NBS Construction Leaders’ Summit 2021 Summary
The third annual NBS Construction Leaders’ Summit (#CLS2021) took place across the 21st and 22nd April and had a host of industry speakers. The summit featured key topics like sustainability and the move to net zero, BIM and digital tools, MMC and the post-pandemic recovery.
Day 1 Construction Leaders’ Summit
Day one kicked off with a presentation from The Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP who laid out the Government’s plan for both the long-term future of construction and the industry’s recovery post-pandemic.
A key point raised was the holistic approach needed to achieve net zero and wider sustainability aims, from materials used to biodiversity. The minister emphasised that the technology needed already exists and digital tools and offsite production are primed to drive improved performance. However, getting there will require the industry and government to work together in close partnership.
The minister also mentioned the importance of learning the lessons from Grenfell and improving the way we construct buildings by prioritising quality over cost and focusing on outcome-based procurement.
Simon Rawlinson from Arcadis went on to discuss the Construction Playbook, its key features and aims. The Construction Playbook aims to accelerate industry innovation and allow us to build better, faster, and greener. It intends to define and drive value more effectively by making better use of data and creating the framework for better collaboration.
Day 2
Day two began with a presentation from Gary Clark on building sustainably, net zero, the circular economy and improving social value. A key point raised was the need to look at the lifespan of the building, the energy consumption in occupation and its impact on the environment and the way a project can add value and wellbeing to the community.
Clark then discussed the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge with goals relating to operational and embodied carbon as well as water use. The challenge sets out targets for 2030 with milestones along the way and considers reducing carbon with offsetting using credits as the final step.
NBS’s Dr Stephen Hamil then explained how NBS Source and Chorus aid specifiers to maintain a golden thread of information from specifying to construction and maintenance. The software not only allows specifiers to understand every component of their design, it also allows for like-for-like substitutions to be made and equivalent replacements to be sourced during occupation.
The summit provided a host of insightful presentations and engaging Q&A sessions and promises to exceed expectations in 2022.
