Ecobuild is returning to ExCeL in London on March 6-8 and, under the new ownership of Futurebuild Events Ltd, things are set to be very different. The event is being designed and built around the industry, giving professionals the opportunity to explore some of the UK’s most exciting timber projects and to learn about the latest products and innovations in the sector.
It’s not only being shaped through comprehensive industry feedback, but also with direct input from leading industry influencers. These include Jane Duncan, Lynne Sullivan, Bill Dunster, Robin Nicholson and Peter Murray – who are all members of the Ecobuild Steering Group, which is helping to set the agenda for the event.
This year’s conference takes its lead from global environmental targets, with sessions reflecting the concerns of the built environment industry and formulating practical recommendations for action. Several key themes and focuses will run through the programme.
The programme kicks off with a session looking at some of the most pressing global issues, delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement and the New Urban Agenda. It will be chaired by the former Labour head of the Environmental Audit Committee, Joan Walley, and will feature keynote speaker Paula Caballero, global director of the climate programme at the World Resources Institute – one of the driving forces behind the development of the SDGs.
Housing crisis
Day one will also see a panel debate dedicated to discussing the housing crisis, exploring how more homes can be built without sacrificing the qualities that make sustainable, durable places. The session will be chaired by independent adviser Paul Toyne.
On day two, a discussion on the response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy will be chaired by Jane Duncan, head of the RIBA Expert Advisory Group on Fire Safety. The session will explore how the industry can ensure it learns and implements the lessons and bring about systematic change, with panellists including Richard Cook, head of residential at Lendlease, and Paula Higgins, founder and CEO of the Home Owners Alliance.
The third day of the programme will see Sue Riddlestone, chief executive and co-founder of Bioregional, lead a session looking at making the commitment – a call for action by political leaders, business and construction. As part of the session, a panel of experts including Baroness Young of Old Scone, Dr Kayla Friedman and Rachel Whale, will develop an action plan to lead the industry into a more sustainable future.
Sustainability showcases
Surrounding the conference arena will be the Ecobuild sustainability showcases, home to some of the most innovative solutions to the issues facing the built environment.
They include two full-scale builds. One of these properties is the Zero Bills Home Lite from ZEDfactory, which is designed to minimise fossil fuels and annual energy bills. It offers a complete response to the housing crisis with build times reduced to four weeks.
The showcases also include the Natural Building Products Café, where experts will be on hand to provide demonstrations and information about natural building materials and techniques. There will also be the Sustainable Product Showcase, where the Passivhaus Trust and the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products will present top products and materials.
The future build districts
The conference arena and sustainability showcases are surrounded by a series of futurebuild districts – each focusing on a distinct, critical segment of the built environment.
Research from last year’s event showed that timber was one of the building materials that visitors were most interested in and, in response, an area specifically dedicated to timber has been introduced for the 2018 event.
The area is being supported by the Structural Timber Association, Wood for Good, Timber Trade Federation, British Woodworking Federation and TRADA.
These partners have also helped to curate the Timber district’s seminar programme, which includes a series of three Timber Talks focused on key topics, including social housing, self-build and SIPs.
Timber professionals will also have the chance to experience the TRADA bookshop, where members of the TRADA team will discuss its latest publications, and a new timber pavilion called the Launch Pad, where SMEs and start-up companies can get support with their product launches.
Following its success last year, the Offsite district will return for a second year in partnership with Explore Offsite.
The exhibition will feature ground breaking offsite construction solutions and masterclasses, including a session focused on the use of structural timber as a volumetric modular unit and what it can offer the offsite industry.
Other futurebuild districts include Building Performance, District Energy, Infrastructure, Concrete, Offsite, Green & Blue Infrastructure and Energy & HVAC.
