Recent Highlights From a Busy Few Months at Arbor

Over the past few months, Arbor Architects have been busy getting out of the office and participating in events and conferences that align with our commitment to sustainable architecture, particularly in retrofitting, low-energy builds, and net-zero. Here's a roundup of what we've been up to:

Passivhaus Trust Conference 2024

On September 19th, Michelle and Matt attended the UK Passivhaus Trust Conference at the Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford. This year's theme for the conference was focused on advancing net zero neighbourhoods. After a full day of presentations and panel discussions, they both came away with a few helpful key takeaways from the day:

Michelle found that the event's focus on net zero neighbourhoods and achieving Passivhaus at various scales resonated with our current work. She attended insightful sessions on smaller-scale projects like the retrofit of Warksburn Old Church and the Oakfield Passivhaus, a showcase of the innovative PH15 timber frame system.

A major takeaway from the conference for Michelle was the continued development of retrofit solutions. "Future updates to PHPP and the new EasyPH software were particularly interesting and will undoubtedly influence our approach to both current and future projects. The wealth of knowledge shared and the practical solutions provided are invaluable as we continue to push the boundaries of sustainable design."

Matt found that "The Passivhaus Trust conference this year was informative from both a technical and design perspective. It was great to see so many familiar faces and, again, some great knowledge-sharing from contractors, clients and designers. The Durley Chine Environmental Hub by Footprint Architects was the project that stood out most for us for its clever approach to operational, embodied carbon and circular principles."

AECB Conference Retrofit Now!

Elly, Rachel and Oliver also headed out of the office to the AECB Conference. Knowledge transfer was at the forefront again this year, with thought-provoking talks and case studies from speakers, AECB experts, and selected suppliers, as well as hands-on technical workshops, and plenty of time for questions and discussion.

Elly found that this year's conference at NSBRC in Swindon was an uplifting and motivational event, focusing on the importance and value of retrofit for health, wellbeing and climate resilience. Some of the key takeaways for her were how the AECB Carbonate CarbonLite Building Standard, in many cases, can be viewed as the 'Goldilocks' of energy standards - offering the perfect balance between energy savings and construction cost. This is exemplified by the standard having been adopted earlier this year as an acceptable standard for grant-funded social housing in Wales.

 Rachel said it was incredibly useful to learn more about retrofit construction problems and solutions from Bill Butcher's extensive hands-on experience. We had useful discussions around:

  • ASHP's and retrofit - installations and timings;

  • Tricky thermal bridge details that come with working with an existing building fabric and;

  • The practical nature of integrating new insulation within an existing fabric.

Oliver also attended his first AECB annual conference, where he said he “experienced the future of sustainable retrofitting through the use of a wide variety of materials and methods.”

He sat in on a presentation by Dr Diana Waldron from Wood Knowledge Wales and Richard Hawkins from Sevenoaks Modular on the topic of Bio Materials in Retrofit: An Industry Perspective. “It was fascinating to see Wood Knowledge Wales and SO Modular’s mission in action, discussing our over-reliance on synthetic materials like plastics and foam, which have high embodied carbon, with significant opportunities in using sustainable natural materials like timber and wood-fibre insulation, which align with Arbor’s goals.”

Oliver’s key takeaway from the conference was that the collaborative mindset highlighted that the retrofit sector is on the brink of a green transition. With sustainable practices and natural materials leading the way, we are paving the path for an eco-friendlier future. This is crucial to ensuring our retrofits are not just net zero, but beyond net zero.

UK Construction Week & Grand Designs Live

Participating in UK Construction Week (UKCW) and Grand Designs Live was another highlight of the last couple of months. The event brought together some exciting exhibitors with a strong focus on low-energy builds and innovative materials. Matt had the honour of being part of a panel discussion alongside Jane Hughes and Charlotte-Frances Garrett, where they explored this year's sustainable projects and the complexities of incentivising sustainability within construction contracts.

One innovative product that caught Matt's attention was Sugarcrete, made from sugarcane byproducts. This bio-based material has the potential to revolutionise construction by offering a sustainable alternative to traditional materials. We're excited to see how it evolves and the potential it holds for future projects. You can learn more about it here.

 

Michelle's Part III

On the academic front, Michelle has also recently embarked on starting her Part III studies back at Birmingham City University. It's been a busy few months but she's excited to get stuck in writing her case study and delving into architectural practice on a deeper level. Next year marks 10 years since starting her undergraduate at BCU back in 2015, so she hopes next year she can complete her studies and wrap up her formal architectural education within that time.

From deepening our expertise in Passivhaus and retrofit strategies to exploring cutting-edge sustainable materials, these past months have been packed with learning and collaboration. Sustainable architecture is constantly evolving, and we're thrilled to be at the forefront of these discussions, applying what we've learned to our ongoing projects and beyond.

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