Returning to The City, our latest insights and CPD event was attended by 80 professionals from across the property industry. Our clients came together for a morning of networking and learning – with sessions focusing on the Building Safety Act 2022, BREEAM certification and our own sustainability journey. These topics were chosen based on feedback from previous events, with the intention of creating even more valuable events moving forward.
Each talk ended with time for questions from the audience, to increase engagement and help everyone to consider different perspectives and concerns. Companies including SEGRO, Prologis, Avison Young and Cushman and Wakefield were all in attendance, offering excellent networking opportunities.
If you were not able to make it on the day, carry on reading for a short summary of each session.
The Building Safety Act 2022 – where are we now?
The morning’s opening session was hosted by Josh Waterman and James Owen from Building Safety Act Consult, who explored where we are now following the new legislation coming into force in October 2023.
The session quickly highlighted that a common misconception exists around High-Risk Buildings (HRBs). Some have been thinking that the BSA doesn’t apply to all construction works, however, it does – with enhanced regimes for schemes involving HRBs. This immediately explained why continued training and learning is important across the industry, so we can move forward as one unified entity.
Seven years on from the Grenfell Tower disaster, and even longer since fire safety tragedies at Ronan Point and Lakanal House, there are still 500,000 residents living in fire risk flats in Britain. While these events have heavily influenced development of the BSA, the new Building Safety Regulator won’t just be paying attention to HRBs. It has the power to enforce regulations on any building project meaning the industry must be implementing best practice wherever possible and be prepared for questioning. In short, accountability and competency are critical – as the golden thread concept recognises – and this stretches beyond duty holders.
Our sustainability progress
Luca Sidoli, our Sustainability Coordinator, led the morning’s second session. While it was shorter in length, it presented us with the opportunity to summarise our recent sustainability progress (read our Sustainability Statement 2023/24 for more information) and gain feedback that will influence what we do next.
Although we are working on a carbon reduction plan that will help us achieve our – soon to be announced – net zero target for Scope 1 and 2 emissions, we shared our sustainability journey with those we work with and understand that what we do impacts those around us. Responsibility and transparency are ingrained in everything we do, with our ongoing sustainability journey being no different.
Get in touch with Luca via email using luca@pexhurst.co.uk if you would like to share your thoughts on the biggest challenges you’re facing in delivering sustainable projects, or how we can support you with the sustainability agenda.
BREEAM – quick wins and common pitfalls
The final session, before attendees continued enjoying networking and refreshments, was presented by Director of Energy and Sustainability Mark Standen at Syntegra.
Mark explored BREEAM certification, covering his best advice for achieving your desired target and some successful project examples to learn from.
BREEAM won’t be unfamiliar to many, with over 600,000 projects now certified worldwide. However, in the UK, the optional certification scheme is beginning to be mandated by more local authorities – standards are getting higher, and the latest knowledge is key to keeping pace with the industry.
There were various pieces of advice shared, but one that continued to be mentioned was the importance of early consideration. Making BREEAM Assessor and BREEAM AP appointments early helps to establish the best plan, increase efficiency and earn valuable early credits instead of resorting to expensive bolt on credits later on. Registering intent to receive BREEAM certification should also be done as early as possible, because the project will be marked against the standards at the time of registration – the later this is done, the higher the standards may be and the harder your desired target may be to achieve.
Further advice was shared on how to achieve the highest level of certification (BREEAM Outstanding), which included prioritising energy efficiency, using sustainable materials with a lower carbon footprint, and reducing waste by incorporating modular construction and using prefabricated components where possible.
Nick Tagliarini, Director at Pexhurst, said: “We are always delighted to arrange these events. Not only do they add great value to our long-standing client base, but also help us build upon relationships with new clients. Together with the networking opportunity, the morning was worthwhile for all those who were able to attend. We’ve received some really positive feedback and look forward to welcoming even more industry professionals to future events.”
Attendees said:
“Overall amazing event, would definitely attend future events.”
“Felt that the topics were industry relevant with good quality of consultants presenting technical information, which is useful for surveyors.”
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