Recent climate change demonstrations and government declarations make one thing clear; we must all come together to take action against the climate change challenges we are facing. Put simply, without collaboration, we will fail.
Against this backdrop, Futurebuild 2020, from March 3-5 at London’s ExCeL will inspire visitors to join fellow industry leaders and innovators to be the catalyst for change that is so urgently needed to help deliver a more sustainable built environment.
Setting the agenda
Futurebuild’s highly-regarded Arena programme is returning for 2020, bigger and better than before. The three-day programme has been developed with leading partners from across industry. The sessions focusing on solving the current climate and ecological crisis led by politicians, academics and industry shapers will offer visitors a wide range of opportunities to broaden their knowledge.
Sessions that are set to be unmissable include: ‘Who’s in charge of the climate crisis?’. The session on day one, led by Aldersgate Group chair Joan Walley will explore the fundamental transformation that is needed in UK climate policy to alleviate the climate crisis and will invite input from the audience. On day two, ‘Carbon neutral cities of the future’ will feature a panel including London Mayoral candidate Rory Stewart. It will explore the pathway to healthier, more resilient cities.
Opportunities to learn, debate and discuss the biggest issues facing the built environment are not limited to the Arena and extend across the whole event.
While discussions on the Arena Stage will focus on the biggest issues facing the built environment at a macro level, six Keynote Stages will look at the specific challenges impacting Offsite, Resourceful Materials, Buildings, Energy, Interiors, and Critical Infrastructure. This programme of solutiondriven sessions will share the latest thinking and research, to educate, inform and inspire visitors to make a positive change. Each day, the six stages will host a focused keynote presentation by a recognised expert in their field.
The six Keynote Stages will address the following challenges:
- Buildings: retrofitted, re-used, net positive and built to perform
- Offsite: reliability and efficiency combined with creative place making
- Interiors: sustainable and health promoting
- Resourceful Materials: thinking circular to reduce, reuse and recycle
- Energy: accurate data for carbon accounting and reduced clean energy usage
- Critical Infrastructure: delivering integrated green, grey, blue and social infrastructure
The Resourceful Materials Keynote Stage programme will bring together experts in material and design innovation from across Europe. Sessions not to be missed include: ‘What are Resourceful Materials?’ where Duncan Baker-Brown, senior lecturer at the University of Brighton and cofounder of BBM Sustainable Design will discuss strategies for using less of planet earth’s natural resources by ‘Mining the Anthropocene’. He will be interviewed by Cat Fletcher co-founder of FREEGLE + Brighton & Hove City resource manager.
The Buildings Keynote Stage will focus on the latest thinking and initiatives in building quality and performance. Key sessions include ‘Building a Safer Future – what steps are being taken towards fundamental reform?’. The session, taking place on the first day of Futurebuild, will be chaired by Peter Caplehorn, from the Construction Products Association. ‘The Future Homes Standard 2025 – when, what, how?’ session taking place on the third day will be chaired by Lynne Sullivan, co-founding partner of sustainableBYdesign.
The Offsite Keynote Stage will focus on the most innovative offsite products, solutions and materials that are driving change in the sector. A key session on day two of the show will be ‘Structural Timber Construction, Delivering safe and sustainable building’.
The session will be chaired by Andrew Carpenter, chief executive of the Structural Timber Association (STA) who will discuss the sustainability credentials of timber in construction.
Beyond the stages
Around each Keynote Stage will be an exhibition of innovative brands, offering unique solutions to the challenges discussed in the companion knowledge programme. It will feature some of the largest headline brands in the sector, alongside SMEs and start-up organisations, creating a dedicated platform to connect these companies with forward-thinking specifiers and buyers.
Brands and organisations that are leading the charge when it comes to innovation will be recognised through a dedicated Innovation Trail. A guided route will take visitors on a journey through the event, enabling them to learn more about the latest thinking from Futurebuild’s Innovation Partners, including Steico. Steico will exhibit a range of its products, including I-joists, LVL and wood fibre insulation.
New for 2020 is Resourceful Materials, which brings together the best elements from the hugely successful Materials area and Waste Zone from previous editions of the event. This section will be focused on the pressing need to use materials more responsibly. It will unite the latest innovations, research and understanding in mainstream materials with ground-breaking approaches to improving material efficiency through a circular model based on the principles of reducing, re-using and recycling.
Key features include: the Green Building TV Studio, hosted by Ecomerchant and the Circular Innovation Showcase. The natural building materials area also returns for 2020 alongside TRADA and Wood for Good who will focus on timber pioneers.
The Offsite section also promises to be unmissable for professionals working across the industry, presenting solutions as pressure builds on the construction industry to deliver reliable and efficient buildings that balance demand with creative place making.
This section will be home to the MPBA (Modular and Portable Building Association) pavilion and lounge and the Structural Timber Association Village, as well as demonstrations of new systems and advances from across the world. The exciting section will explore the latest thinking, solutions and technology in offsite. The STA is a key exhibitor here.
The Buildings section at Futurebuild 2020 will cover everything from retrofit to re-use, to making buildings net positive. Visitors will be able to explore and discuss the latest building technology, innovations and legislation and, following on from last year’s success, this area has been expanded to include two new showcase areas – the Whole House Retrofit Zone and the Digital Impact Zone. These spaces will enable visitors to deep-dive into refurb and retrofit solutions and experience the latest developments in digital construction.
The game changers are back
Championing innovation is the central purpose of Futurebuild and the 2020 event sees the return of the Big Innovation Pitch. Hosted across the event, in conjunction with BRE as technical partner, the competition is the industry’s largest call-out for innovation to date and will identify and celebrate novel new approaches to tackle the biggest challenges facing us all.
Shortlisted entrants will present their ground breaking ideas on each of the six Keynote Stages on day one, before finalists go head-to-head in the Arena on day two. A panel of renowned judges will determine the overall winning idea, which will be incorporated into BRE Academy Training and showcased in the BRE Innovation Park.
“The responsibility for tackling the climate emergency lies in all of our hands and we must collaborate in order to find solutions to secure our future,” said Martin Hurn, event director. “Futurebuild 2020 provides the perfect platform for forward-thinking decision makers across the built environment to come together and play a key part in driving positive change.
“Innovation to us is more than just futuristic concepts, it’s about sharing the latest thinking and ideas, processes and solutions, products and materials. All of these things coming together under one roof at Futurebuild 2020 will inspire people to do things differently and create real change.”
Other timber or timber-related product companies exhibiting at Futurebuild include: A Proctor Group; Ecodek; Glulam Solutions; Hoppings Softwood Products; KLH; Liskandas; Piveteaubois; Price & Pierce; Roe Timberframe; Rotho Blaas; TFT Woodexperts; TherraWood UK; Unilin; Walker Timber Engineering; and Woodland Trust.
