Big Tent Sessions

UK-GBC’s Big Tent is the only seminar area on the Ecobuild exhibition floor where you can get ahead of the game with what’s happening in the Sustainable Built Environment.

This year we were happy to bring Ecobuild visitors 17 Big Tent sessions including the following topics:

Tuesday 20 March

10.45 – 11.30 Green Dragons Den

Our brave contestants pitch their innovations to the Dragons, including pocket-sized gardens and magic paint. But which ones stand up to scrutiny, and which of them will escape the Den without getting their wings clipped?

11.40 – 12.25 Green SuperHero or Villain?

Whose work elevates them above mere mortals in sustainable construction? And whose dastardly deeds have held back industry for generations? Join us to discover some of the industry’s best, and worst, spandex wearers.

1.00 – 1.45 Closing the loop – construction in a Circular Economy

Pure R&D; collaboration in the supply chain; designing for sustainability and ambitious target-setting. Are these the right ingredients for us to close the sustainable construction loop?

1.55 – 2.40 Green Deal and driving uptake

Is government confidence in the demand for the imminent Green Deal justified or pie-in-the-sky? And if it isn’t there, how will we stimulate the desire?

2.50 – 3.35 Life Cycle Assessment, does it work and who benefits?

What are LCA’s limits and uses? Is it a tool for designers, manufacturers or marketeers? And is there enough info in the system to use and deliver it effectively?

3.45 – 4.30 Edible Streets: food-growing opportunities in our places of work, rest and play

With an explosion of edible walkways and walls further permeating our built environment, what next? And how do we scale up these living systems?

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Wednesday 21 March

10.45 – 11.30 Back to the Classroom: Who should deliver low carbon schools?

Policy - buildings - pupils - staff... Who holds the key to reducing energy use in schools? Is it enough to rely on behavioural change in schools? Or should school buildings be seen as a practical link between decarbonisation efforts and the next generation?

11.40 – 12.25 Dragons Den Innovation Zone

Selected from the UK-GBC / TSB Innovation Zone finalists, a selection of brave contestants pitch their innovations to the Dragons. But which ones stand up to scrutiny, and which of them will escape the Den without getting their wings clipped?

1.00 – 1.45 Olympic Delivery: Implementation on the ground

The successes, challenges and problems; what worked well, what could have been done differently and what can we learn from it all?

1.55 – 2.40 Long range vision versus short term policy

Are progressive companies restricted in the delivery of long-term goals by the short-termism that goes with political election cycles?

2.50 – 3.35 Planning reform - kill or cure?

What impact will the NPPF's focus on a 'presumption in favour of sustainable development' have on our green and pleasant land?

3.45 – 4.30 Green Deal session – finance

Lauded as the eco-saviour of the UK’s dilapidated housing stock, will the numbers behind the Green Deal really stack up? And who is footing the bill?

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Thursday 22 March

10.45 – 11.30 How should we allocate risk and reward in the design process?

To what extent can Building Information Modelling maximise building efficiency and should we really be regulating and mandating its use?

11.40 – 12.25 How will the chips fall between large scale and micro-renewables? Does size really matter?

NIMBYs fight turbine installations, queries abound over the embodied carbon payback of small scale systems and opacity rules in the zero carbon homes debate. How will it play out?

1.00 – 1.45 Space, place, wellbeing and community – how do we weave these threads?

Lots of people try it, but what does successful place-making look like? And will we ever deliver it at less-than astronomical costs?

1.55 – 2.40 Post Occupancy Evaluation: When it comes to buildings, are we behind the learning curve?

At an industry level are we taking post-occupancy evaluation seriously enough? How do the cost-benefits play out when throwing resources at this challenge?

2.50 – 3.35 Room 101

What raises your hackles in the world of green building? Greenwashing? The interminable zero carbon debate? Vacillation over government policy-making? Vote for your (least) favourite! Hear some industry heavyweights lambast their pet peeves as they try to consign them to Room 101.

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Our Big Tent Sessions are supported by UK-GBC Platinum Sponsors - Aggregate Industries, Balfour Beatty, Gentoo Group, InterfaceFLOR, Marks & Spencer and Skanska - it is the only seminar area on the exhibition floor where you can get ahead of the game with what’s happening in the Sustainable Built Environment.

Attending one or more of these sessions is a “must”! We hope you'll join us.

Platinum Sponsors