The stand was designed by Chetwoods Architects in collaboration with ISG and Interface, and sponsored by Mitsubishi.

The initiative is being led by our Thrive team, who advise on sustainability best practice and health and wellbeing in design. The partnership is a testament to the importance of collaborative efforts and proactive engagement in driving positive change within our industry.

As one of the most respected exhibitions and conferences for the built environment, Futurebuild showcases innovative solutions and inspiring ideas to drive sustainable construction.

The Stand Design and Construction

The theme of the UKGBC stand is ‘Systems Change’ and our team was eager for this to be reflected not only in the content of the stand, but in its physical design and construction.

We designed the stand to support and integrate with a range of activities that will be taking place on it, where attendees can craft, collaborate, and sketch their thoughts of what a regenerative, sustainable world might look like.

We are committed to reducing environmental impact and promoting circularity. All materials we have used in the stand have been sourced second-hand, or from accredited UKGBC members who support the transition towards a regenerative built environment system.

The shell is constructed entirely from reclaimed timber and OSB board, primarily sourced from the Community Wood Recycling Network. All the furniture was sourced from Go Green Managed Services, a commercial furniture reclamation company that saves furniture from offices, retail units, and reception areas from going to landfill, and gives it a new lease of life to be used again and again.

Even the recycled carpeting is carbon-negative and has been laid out to achieve zero waste in the mix of different coloured panels. The client wanted the carpet to be colourful and have a meaning to it, so we have created a design to reflect public awareness of climate change and net-zero initiatives while adding a visually impactful and meaningful element to the stand.

Based on the idea that “if everyone does their bit, we can reduce the effects on climate change” we correlated the results of a survey into public awareness of Net Zero and concern about climate change run by the DESNZ, to our selection and distribution of colours in the carpet’s design. It will be up to visitors to the stand to explore the relationship between the different colours based on their own level of optimism about public awareness of these issues.

Our Thrive Director, Philippa Birch-Wood, will be speaking on the panel discussion for ‘Circular Economy – The role of material passports to deliver circularity in the built environment’ at the building stage on Wednesday 6th March at 10:30am.

Our team will also be running a series of drop in Material Matters Workshops. The interactive workshops provide valuable education on sustainability in materials, including embodied carbon, health and wellbeing considerations, and understanding green building certifications. By engaging attendees in hands-on activities and demystifying industry terminology, the workshops empower participants to make more informed decisions in their own work.

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