Virtual Build Better: Effective implementation of environmental assessment.

Practical experiences in achieving resilience and building sustainably better 

Join us for our morning seminar event on Wednesday, 22nd September 2021 to discuss the following: 

• Industry experts sharing their thoughts and practical experiences 

• Focus on the various methods available to measure environmental performances 

• EPD’s and LCA in Environmental assessment  

• What works, what doesn’t 

• What are the right sustainability questions to ask for your project? 

• How to best collaborate and achieve your sustainability goals? 

 

The annual World Green Building week runs this year from the 20th to 24th September. Championed by the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC), this year’s theme focuses on Building Resilience for climate, people and economies. As part of many sustainability development objectives, achieving long term Building Resilience can be affected by our decisions and actions throughout all phases of design, construction and occupancy.    

Recognising the need to tackle the climate change challenges we face, Governments across the world are setting increasing challenging targets. In Ireland we have recently seen such intent with the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill, with its ambitious 2030 and 2050 emissions reduction and climate-resilient targets. These targets go far beyond simple energy efficiency and there will be a definite need to ‘step up our game’ in a more widespread fashion within the construction sector. 

However, as with most things in life, if we want to improve, we must benchmark and measure. Following the successes of our previous events, our third online Build Better seminar event aims to highlight and discuss the practical use of the prominent metrics that have been developed and are being used to measure sustainability characteristics in the built environment and construction sector. 

Join us and welcome several guest speaker industry experts sharing their knowledge, thoughts and practical experiences regarding a range of prominent environmental performance metrics. These will include whole building environmental accreditation schemes through to the appropriate sustainability performance measurement of individual systems and materials. 

Sign up to our 3rd Virtual Build Better! 

Agenda 

9:15 Jason Horrex, Saint-Gobain 

Welcome & Introduction 

 

9:30 Kat Mazur, Meehan Green  

Materials Selection: from Spec to Site 

 

9:55 Tony Grace – Ethos Engineering  

Achieving resilience in design; Using sustainability ratings to guide meaningful outcomes 

 

10:20 Kelly Geoghegan – Structure Tone 

Boots on the Ground: A Contractor’s Perspective on demonstrating Building Resilience through environmental accreditation. 

 

10:50 Break 

 

11:05 Stephen Barrett, Irish Green Building Council  

What does good look like? Whole Life Carbon – the methodology, tools and benchmarks for reporting 

 

11:30 David Brady - Saint-Gobain Gypoc & Isover 

Simple detailing but effective demonstration of building resilience 

 

11:40 Fintan Smyth – Saint-Gobain Gyproc & Isover 

Collaborating to build better  

 

12:05: Q&A 

 

Speakers 

Kat Mazur – Meehan Green 

Kat Mazur, Sustainability Consultant at Meehan Green with an interest in sustainable building materials and healthy environments. Practicing WELL AP and LEED AP, I've international experience in supporting construction teams on their sustainability paths in a variety of data centre, pharmaceutical and office projects. 

 

Tony Grace – Ethos Engineering 

Tony is a senior consultant in the Sustainability Team at Ethos and a specialist in sustainable built environment. With over 16 years’ experience of managing environmental performance, he has in-depth knowledge of sustainable construction, environmental management, and building energy management to projects. Tony has extensive experience of developing and managing low-carbon retrofit, and is highly skilled in balancing sustainability goals with user experience and budget expectations. 

 

Kelly Geoghegan – Structure Tone 

Kelly Geoghegan is the BC(a)R and Sustainability Manager in Structure Tone’s Dublin office.  As part of one of the leading fit-out contractors in Ireland, she brings a passion for sustainability and incorporating health and wellness into the built environment.  She is an accredited LEED Green Associate™ and Fitwel Ambassador, and has introduced new technologies and strategies for advancing sustainable building.  She has worked with numerous design teams, clients, and consultants to help successfully deliver multiple LEED and WELL projects 

 

Stephen Barrett - IGBC 

Stephen joined IGBC in 2020 to work on Whole Life Carbon projects. He is working on Level(s), the EU initiative to promote a common language around the environmental performance of buildings, and the WGBC #BuildingLife campaign set up to drive change in public policy and private sector awareness of WLC . He has an MSc. in Sustainability & Adaptation in the Built Environment – his thesis focused on Life Cycle Analysis methodology and application and WLC assessment at the building level. His background is in data management, analysis and presentation. 

 

Fintan Smyth - Saint-Gobain 

Fintan is the Building Physics Manager at Saint-Gobain Construction Products Ireland. He manages the technical department including technical support and training through our Technical Academy. With over 20 years’ experience in sustainable design, conservation and construction technology, Fintan specialises in building physics. 

• Date: Wednesday, 22nd September 2021 

• Time: 9.00 - 12.30 

• Location: Online