Ecobuild sees launch of green infrastructure design challenge

The Green Infrastructure Design Challenge, being launched at Ecobuild on 7 March, is being driven by productivity, wellbeing and climatic resilience.

The competition, organised by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) and the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP), now in its second year, aims to explore the use of green infrastructure as a building service. 

Teams demonstrating creative designs that utilise both indoor and outdoor green infrastructure are invited to take part in the competition, to deliver operational solutions that enhance the office environment. 

Designed to demonstrate its potential as a way to tackle problems like poor indoor air quality, low resilience to climate change and flagging staff productivity, the challenge is hoping to change the way that built environment professionals think about green infrastructure.

Head of Sustainability at CIBSE, Sara Kassam said CIBSE want imaginative solutions to integrate green infrastructure into existing and new buildings while challenging the idea that green infrastructure lives outdoors.

She added, “As our climate changes, what constitutes ‘good’ building performance changes with it, and it’s imperative we come up with new solutions. Entries need to contain both an overarching green infrastructure vision for the office building, and detailed design provided for a selected floor of the office, to truly demonstrate the effectiveness of its application.”

Open to individuals and teams, the competition is open to students through to qualified practitioners and researchers, with submission through presentation 2 x A0 posters. Submissions can focus on a building they are already or have previously worked on, or apply their ideas to The Clarence Centre for Enterprise and Innovation at London South Bank University.

CIBSE is Ecobuild’s Building Performance Strategic Partner for 2017 with The Green Infrastructure as a Building Service session at Ecobuild will being chaired by Sara. Energy and building performance content will be showcased in the performance lab next door to the CIBSE stand.

Highlights in the Performance Lab include: on day one in the Performance Lab is Light, circadian rhythms and wellbeing chaired by Jeff Shaw President of SLL. day two includes modelling for real life performance: practical tools for excellent design of homes, chaired by Ashley Bateson Chair of the CIBSE Homes for the Future Group.

On day three performance not promises will be chaired by John Field CIBSE President, encouraging debate, knowledge sharing and cross discipline collaboration. 

The latest on how to guarantee that buildings are efficient and good places to live and work in and how to make the most of what you’re building and what you’ve already got, whether domestic or commercial Good building performance relies on good design, implementation and operation, and how to make the most of renewables and smart building technology, will be covered in the Performance Lab.