There was a good turn out in Bristol on February 27th for the Futureproof training  - a collaborative event between ourselves and The Green Register.

The afternoon was a good mix of talks and practical demonstrations, with some very positive feedback at the end.  Attendees were mostly builders - our target audience.

Richard and Malcolm gave a short talk about sustainable building and It was great to see the Earthwise project again and to see them achieve an impressive air tightness result - well done guys!

Here's to more regular training events aimed at builders - green builders!

Urgent Government intervention is required and the construction industry must remove its head from the sand - our to Committee On Climate Change UK Housing report
 
For those of us promoting sustainable building for decades, the recently published Committee On Climate Change (CCC) report UK Housing: Fit For The Future? says nothing new.  The report is hardly as radical as some suggest - it describes what we at Greenheart Sustainable Construction are doing right now, and have done for nearly two decades.
 
There is clear demand for this type of building approach, and we suggest it is time the Government and the industry moved into the 21st century and took this seriously.
 
Greenheart Sustainable Construction have been building gas-free, low-energy, timber frame, super-insulated homes for some time now.  Since 2000, we have built above and beyond the current regulations, researching and implementing new and progressive construction methods and technologies. The knowledge and products are available - Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP) and Solar PV to induction hobs and LED lighting - but remains a small niche part of the wider industry, which is sadly resistant to change.
 
Government funding and intervention is urgently required.  Without this, the industry will continue to build to a level that struggles to meet current regulations - let alone building for a sustainable future.  We suggest:
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1. Setting standards for building regs with clear steps over the next few years.
2. Effective building regulations enforcement for all housing
3. Setting industry minimum qualifications and experience
4. Funding proper training and enforce CPD type ongoing training.
5. Grants for PV and ASHP to help boost the take up of these technologies
6. Better promotion of timber frame construction – the UK lag miles behind Europe and the US on this.

 
The building sector itself must also take greater responsibility for the performance gap.  A more regulated, professional, educated workforce is desperately needed. We at Greenheart, along with pioneering training organisation The Green Register, are currently promoting such education for construction professionals.
 
An enormous cultural shift is required but without this the words in the CCC report will come to nothing. If we all play our part we can construct a greener future.

We are delighted to be teaming up with The Green Register once again to offer an Introduction to Sustainable Construction - the first of a series of half-day Futureproof training events, which are run 'By Builders For Builders'.
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We'll be returning for a second look at the new build housing scheme for Somewhere Housing Association in Bedminster, Bristol.  Alongside fellow local contractors Earthwise, we will talk about how our method of working results in high quality, sustainable buildings, satisfied clients and proud builders

Ian Mawditt of FourWalls will be testing the building with a blower door test and there will be a demonstration showing how to use a thermal imaging camera to identify cold bridges.

Tom Heywood from The Green Building Store will be giving a Q&A session on the MVHR system that Earthwise have installed.

For full information, and to book a place please visit The Green Register website