construction green breakfast: low energy building design - why bother?

details

Blake Lapthorn were delighted to welcome consultant firms Peter Brett Associates and Ridge to speak at a green breakfast seminar on Wednesday 9 November 2011.

The event involved presentations and a audience participation debate about the pro's and con's of 'Green Building' design.

Designing low energy homes and commercial buildings, why clients don't want them.
Persuading clients about the benefits and advantages of low energy homes and commercial building design.

For speaker presentations and biographies, please see below.

Blake Lapthorn Construction green breakfast 9 November 2011

View more presentations from Blake Lapthorn.

speaker biographies

Darren Aspinall, Senior Architect, Ridge - Darren is a senior Architect with Ridge, a multi-disciplinary construction consultancy based throughout the UK.

Darren has over 10 years experience and expertise in designing low energy and sustainable educational, community and housing projects. He has designed projects to meet BREEAM, EcoHomes, Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) levels 3, 4 and 5, and Passivhaus certification. Darren is passionate about imaginative the re-use and upgrading of existing buildings, and he recently led a team in a successful bid for the Technology Strategy Board’s Retrofit for the Future Programme.

Darren was Technical and Sustainability Advisor to the Prince’s Trust for the ‘Natural House’ demonstration project constructed at the BRE Innovation Park.

Gavin Walker, Energy and Low Carbon Consultant, Peter Brett Associates - Consultant with Peter Brett Associates responsible for the Built Environment team. The team includes a mix of design disciplines from structural and civil Engineers to accredited Breeam and Code assessors. This skills matrix provides the basis for a holistic approach to sustainability in buildings balanced with a pragmatism from real project delivery. The PBA team are responsible for a wide range of projects and work includes strategic planning to auditing and commissioning of building services systems.

Gavin is a Chartered Civil Engineer, a Chartered Structural Engineer and a CIBSE Registered Low Carbon Consultant. He sits on the University of Reading's steering group which is responsible for the direction of their Engineering Doctorate programme for research into sustainable technologies where PBA sponsor relevant research to support industry.

The breakfast started at 7.30 am for food and networking, speakers at 8.00 am followed by a question and answer session, concluding by 9.00 am.