From Passivhaus to working at height; roofing to insulation; fire safety to solar integration, the new Building Envelope Stage at UK Construction Week Birmingham will offer visitors a practical and technical focus on the systems and materials that determine a building's performance, safety, durability and energy efficiency.
Bringing together contractors, manufacturers, specifiers and installers, 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.
Stage highlights include:
Tuesday 29th September
12.30pm - 1.15pm
Healthy Homes: What Really Makes a Building Good for People?
Demonstrating best practice, the session will provide evidence-based guidance on delivering homes that are not only energy efficient, but demonstrably better for occupant health and wellbeing.
Speakers: Dr Anastasia Mylona (CIBSE), Jade Lewis (Healthy Homes & Buildings Group), Mark Allen (Fortem), Olga Turner Baker (Ekkist)
1.30pm - 2.15pm
The Retrofit Reset: Beyond Grants to Long Term Delivery
Government grants have played an important role in kickstarting retrofit, but they won't deliver the scale or pace of home upgrades the UK needs on their own. What comes next? How do 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: Carl Bairstow (Efficiency North), Rachael Owens (National Retrofit Hub), Sarah Louise Fletcher (Leeds Beckett University)
Wednesday 30th September
2.30pm - 3.15pm
Right First Time: The Future of Membrane Suitability
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, membrane suitability is a critical compliance consideration. This panel cuts through the noise to ask what "suitable" will mean going forward, and how the sector can get it ‘right first time’.
Speakers: Adrian Howe (Stormforce Roofing), Matthew Sexton (BMI UK & Ireland), Thomas Marshall (Don & Low Ltd)
3.30pm-4.15pm
Beyond Sedum: The Next Generation of Green Roofs
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: Chris Bridgman (Bridgman & Bridgman and Chair, Green Roof Organisation (GRO), Vice President, European Federation of Green Roof and Wall Associations and Founder, World Green Roof Day), Keith Hills (Eco Green Group), Luke Rootham (Axter Ltd), Maggie Fennel Wells (The Environment Partnership (TEP) Ltd)
Thursday 1st October
10.30am - 11.15am
Solar, Storage and Heat Pumps: What New Build and Retrofit Mean for Your Business
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: Jason Howlett (Energy Storage Association), Neil Evans (GoodWe), Nigel Banks (Octopus Energy)
12.30pm - 1.15pm
Net Zero Transition Planning: Turning Construction Ambition into Action
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.
Speaker: Lucie Shackley (Carbon Trust)
Martin Hurn, UKCW Birmingham Editorial Director, commented: ““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.”
Sponsored by Barbour ABI, Zutec, Wyre, HotelPlanner and Build Warranty, UKCW Birmingham will feature over 250 leading brands; 200 speakers and over 150 hours of CPD accredited seminars across four stages, alongside a series of built-for-purpose sections.
Architect, TV presenter and UKCW ambassador, George Clarke will officially open the show and also host the Main Stage discussions on Day One (September 29th).
To find out more and to register free for UKCW Birmingham, visit https://register.visitcloud.com/survey/0hcnqiudc1lrv?actioncode=1000
