What to expect from The Building Envelope Stage at UKCW Birmingham

UK Construction Week (UKCW) Birmingham is set to take place this year from 29 September to 1 October at the NEC. According to a statement, the new Building Envelope Stage is to offer visitors a practical and technical focus on the systems and materials that determine a building's performance, safety, durability and energy efficiency. The programme will explore the latest developments in roofing, cladding, insulation, facades and waterproofing, alongside key issues such as fire safety, regulation, retrofit and Net Zero delivery. Partnering with organisations such as the National Retrofit Hub and NFRC, topics covered on the Building Envelope Stage will include: Passivhaus at Scale: Why Major Housebuilders Are Embracing Higher Performance Standards; Healthy Homes: Building Fabric, Ventilation and Occupant Wellbeing; and Roofing for Net Zero: Design, Performance and Whole-Life Value. 'Healthy Homes: What Really Makes a Building Good for People?' is set to take place on Tuesday 29 September from 12.30pm to 1.15pm. This session will provide evidence-based guidance on delivering homes that are not only energy efficient, but demonstrably better for occupant health and wellbeing. Speakers include Dr Anastasia Mylona of CIBSE, Jade Lewis of the Healthy Homes & Buildings Group, Mark Allen of Fortem and Olga Turner Baker of Ekkist. On the same day, 'The Retrofit Reset: Beyond Grants to Long Term Delivery' will be held from 1.30pm to 2.15pm. The session will focus on how government grants have played an important role in kickstarting retrofit, but how they won't deliver the scale or pace of home upgrades the UK needs on their own. It will look at what comes next and how we move beyond short-term funding towards a stable, long-term retrofit market that gives homeowners, landlords, local authorities and industry the confidence to invest. Speakers for this session include Carl Bairstow of Efficiency North, Rachael Owens of National Retrofit Hub and Sarah Louise Fletcher of Leeds Beckett University. On Wednesday 30 September, 'Right First Time: The Future of Membrane Suitability' will take place from 2.30pm to 3.15pm. This session will look at how Approved Document B, Awaab's Law and the Future Homes Standard are converging on the roof. As fire safety rules tighten, repair timeframes shorten, and solar PV goes mainstream, the session will focus on how membrane suitability is a critical compliance consideration. This panel asks what 'suitable' will mean going forward and how the sector can get it 'right first time'. Speakers include Adrian Howe of Stormforce Roofing, Matthew Sexton of BMI UK & Ireland and Thomas Marshall of Don & Low. From 3.30pm to 4.15pm, 'Beyond Sedum: The Next Generation of Green Roofs' will be held the same day. This session will explore the technical and practical considerations of designing, specifying and maintaining roofs that respond to local vernaculars, support Biodiversity Net Gain objectives and function as genuine nature-based solutions rather than compliance measures. Speakers include Chris Bridgman of Bridgman & Bridgman and chair of Green Roof Organisation (GRO), vice president of European Federation of Green Roof and Wall associations and founder of World Green Roof Day, Keith Hills of Eco Green Group, Luke Rootham of Axter and Maggie Fennel Wells of The Environment Partnership. On Thursday 1 October, the final day of the event, 'Solar, Storage and Heat Pumps: What New Build and Retrofit Mean for Your Business' is set to take place from 10.30am to 11.15am. This session will explore how the Future Homes Standard and the Warm Homes Plan are shaping demand for solar PV, battery storage and heat pumps, and what businesses need to do now to prepare. Speakers include Jason Howlett of Energy Storage Association, Neil Evans of GoodWe and Nigel Banks of Octopus Energy. 'Net Zero Transition Planning: Turning Construction Ambition into Action' will be held from 12.30pm to 1.15pm. This presentation will explore how organisations can build robust transition plans, align with the emerging ISO Net Zero Standard, and integrate carbon reduction into business planning, procurement and project delivery. The speaker for this session will be Lucie Shackley of Carbon Trust. Martin Hurn, UKCW Birmingham editorial director, said: 'The Building Envelope Stage reflects a shift we're seeing across the industry: performance is no longer an abstract ambition, it's a practical discipline. By bringing contractors, manufacturers, specifiers and installers together, we're creating a space where real world challenges meet real world solutions. This is where innovation becomes practice, and where the sector moves forward together.' George Clarke, architect, TV presenter and UKCW ambassador, will officially open the show and also host the Main Stage discussions on 29 September.