary learning and development places.

For more information please contact  us.

Workshop facilitators  

Nigel Berman, Founder, School of the Wild
Nigel is founder and CEO of School of the Wild, a company that brings businesses and organisations into nature to think differently. An experienced facilitator, Nigel is passionate about the power of nature to support transformational and regenerative change in the way people work and live. 

Dylan Walker, Found, Wilderlife
Dylan is half entrepreneur, half ecologist, and half educator. Too many halves? He also failed maths at school. Through Wilderlife he runs rewilding workshops that put people first, and facilitates community-driven nature conservation and ecotourism projects. He believes that fostering a deep cultural connection with our natural world is the only way to protect our precious wildlife in the long term.

The post Biophilic buildings: How nature can improve design appeared first on UKGBC.

With over 70% of the UK’s non-residential building stock constructed before the year 2000, there is an urgent need to increase the pace at which we are retrofitting the UK’s commercial real estate in order for us to meet the UK’s energy efficiency and net zero targets. 

To bring to life the opportunities and lesson learned from a recent project, UKGBC is hosting a site tour of Arup’s 10 George Street in Edinburgh – a case study featured in our Delivering Net Zero: Key Considerations for Commercial Retrofit report last year and achieved SKA Gold certification for the fit out. 

UKGBC member and office fit-out specialist, Overbury, led the project with a strong focus on reducing embodied carbon from concept stages through to delivery. The project team employed a circular approach to minimise waste, chose products with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) where possible, and integrated carbon factors into value engineering decisions. 

The tour will include presentations from the design and delivery teams outlining the range of sustainability interventions introduced and key lessons learned, followed by post-tour refreshments and networking. 

Why attend

• Deepen understanding of how to retrofit non-residential buildings
• Raise awareness of key challenges and opportunities of commercial retrofit
• Explore solutions, challenges and lessons learned first-hand
• Network with fellow UKGBC members

Who should attend? 

Scotland based design and delivery teams focused on the retrofit and/or fit-out of commercial buildings.

Speakers 

• Lyle Chrystie, Director, Reiach & Hall Architects
• Graeme Gidney, Director, Arup
• Elliot Wishlade, Director, Arup
• Mike Clarke, Director of Membership, UKGBC
• David Steen, Senior Policy Advisor, UKGBC Scotland

Advancing Net Zero Partners

Our climate change mitigation work is made possible thanks to the generous support of our Advancing Net Zero Programme Partners

The post Commercial Retrofit – Site tour of 10 George Street, Edinburgh appeared first on UKGBC.

The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 Act has helped to bring the broader social value agenda to the fore. It has encouraged public sector procurement teams to look beyond financial metrics and measurements within bids and tendering activities, much of this being driven by enlightened local authorities. This shift in focus is changing expectations, creating a market where suppliers are increasingly expecting to demonstrate social value. 

Overview 

Join us for a half day course to discuss how the built environment industry can understand, measure, and communicate its social value. The course will cover all of the steps needed for a social value assessment, including working with stakeholders, measuring outcomes, and applying monetary values. It will explore the different frameworks and tools that are available, including UKGBC’s Framework for Defining Social Value. The course will be interactive, with a range of examples, discussions, and exercises. 

Why attend  

Gain the latest thinking on social value, and clear processes of how to generate and measure social value. The session will be compelling and interactive allowing you to think through the key touchpoints for a development to create broader positive impact on communities, whilst also learning from networking with your peers and experts and hearing about their experiences. 

Who should attend? 

This course will be most relevant to built environment professionals who are striving to maximise social value outcomes. 

Course leader 

Oliver Kempton, Partner at Envoy Partnership. Oliver is a Social Value International Level 3 Accredited Practitioner and was a member of UKGBC’s Social Value Task Group. He sits on the Social Value International methodology sub-committee, and the BREEAM Social Impact Technical Working Group. He also teaches at London School of Economics.

Free Gold Leaf member tickets available – please contact learning@ukgbc.org.

The post Social Value in the Built Environment appeared first on UKGBC.

This sustainability leadership short-course explores how to enact systems change and apply insights to your organisation and team.

An interactive workshop cohosted by Talik & Co, this session involves a very practical application of the insights and skills discussed in previous sustainability leadership workshops such as Accelerating Leadership and Decarbonise Your Culture – Part 1.

This event is designed for small leadership groups from the same company to co-develop an action plan for accelerating cultural change in their business. You’ll be taken step by step through a clear process, from diagnosing your biggest unique challenges and priorities, through to deepening your understanding of what hinders or enables change and types of intervention to suit needs. You’ll finish the session with some clear ideas and an action plan to take away and implement.  

Who should attend 

This workshop is aimed at participants in organisational groups of 3-4, from across the built environment. It is not required that you work in sustainability day-to-day.

Why attend

• Understand, recognise and learn how to address ‘soft’ issues that may be holding back delivery of your sustainability objectives
• Work closely with your team to identify some of your biggest challenges and priorities 
• Develop an Action Plan for your organisation’s sustainability journey

Speakers 

• Dr Alexandra Stubbings, Managing Director, Talik & Co
• Larry Stubbings, Associate Director, Talik & Co

There are free Gold Leaf spaces available for this course. Email learning@ukgbc.org to register.

The post Decarbonise Your Culture – Part 2 appeared first on UKGBC.

93% of employees, across generations, say that acting on climate change at work is ‘important to their personal sense of motivation and wellbeing’

With such a significant majority of the workforce prioritising sustainability, businesses must demonstrate meaningful commitment to climate action if they are to remain resilient.

So what is stopping them?

Bringing a youth perspective from the Force of Nature global network of young climate leaders, this workshop will delve into common corporate barriers to climate action such as misplaced responsibility, short-term thinking and sustainability as an afterthought.

This session offers a fresh perspective on sustainability and aims to equip participants with the tools and inspiration to lead positive change within their spheres of influence.

This workshop is part of UKGBC’s broader focus on Sustainability Leadership – leadership that looks long-term, beyond quarterly returns, and at the sustainability of the ecosystem in which each business operates, rather than just the survival of the business itself – and is designed to help you on your leadership journey, wherever you might be.

Who should attend

Any built environment professional with an interest in sustainability leadership.

Why attend

• Gain a new perspective on sustainability, beyond the boardroom
• Start to identify some of the individual and wider industry barriers to climate action and identify the tools to address them
• Understand the role mindsets and stories can play in unlocking these barriers and taking positive and constructive action 

There are free Gold Leaf spaces available for this course. Email learning@ukgbc.org to register.

The post Business as a Force for Good appeared first on UKGBC.

Set within the NOMA masterplan in Manchester city centre, Hermes Investment Management and partners completed the restoration of Hanover House, transforming the Grade II listed building into an exceptional Grade A office space, blending heritage with contemporary design.

The project was featured as a case study in UKGBC’s Delivering Net Zero: Key Considerations for Commercial Retrofits earlier this year, due to the building performance upgrades and socio-economic benefits achieved, alongside a strong focus on understanding the heritage elements.

Join UKGBC and Architect, Sheppard Robson on a tour of the completed building to explore the range of sustainability interventions introduced and key lessons learned.  We will also provide an overview of UKGBC’s commercial retrofit project, and welcome you to join us for post-tour networking.

Further details TBC

Who should attend

Any built environment professional involved in commercial retrofit, especially of heritage buildings

Why attend

• Deepen understanding of how to retrofit heritage buildings
• Raise awareness of key challenges and opportunities of commercial retrofit
• Explore solutions, challenges and lessons learned first-hand
• Network with fellow UKGBC members

Agenda

• 2:45 – Arrive at Material Source.
• 3:00 – Welcome and Introduction, context setting, determining 3 groups for consecutive tours
• 3:30 – 5:00 – Tours of Hanover house (3 groups)
• 5:00 – Follow up and Q&A
• 5:30 – Wrap up and optional networking

The post Commercial Retrofit – Site tour of Hanover House, Manchester appeared first on UKGBC.

In this workshop you will learn how cultures really change and be able to apply this to your own work and organisation. Discover how to design effective culture change programmes, strengthening your skills in leading from purpose and powerful storytelling. Bringing insights from neuroscience, psychology and applied research as well as live examples drawn from frontline experience in major organisations, you’ll leave with some potent tools to engage your organisation to accelerate action towards net zero. 

Who should attend

This sustainability course is aimed to support all levels of leadership across the built environment to inject inspiration and learning.

Why attend

At the end of the workshop, you will have had a whistle-stop tour through storytelling, influencing change, systems leadership as well as practical conversations around mindsets and behaviours needed to accelerate leadership in our sector. All of which we hope enables you as a leader to take new and more radical approaches.

The session will be run as a hybrid event, with the face-to-face component taking place at the UKGBC offices. Part 2 will be held in January 2023 and will support participants in applying their learning and developing an action plan as part of a company team.

There are free Gold Leaf spaces available for this course. Email learning@ukgbc.org to register.

The post Decarbonise Your Culture – Part 1 appeared first on UKGBC.

The projects cover four broad sustainability themes: Climate Mitigation; Climate Adaption; Natural Resource Use; and Nature and Biodiversity, and we will be exploring the following questions:

1. What solutions are offered?
2. What frameworks/collaborations/strategies enabled the solutions?
3. What are the implications across the value chain?
4. What could be the unintended consequences (positive and negative)?
5. What are the key actions are needed to implement solutions at scale?

Who should attend

Anyone interested in exploring projects featured in the Build Better Now Virtual Pavilion in more detail, understanding how they offer solutions to the climate crisis, with the view to implementing solutions within their projects/organisations.

The post Build Better Now – COP26 Virtual Tour appeared first on UKGBC.

Participants will focus on identifying what ‘net zero carbon’ and ‘circular economy’ mean to their respective businesses, projects, developments and buildings, and, using case studies, explore different ways to deliver them.

Objectives and Outcomes

1. To reach a common understanding of green building, and a shared sense of purpose in delivering net zero carbon and circular green buildings across different geographies.
2. To understand how to implement these principles in practice in your own business or project.
3. Reflect on the impact of your business, and redefine your work to best assist in achieving the objectives of net zero carbon and circular resource use.
4. The programme lasts 4 weeks in total, starting on Tuesday 1 September. You will take part in guided learning sessions using the Moodle platform as a virtual classroom. From this focal point, you will have support to read, research, connect and discuss before applying learnings to your own worked example.

The programme involves a total of 2 days commitment, spread across the 4 weeks (approximately 0.5 days a week).

The Programme

Week 1: Concepts
In this week of the programme we will recap on the why building green is so critical for the future and explore where your own business sits in delivering green building solutions. Key components of green building will be covered as well and the various built environment contexts (policy, market, cities).

Week 2: Cases
In this week, we explore good practice examples, specific case studies and take a look at different building typologies, we will learn from each other about key challenges as well as what your business is doing to ‘build green’.

Week 3: Action
This action week is about the key challenge – how we get to net zero carbon and circular resource use. You are encouraged to think about how this can be applied to your own business, project or building.

Week 4: Change
We will hold a close-out forum where you will share your assignment and findings, and discuss how you, and your peers, can take green building forward.

Speakers
World and UK Green Building Council experts as well as other experts across the built environment

Why attend?
Connect with others during this time of virtual working, and take time to refresh yourself on different aspects of green building practices. Explore case studies from across the world and consider what green building means for your work and your business.

Who should attend?
Anyone working in the built environment keen to expand their learning and push green building forward in their realm of influence. If you are new to the concept of green building this course will provide you with a good foundation to build on.  If you are a more experienced leader within the sector, this course will provide insights from other geographies, and give fresh perspectives on applying green building practices in your business.

NB: This is not a technical course. The focus is on considering concepts and approaches and exploring how to ‘normalise’ green building within the sector.

If you have any questions, please contact learning@ukgbc.org

The post Global Green Building: Virtual Learning Programme appeared first on UKGBC.