Make buildings better
The winners have now been selected - you can find out all about them and their ideas here. |
This competition has closed. Thank you to everyone that entered.
Designing Buildings Wiki and BSRIA are looking for fresh, innovative ideas from all disciplines in response to the question:
How can we make buildings better?
We are looking for original ideas for improving the performance of buildings in use. We want short answers, not long essays. Your idea might only take a paragraph, or even a sentence to explain, and you don’t need to be a seasoned property professional to enter.
The winner will receive £500 worth of BSRIA membership, training or publications, and along with 4 runners-up, will be featured in the July edition of BSRIA's Delta T magazine and on Designing Buildings Wiki.
Entering is simple – you can do it in 2 mins. All you have to do is register on Designing Buildings Wiki and type your idea into the box at the bottom of the registration page where it says ‘MORE ABOUT ME’. That’s it. If you want to change your idea, or if you're already registered, just log in, click ‘Edit My Profile’ and type your idea into the 'MORE ABOUT ME' box.
The competition closes on Wednesday 18 May.
Click here to enter and type your idea into the 'MORE ABOUT ME' box at the bottom. |
A bit more detail about the question
The UK is not on track to halve greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2025 or to achieve an 80% reduction by 2050. This affects our contribution to the COP21 goal agreed in Paris last year for keeping global warming well below 2 degrees centigrade.
47% of UK carbon emissions are generated by, or influenced by, the construction industry, and 80% of those emissions are from buildings in use. So if the performance of buildings does not improve, we are unlikely to achieve our emissions targets.
But buildings in use continue to consume far more energy than is predicted during design. The latest figures from Innovate UK’s Building Performance Evaluation Programme found the emissions from the homes they assessed were 2.6 times higher than their building regulations calculations, and for non-domestic buildings were 3.8 times higher.
Something is very wrong, and radical change is needed.
So it’s time to dust off all those wild ideas you dreamt up in the middle of the night, write down the answers to the world’s problems that usually occur to you in the pub, and tell us what can be done to reduce the emissions of buildings in use.
Here are some ideas to get you thinking:
- Introduce smarter and greener technology.
- Tighten regulations.
- Ration carbon.
- Create legal consequences for poor performance.
- Control unregulated energy use.
- Improve training for specifiers, installers and users.
- Monitor correct operation and share lessons learned.
Entries will be judged by representatives of BSRIA and Designing Buildings Wiki, based on originality, practicality and compliance with the competition terms and conditions.
If you’ve got any questions, email us at [email protected].
Featured articles and news
The UK's Modern Industrial Strategy: A 10 year plan
Previous consultation criticism, current key elements and general support with some persisting reservations.
Building Safety Regulator reforms
New roles, new staff and a new fast track service pave the way for a single construction regulator.
Architectural Technologist CPDs and Communications
CIAT CPD… and how you can do it!
Cooling centres and cool spaces
Managing extreme heat in cities by directing the public to places for heat stress relief and water sources.
Winter gardens: A brief history and warm variations
Extending the season with glass in different forms and terms.
Restoring Great Yarmouth's Winter Gardens
Transforming one of the least sustainable constructions imaginable.
Construction Skills Mission Board launch sector drive
Newly formed government and industry collaboration set strategy for recruiting an additional 100,000 construction workers a year.
New Architects Code comes into effect in September 2025
ARB Architects Code of Conduct and Practice available with ongoing consultation regarding guidance.
Welsh Skills Body (Medr) launches ambitious plan
The new skills body brings together funding and regulation of tertiary education and research for the devolved nation.
Paul Gandy FCIOB announced as next CIOB President
Former Tilbury Douglas CEO takes helm.
UK Infrastructure: A 10 Year Strategy. In brief with reactions
With the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA).
Ebenezer Howard: inventor of the garden city. Book review.
The Grenfell Tower fire, eight years on
A time to pause and reflect as Dubai tower block fire reported just before anniversary.
Airtightness Topic Guide BSRIA TG 27/2025
Explaining the basics of airtightness, what it is, why it's important, when it's required and how it's carried out.
Construction contract awards hit lowest point of 2025
Plummeting for second consecutive month, intensifying concerns for housing and infrastructure goals.
Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment 2025
Examining the state of mental health in construction, shedding light on levels of stress, anxiety and depression.