The AECB Annual Conference – Friday 12th September at the UEA, Norwich
With the theme of Case Studies and Conversations, the AECB 2025 conference was a day overflowing with presentations, debate and the good humour and intensity that is generated when over 100 sustainable building professionals gather together in one place.
Hosted at the University of East Anglia in the Passivhaus certified Enterprise Centre, the sponsors, speakers and delegates enjoyed a packed programme which included a tour of the building led by Ann-Marie Fallon of the Centre’s designers Architype.
The programme commenced with an AECB CarbonLite case study of a 53 home CoHousing new build development in Dorset. Piers Sadler of DeltaQ, talked through the Hazelmead project from inception to AECB CarbonLite certification and on to its award-winning status!
From new build to heritage retrofit as Laura Baron from Purcell, discussed the risks of working with listed buildings along with the huge cultural benefits of saving and honouring our national landmarks.
Ann-Marie Fallon from Architype looked at the building of Passivhaus schools and focussed on the important comfort and health of students as they learn and play. This talk reminded us that good architecture is all about putting people first, and James York of Collective Architecture continued in that vein with his case studies of retrofitting brutalist tower blocks. He explained the community-based approach to the buildings’ retrofit which included the valuable input of the residents.
Fran Bradshaw from Anne Thorne Architects and Lois Hurst from Lune Retrofit concentrated on the commissioning and lifecycle measurement of buildings to ensure that design works for occupants from the beginning and there were some sobering examples from the Grenfell Report to remind us all how important this is.
John Butler and Catherine Hunt, AECB CarbonLite tutor and graduate, walked us through the comprehensive set of training courses that the AECB has to offer and a Sponsor and Speaker panel discussion engaged the audience in some lively debate.
The conference sponsors Five Rise Contractors, Partel, 21degrees, Recoup and Ecological Building Systems gave delegates a chance to engage with the supply side of the industry with some fascinating product demonstrations and the debate, networking and lively conversation continued all day long and into the evening over dinner.
It was a pleasure to see so many of the AECB members and friends enjoy a great day out.
Question and answer session with our sponsors:
FiveRise Contractors
Partel
21°
Recoup
Kit Knowles, AECB Chair of Trustees leads the discussion with the conference speakers.
Piers Sadler from Delta Q
Laura Baron from Purcell
Ann-Marie Fallon From Architype
Lois Hurst
James York from Collective Architecture
Fran Bradshaw from Anne Thorne Architects
Samantha Musty, John Butler and Catherine Hunt talk about the AECB CarbonLite Training Centre
As the leader of the Delta Q team, Piers inspires and guides talented professionals to achieve excellence in every aspect of their work. He is committed to fostering a culture of high-quality work, exceptional customer service and technical excellence.
By encouraging collaboration, clear communication, meticulous project management, , and a strong focus on customer care, Piers creates a supportive and empowering environment for the team. Together, they strive to deliver outstanding results that meet and exceed clients’ expectations.
Before focusing on low energy buildings, Piers spent over 20 years as an environmental scientist. In 2010, he earned a Masters in Sustainable Building from Oxford Brookes University and established Piers Sadler Consulting (later to become Delta Q). Piers became a certified Passivhaus Designer in 2013 and has specialised in Passivhaus design and construction since. He is also an AECB Certifier, and Professional Trainer in Passivhaus and low energy building with Co-Action Passivhaus Training.
As Head of Sustainability, Laura spearheads Purcell’s sustainability strategy and processes, driving innovation across the practice. As a qualified architect with over 15 years’ experience, she has developed a broad range of skills, working on many projects from large-scale urban masterplans to sensitive historic sites. Her role is to educate and advocate for environmentally and socially conscious design, at every stage of a project.
Laura is passionate about working with all members of a project team to find innovative solutions to adapting and conserving our built heritage, against the backdrop of the climate emergency. She works closely with project teams to advise and guide clients on achieving sustainability through the decision-making process.
Laura authored the Heritage Building Retrofit Toolkit in partnership with the City of London Corporation, developing a comprehensive process for climate action in our most sensitive settings.
She is on the Steering Group of Architects Declare, a network of over 1300 architectural practices across the UK committed to addressing the climate and biodiversity emergency. She has contributed to multiply industry-led initiatives including the Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce, Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN), and the Low Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI). She sits on several quality review panels as well as the NLA Conservation and Retrofit Expert Panel.
Ann-Marie is an Associate Director, Passivhaus Designer and Consultancy lead at Architype. She is a member of RIBA and ARB, and a member of the Passivhaus Trusts technical advisory group. Having qualified as an architect in TU Dublin Ireland she went onto gain a Masters with Cardiff University in Environmental Building Design
She has been responsible in overseeing and delivering many of the UKs Passivhaus building firsts: including multi residential, education buildings and more recently a unique methodology on de-carbonising large estates for several significant clients. She led and developed the Architype Scotland studio growing from 3 in 2019 to over 30 in 2025. She has regularly contributed to national and local guidance in building standards and quality initiatives.
A research led practitioner, she also delivers low carbon training with Coaction CIC and been external examiner of architecture at several universities (UCL, TU Dublin, Robert Gordon University), as well as environmental design convener University of Baths Architecture undergraduate degree since 2013.
The Architects Journal awarded her the once in a generation 40 under 40 award in 2020, as well as the AJs Sustainability Champion of the Year award in 2023, recognising her role in building delivery. Evidence based building performance is a key interest area in the journey towards a ‘truly’ net zero emissions economy, with energy consumption reduction, not just generation, at the heart of the agenda.
Trish Andrew – AECB
Trish is responsible for managing the AECB’s suite of training offerings, including course delivery and developing new AECB CarbonLite training courses.
As an Architect, she believes we all have a role to play and a personal agency to move away from destructive construction practices towards more regenerative methods, and this includes retrofitting at scale and the uptake of robust low energy building and retrofit standards.
Catherine Hunt – Niche Design Architects LTD
Catherine is an AECB Certifier and is currently in the process of her first full AECB retrofit Project, which has just started. She’s a Chartered Architect with over 25 years experience, her design expertise is focused on the residential sector in both new build and retrofit projects.
John Butler – Sustainable Building Consultancy
John is also an AECB Certifier with hands-on experience of retrofit and new-build, combined with technical knowledge of materials, thermal comfort, building physics, and environmental impact of construction. Evidence led decisions, testing assumptions, and ensuring the best solution for clients, their buildings and the environment.
Lois recently completed her PhD which explores the embodied and life cycle impacts of domestic retrofit from a carbon and energy basis, as well as furthering the understanding of how retrofit life-cycle studies should be framed differently to those of a new-build. Prior to this, she worked in environmental consulting for nearly a decade, during which time she embarked on her own retrofit journey in 2015, converting a Victorian industrial building into a home. She joined the AECB at this time, and was later part of the first cohort of the original AECB Carbonlite Retrofit course. This was pivotal in establishing the best approach for her retrofit, supported by her background in environmental sciences which provided a firm foundation for understanding building physics. Lois completed her Passive House Consultant qualification in late 2020. Her transition back into academia for her PhD enabled a deep exploration of retrofit; her findings are critical to ensuring that robust decisions can be made with respect to retrofit and decarbonisation, and are published in a series of peer-reviewed articles. Her work in this area is ongoing.
Lois is a Trustee with the Lune Valley Community Land Trust, who with their housing association partner, developed 20 affordable Passive House homes for shared-ownership and rental to local people, completed in 2023. Lois sits on the Board, and was part of the design team and was involved in community engagement and developing scheme layout options, through to detailed design and appointing contractors.
James is an architect and Certified Passivhaus Designer with a longstanding commitment to sustainable and regenerative design. As Principal Energy Consultant at Collective Architecture, he leads performance-driven projects across the UK, combining deep technical expertise with a people-centred approach to low-energy and low-carbon retrofit and new build.
With over 18 years of experience, James has delivered award-winning residential, community, and cultural projects that balance design quality with environmental performance. He champions collaborative, low-carbon design strategies that support healthier, more resilient places with a focus on comfort, performance, affordability, and long-term value.
Fran is a Partner at Anne Thorne Architects, a women-led firm exploring ideas through practice where participatory design is prioritised. In 2017, architect Fran designed a unique straw-bale home in Norfolk, aiming to meet the Passive House standard. Her home combines high-performance technologies with natural materials to create a comfortable, energy-efficient space.
Norfolk Straw-Bale Cottage Aims for Passive Energy
The Enterprise Centre is an inspirational and iconic building, designed and built to Passivhaus Standard. A beautiful light, bright, interior with stunning views of Earlham Park.
Five Rise Contractors is dedicated to building a more sustainable future.
Through our knowledge, innovation, and collaboration, we deliver fabric first deep retrofit building upgrades and highly effective and economical Passive Houses.
We’re proud to now manufacture Passive House timber frames within our group at Timbercraft Structures, further enhancing our commitment to high-performance buildings.
Visit our stand at the annual conference to discuss how we can help with your next project.
Partel is a leading developer and supplier of high-performance systems for the low-energy building sector. Combining their knowledge in architecture and engineering with technical expertise and a unique building physics approach providing an integrated range of Airtight and Windtight Systems, Thermal Bridging Solutions, and Ventilation Systems.
At 21° (formerly Green Building Store) we believe you thrive in the places where you experience comfort.
Delivering a low energy or Passivhaus building is complex, and you need a solution rather than a single product.
Established in 2007 and based in Ireland and the UK, Ecological Building Systems believe in a “Fabric First” approach to the design of healthy low energy sustainable buildings. Supporting architects, contractors, consultants and homeowners with high-quality, high-performance diffusion open natural building materials and solutions for newbuild and retrofit projects.
Recoup’s Waste Water Heat Recovery Systems for Showers (WWHRS) help cut energy use, lower bills, and reduce carbon emissions. Up to 90% of shower heat is lost down the drain. WWHRS recovers that heat energy and uses it to preheat cold water, which is then used in the shower and/or water heater, saving up to 60% of the energy per shower use.
Recoup’s range includes high efficiency vertical systems that are impacting Part L compliance for New Build, retrofit friendly systems for under baths and integrated shower tray replacements. These along with WWHRS integrated wet room drains and the first WWHRS compatible electric shower, the Mira Showers Heatloop™, allow any shower to reduce and save.
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