The year 2030 is just eight years away and the race to net zero has begun. Over 1200 Architects have already pledged their support for the UK Architects Declare Climate and Biodiversity Emergency. As such, the architectural industry is changing and pressure is mounting on architects, urban designers and planners to do more to achieve ambitious net zero targets. Now is the time to become part of the solution.

The RIBA Sustainable Outcomes Guide was developed to support Architects in taking the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge and it requires performance metrics to be independently measured and verified. A key to doing this is embedding building performance considerations into the process right from pre-design stages on into operation. We cannot continue to allow the use of predicted outcomes as the absolute measure of success if we are serious in delivering a step change in sustainability.

However, very few architects routinely employ building performance studies on projects in their entirety. These studies help clients to improve their briefing process, contractors to improve their build process, and generally improve building performance and quality. In fact the Architects Declare Practice Guide recommends to assign a Building Performance Champion from the outset of the project for the tracking of data (design and construction), collection (post completion) of energy data, indoor environmental quality, embodied carbon (as built) and occupant satisfaction survey data.

With keynote speakers from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), this webinar will discuss the RIBA 2030 challenge, its Sustainable Outcomes Guide and building performance evaluation techniques and tools. As well as its implications for architects and urban designers, and highlights from recently developed tools from IES specifically designed to meet these challenges.

Learning Outcomes

  • Welcome and introduction
  • Keynote Speakers: RIBA 2030 challenge/Sustainable Outcomes – Jess Hrivnak, RIBA Sustainable Development Adviser & Gary Clark, Chair of RIBA Sustainable Futures Group
    • Reducing operational energy demand and carbon by at least 75%, before offsetting
    • Reducing embodied carbon by 50-70% before offsite renewables offsetting
    • Reduce potable water use by 40%
    • Achieve all core health targets
  • Introduction to new IES building performance assessment technology for Architects & Urban Designers
    • Role of building performance assessment in achieving RIBA 2030 Challenge, from pre-design to building operation
      • Operational energy, embodied carbon, water use, health & wellbeing, sustainable communities, connectivity & transport
    • Achieving a golden thread of building performance data throughout design in order to create an operational digital asset (or Digital Twin) for use across a building’s lifecycle.
    • VE Gaia – early stage design analysis tool for individual buildings
    • iCD – sustainable urban design & early stage masterplanning tool for developments with multiple buildings 
    • Seamless analysis link using core Apache simulation engine, through these new pre-design stage tools on into the VE at later stages
  • Case studies:      
    • COP26 Net Zero Carbon House
    • MESH Energy 
    • iCD examples 

Register for the webinar