Built Environment - Smarter Transformation

What is the vision behind retrofitting our building to zero emissions? For us at BE-ST, the milestone of converting 50,000 non-domestic buildings to zero-emissions heat by 2030 isn’t a mandate – it’s a mission – so the National Retrofit Centre is set to become a living, breathing case study for retrofitting, leading by example and offering a tangible model for the industry to learn from and replicate. Hear Head of Retrofit Caitriona Jordan share an overview of the broader plan and vision for the retrofit. Read more here ▶️ https://lnkd.in/gAeZMAt3 Clark Contracts | John Gilbert Architects | Lùths Services | Brown + Wallace | Narro | CDM Scotland Ltd

A group of University of Strathclyde students, who are studying a mix of retrofit and Passivhaus, visited BE-ST last week. They heard about and toured the retrofit of Scotland's National Retrofit Centre while also gaining experience with airtightness taping, insulation and the retrofit roof rigs, on the training side of the facility.

BE-ST's Caitriona Jordan and Lynsey Brydson both feature in the latest episode of The Futurebuild Podcast! Caitriona Jordan, our Associate Director of Retrofit & Energy Efficiency, joins host Martin Hurn to discuss the critical importance of collaboration in delivering retrofit at scale and accelerating progress to net zero. Later, our Impact Programmes Director, Lynsey Brydson, looks back on 10 years of BE-ST, sharing insights into innovation in timber construction, and how diversity, partnership and policy are shaping a more inclusive, sustainable future for the built environment. Listen to the full episode here ➡️ https://buff.ly/bH5NHwO

🚨 Funding opportunity. The Scotland Beyond Net Zero seed fund for 2025-2026 is open for applications. The scheme is open to academics from participating universities, with awards of up to £15,000 to support potentially high-impact collaborative and interdisciplinary work on Scotland’s climate challenges. The deadline is 5pm, Friday 23rd May 2025. Find out more ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ee2zQrNH

BE-ST has been commissioned by Scottish Enterprise to create a digital map of the businesses working within and supporting Energy Efficiency, Decarbonisation and Retrofit across Scotland, aimed at improving Scottish companies' access to customers and vice versa. As part of this research, we are looking at existing public sector frameworks and their efficacy in helping customers and suppliers access the marketplace. The research will focus predominantly on Scotland Excel, SPA and PfH frameworks; but we are keen to hear about any and all routes to market you may utilise. ➡️ Please let us know your thoughts by completing this survey: https://buff.ly/RcjxOWl ⏰ This survey should take 10-12 minutes to complete

The Transforming Timber project has been shortlisted as MMC Project of The Year at the CN Awards 2025. Transforming Timber is a collaborative knowledge hub promoting the use of Homegrown Mass Timber making it a first choice material for specifiers, designers and contractors and contributing towards a sustainable society and a thriving sawmill industry. Project outputs have included: 🎓 GenZero classroom: A construction kit of parts, creating a platform to build sustainable schools that meet the challenges of climate change. 🏠 COP26 homegrown demonstrator: An element of this project was the construction of the UK’s first two-storey, two-bedroom homegrown mass timber duplex ⚡ Scottish Power training building: A fully demountable, allowing Scottish Power the flexibility to move the workshop as and when required. Find out more about Transforming Timber ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eU9iuNW2 View the full shortlist ➡️ https://lnkd.in/enZskcir NMITE | Ecosystems Technologies | Edinburgh Napier University | The University of Edinburgh | Timber Development UK | Scottish Forestry

Do you know what CLT is but haven’t had the chance to use it? Mass timber is fast becoming a core material in low-carbon construction, yet many built environment professionals still haven’t had the opportunity to work with it hands-on. If you’ve found yourself saying “I get what CLT is, but I don’t know where to start,” this training day is for you. Join us on Wednesday 28 May 2025 at BE-ST Innovation Campus for a full day of practical and theoretical learning with cross-laminated timber. From morning presentations with sector-leading experts to an afternoon assembling a real-world timber model, this course is designed to boost your knowledge and confidence. You’ll get to grips with detailing, junctions, and key construction phases, avoiding the common mistakes that happen during design and on site. 📆 28th May | 8am–5pm | £50 per person 📍 BE-ST Innovation Campus ➡️ Register here: https://buff.ly/GL1GwUB Glulam Solutions Ltd. | Mass Timber Academy | INTELLIGENT WOOD SYSTEMS LIMITED | Ecosystems Technologies | Graeme Milne | Daniel Vazquez | Peter Wilson | Dave Cleverley | Matt Stevenson

We are hosting interactive workshops to demonstrate the ideas behind our ALCHEMAI project for the local communities in Bassetlaw District Council on 7 May. The sessions will explore how we plan to use cutting edge digital technologies to make council buildings work smarter, not harder, in addition to a hands-on show and tell of the technologies we plan to use. 📍 Session 1: Retford Town Hall 📅 Wednesday 7th May, 10am – 12pm 📍 Session 2: Bircotes Leisure Centre 📅 Wednesday 7th May, 2pm – 4pm 🔗 If you or anyone you know lives in Bassetlaw District Council, join the conversation - https://lnkd.in/eWVyEPCK

Join us at the Innovation Centre Roadshow alongside The Data Lab - Innovation Centre, Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre and Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre. Why Attend? 💬 Explore high-growth sectors: Gain valuable insights into four key industries driving Scotland’s future - Bio-Based Manufacturing & Biotechnology, Digital Health, Construction and Data & AI. 💡 Learn from real-world innovation: Discover case studies showcasing how innovation is transforming these sectors. 🔑 Unlock opportunities: Explore funding options, business connections, innovation support, cutting-edge facilities and skills development tailored to your needs. 👩 Engage with experts: Meet the teams behind Scotland’s Innovation Centres and learn how they can support your ambitions. 🌍 Share your vision: Connect with us to discuss your interests, expertise, and challenges - we’re here to help you succeed Sign up ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eRe2epku

"The mission is for the retrofit sector in Scotland to thrive." - Rob Morrison Our Together Days aim to build a community of people working in retrofit to help co-design the activities and projects of Retrofit Scotland to ensure we create meaningful value for the community we wish to serve and support. At our first Retrofit Scotland Together Day on 25 February at Civic House, we received a lot of fantastic feedback. We couldn’t capture all the ideas discussed, but in this article we summarise the key points gathered, to document our journey shaping the development of Retrofit Scotland together. ➡️ Read the full article - https://lnkd.in/eN93saDe 🗞️ Subscribe to our newsletter to join us at the next Together Day - https://lnkd.in/en33Uh55