FOOTPRINT+ podcasts

In spite of higher complexity and less financial incentives, a few developers have proven that it is possible to make retrofit a main business model. On the other hand, larger developers are looking at new models for portfolio-wide "greening" through energy retrofits, low-carbon extensions, operational hyper-optimisation and product transformation.

Hear from leading UK developers on their emerging strategies to make retrofits a desirable and viable proposition on the market.

Chairperson

Chris Newman, Zero Carbon Design Manager - Mitsubishi Electric

Speakers

Ben Cross, Creative Real Estate Developer

Tim Heatley, Co-Founder - Capital & Centric

Younha Rhee, Technical Director - Atelier Ten

Suki Gilliland, Sustainability Director - Energy - Landsec

An increased focus on ESG has given rise to a suite of new regulations, and the financial market is poised to take the lead on climate action in the years ahead. The European Union’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) means that all financial sector entities within the EU, including asset managers, are now required to disclose their ESG performance.

This session will explore the SFDR and the EU Taxonomy, and what they mean to investors, asset managers and developers, discussing how to:

• review and understand the current performance of their assets, funds, and portfolios

Speakers

Simon Wyatt, Partner, Sustainability - Cundall

Darren Berman, Associate Director - Cundall

Helen Newman, Director of Sustainable Investing - Fabrix

Emily Hamilton, Head of ESG - Savills IM

Julie Townsend, Executive Director - ESG Lead Europe & Asia - PGIM Real Estate

The UK NZC Building Standard sets out to provide a methodology by which buildings can be assessed as Net Zero against Science-Based targets to reduce emissions in line with the Paris climate agreement. Working groups have tackled 13 different building sectors to determine an approach to setting limits on embodied carbon and operational energy, and minimum targets for aspects such as on-site renewables, demand flexibility, etc.

Chairperson

Heather Evans, National Head of Sustainability - Rider Levett Bucknall

Speakers

Julie Godefroy, Head of Net Zero Policy - CIBSE

Adam Baranowski, Head of Climate Action & Investment - Better Buildings Partnership

Fabrizio Varriale, Place & Space Analyst - RICS

Carbon calculations rely on accurate data and modelling of the embodied carbon in proposed schemes. Significant decisions about the direction of the project including weighing up the relative value of refurbishment vs. demolition and rebuild are based on these results.

How can we develop consistent carbon modelling and establish a consensus on the approach to be used?

How do these figures need to be updated as methods evolve?

Chairperson

Ben Marston, Director - Jestico + Whiles

Speakers

Alex Benstead, Senior Advisor - UKGBC

Johanna Jarvinen, Business Development Manager - One Click LCA

Deep retrofit of commercial buildings often aims to increase useable floor area whilst maintain the existing structure. Timber is a lightweight structural material whose additional load can frequently be added to existing buildings without the need to upgrade existing structure especially the foundations. Key protagonists of such projects give an introduction to what you need to know drawing from their wide experience.

The UK Green Taxonomy is intended to provide a common framework for investments that can be defined as environmentally sustainable. It is an opportunity for the UK to set a high bar globally with a rigorous, science-based taxonomy that helps accelerate green finance and support the UK’s transition to a net zero economy.

The Green Taxonomy Advisory Group provide an update on progress since last year and answer all your questions about its’ implications once implemented.

Mass timber structure is being used for larger and more ambitious commercial buildings than ever before.

In this session we ask what has changed to enable the use of timber in these buildings and chart a possible trajectory for the growth of timber as a carbon-negative structural material in the commercial sector.

Developers seeking to adopt timber on increasingly large and complex schemes are joining forces with architects devising inventive methods of biobased construction. This Breakfast Briefing will spotlight projects by three Built by Nature Frontrunners, using timber and biobased materials for low-carbon health, housing and commercial development.

Built by Nature is a network and grant fund with a mission for our built environment to work in closer unity with nature through the increased use of timber and biobased materials. Our frontrunner network brings together organisations that are leading the way, adopting these low-carbon materials on developments and collaborating to create an unstoppable movement that is transforming the way that buildings are constructed.

Anna-Lisa McSweeney from White Arkitekter will speak about the practice’s proposed design for the Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff, which aims to be the UK’s “most sustainable hospital” when completed. Turning to commercial buildings, Alexia Laird will present Landsec’s Timber Square in Southwark, central London; a 14-storey partial retrofit and vertical extension that looks set to create a new precedent for urban commercial development in the UK. Kelly Harrison from Whitby Wood will show us how we can build on top of our cities with timber, retrofitting existing buildings and vertically extending them, creating additional floor space and storing carbon on top of our existing built environment.

Finally, Andy Tugby from Human Nature will talk about the developer’s plans for the Phoenix industrial estate in Lewes, where they have employed a phalanx of the UK’s most renowned architects to transform this brownfield site into the country’s largest timber residential development, a car-free mixed-use utopia set against the backdrop of the South Downs National Park.  

NABERS UK is becoming the rating of choice for property owners to measure and improve the energy performance of buildings. A number of industry bodies in the UK have acknowledged the critical role NABERS UK will play in delivering Net Zero and have since incorporated it within their own standards and guidance. 

• What sets NABERS UK apart? 

Despite advances in circularity in some supply chains generally that has been little change in procurement behaviour. We examine what this needs to look like to support the introduction of circularity into construction supply chains covering:

• How does circular procurement differ between Tier 1 and Tier 2 contracting?