CIBSE Technical Symposium 2026
March 2026 at Loughborough University, United Kingdom
Conference Agenda
Overview and details of the sessions of the CIBSE Technical Symposium 2026. Please select a date or location to show only sessions on that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view. For more information and to register your place please visit, https://www.cibse.org/symposium
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Session Overview |
| Date: Thursday, 26/Mar/2026 | |
| 8:30am - 9:15am | REG: Registration and welcome refreshments Location: EHB Atrium Find out more and register via https://www.cibse.org/symposium Please arrive in good time to receive your delegate badge. There will be refreshments served on arrival. |
| 9:15am - 9:55am | 1.1: Welcome and Keynote Location: EHB104 Session Chair: Mike Burton Opening Address by Dr. Anastasia Mylona, CIBSE Technical Director, followed by a Welcome from CIBSE Vice President, Mike Burton. Keynote Session (incl Q&A) by Professor Catherine Noakes, University of Leeds Integrating science, policy and practice for healthy and sustainable buildings Professor Cath Noakes OBE is the Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor Research and Innovation and Professor of Environmental Engineering for Buildings at the University of Leeds, UK. She is a chartered engineer with substantial experience leading research into buildings and health, particularly around ventilation, air quality and infection control. She has worked closely with policy, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, including contributing to UK SAGE committee, NHS guidance on healthcare environments, WHO groups, and work with the Royal Academy of Engineering. |
| 10:00am - 11:15am | 1.2: Session 2: Managing Airborne Infection: Ventilation Limits, Emission variability and Real World Practice Location: EHB104 |
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Airborne infection risk in marquees 1Loughborough University, United Kingdom; 2UCL; 3Movement Strategies; 4University of Greenwich Limits to the Effectiveness of Ventilation for Reducing Airborne Infection Risk Due to Widely Varying Emissions 1UCL, United Kingdom; 2University of Nottingham “We have to freeze or be deafened”: A survey on the effectiveness of CO₂ alarms in university spaces. University of Sheffield, United Kingdom |
| 10:00am - 11:15am | 1.3: Session 3: Retrofit for Real Homes: Energy Use, Comfort and Community Energy Location: EHB001 |
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Transforming 1920-1940s housing to minimise energy use and optimise comfort 1Cardiff University, United Kingdom; 2University of Bath, United Kingdom More than technical: towards people-centric practices in historic building retrofits Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (ESALA), University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom Rural Renewable Energy Towns for sustainable performance fit for 2050 The University of Manchester, United Kingdom |
| 10:00am - 11:15am | 1.4: Session 4: Climatic, Vernacular and Performance‑Driven Approaches in Environmental Building Design Location: EHB002 |
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From Symbolism to Sustainability: Post-Occupancy Daylight Evaluation of the National Assembly Mosque in Bangladesh Department of Architecture, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh Data-Driven Optimisation of Net Zero Energy Residential Buildings in Dhaka: Integrating Evolutionary Algorithms and Vernacular Wisdom in High-Density Urban Contexts 1Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Bangladesh, People's Republic of; 2Department of Architectural Studies, University of Missouri–Columbia, Missouri, USA Sense of Balcony: A Conceptual Model of Sense of Place in Housing Threshold Spaces Istanbul Okan University, Turkiye |
| 11:15am - 11:45am | Break: Refreshments and Networking Location: EHB Atrium |
| 11:45am - 1:00pm | 1.5: Session 5: Raising the Bar: Setting Standards for Reliable and Resilient Heat Networks Location: EHB104 Session Chair: Ellen Salazar |
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Heat Network Metering and Monitoring Standard: Regulating metering systems within UK heat networks FairHeat, United Kingdom Energy security, reliability and net zero investment in a heat network portfolio: Prioritising with limited data Translating Energy, United Kingdom Setting Resilience and Equipment Condition Standards for Heat Networks FairHeat, United Kingdom Setting Standards for Pressure in Heat Networks FairHeat, United Kingdom |
| 11:45am - 1:00pm | 1.6: Session 6: Circularity in Practice: Barriers, Enablers and Solutions Location: EHB001 |
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Navigating Complexity to Unlock Sustainable Building Reuse Building Safety Regulator - Health and Safety Executive The circularity potential of the Stadium building: existing reuse versus newbuild design for disassembly explored through recent case studies and interviews with their designers WSA, Cardiff University with Populous Architects, United Kingdom Unlocking Circularity in MEP and HVAC Systems: The Relevance of Digital Construction Ulster University, United Kingdom Sustainable workplace: Enhancing Health & Wellbeing through Circular Design Cundall, United Kingdom |
| 11:45am - 1:00pm | 1.7: Session 7:When Models Meet Reality: Understanding Thermal Performance in Buildings and Beyond Location: EHB002 |
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Beyond Simplistic Assumptions: The Critical Need for Advanced Infiltration Modelling in Dynamic Thermal Simulations Inkling, United Kingdom Limitations of Compliance Modelling in ‘Smart Building’ Evolution 1Bath Spa University, United Kingdom; 2Atamate, United Kingdom; 3University of Sussex, United Kingdom A Modelica-based Model for Dynamically Simulating the Energy Performance Degradation of Closed-loop Hydronic Heating Systems 1Loughborough University, United Kingdom; 2VEXO International Ltd Dynamic thermal modelling of roof insulation effects in a buried service reservoir: a UK case study Mott MacDonald, United Kingdom |
| 1:00pm - 2:15pm | Lunch: Lunch and Networking Location: EHB Atrium |
| 2:15pm - 3:15pm | 1.10: Session 10: Navigating Retrofit in Complex Public Buildings Location: EHB002 |
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Inclusive and Low-Carbon Mechanical Retrofit in Healthcare Hoare Lea, United Kingdom Planning whole house energy retrofits in social housing – investigating stakeholder needs to ensure effective and efficient decision making Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University, United Kingdom Internal Stakeholder Perspectives on Retrofit in the Museum Sector UCL, United Kingdom |
| 2:15pm - 3:15pm | 1.8: Session 8: Rethinking Certification for Healthier, Higher‑Performing Buildings Location: EHB104 Session Chair: Ellen Salazar |
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Passivhaus delivery lessons from two UK projects Introba, United Kingdom From Office Block to Award-Winning Residence: St Crispin’s House Champions Student Wellness Introba Consulting, United Kingdom Beyond Certification: Designing for Brain Health and Wellbeing through Certified Environments HKS Inc, United Kingdom |
| 2:15pm - 3:15pm | 1.9: Session 9:Measuring Thermal Behaviour and Envelope Performance Location: EHB001 Session Chair: Jaydeep Bhadra |
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Empirical Methods for Measuring Thermal Responsiveness in Buildings: Impacts of Monitoring Design on Short-Term Flexibility Assessment 1Loughbough university, United Kingdom; 2UCL, United kingdom Characterisation of dynamic building physics during overheating tests under controlled conditions 1University of Salford; 2Loughborough University MEZeroE Open Innovation Test Bed for building envelope products: fostering the collaboration between industry and research 1Eurac Research, Bolzano, Italy; 2Tecnalia, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Azpeitia, Spain; 3ZAG, Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute, Slovenia; 4ITeC, Barcelona, Spain; 5University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria; 6Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark; 7CUT, Cracow University of Technology, Poland; 8LEITAT Technological Center, Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain; 9Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy |
| 3:15pm - 3:35pm | Break 1.2: Refreshments and Networking Location: EHB Atrium |
| 3:35pm - 4:35pm | 1.11: Session 11: Heat Pumps: From Models to Measured Experience Location: EHB104 |
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A hybrid approach to predicting indoor temperature of residential heat pumps using system identification and physics-informed neural networks. 1Birmingham City University, United Kingdom; 2Birmingham City University's Centre for Future Homes Air source heat pump sizing: a sensitivity analysis The University of Huddersfield, United Kingdom Heat pump noise in schools: influence of heat pump placement on noise exposure University of Salford, United Kingdom |
| 3:35pm - 4:35pm | 1.12: Session 12:Transforming Building Services with AI and Machine Learning Location: EHB001 Session Chair: Divya Chavda |
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A High-fidelity Multi-Building Simulation Platform for Reinforcement Learning-based Coordinated Control Strategies Training and Benchmarking University College London, United Kingdom Integrating Surrogate Modeling and LLMs for Data-Driven Life-Cycle Carbon Assessment in Building Retrofitsarning Approaches School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, UCD Energy Institute, University College Dublin, Ireland An AI-Powered Feedback Ecosystem for Circular and Carbon-Conscious Building Design Cundall, United Kingdom |
| 3:35pm - 4:35pm | 1.13: Session 13: Overheating and Health Risk in a Hotter Climate: Weather Data, Cooling and Resilience Location: EHB002 Session Chair: Jasmine Ng |
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Developing Location-Specific Weather Data for Resilient Building Design in Remote Climates Mott Macdonald, United Kingdom Where air conditioning is essential - Raising a red flag ten times University of Leeds, United Kingdom Assessing overheating risks of UK buildings and severity of health impacts Hoare Lea, United Kingdom |
| 4:40pm - 6:05pm | 1.14: Session 14: Panel Discussion Location: EHB104 Session Chair: Vanda Dimitriou Session Chair: Bill McQuade Hear from guest speaker Bill McQuade, ASHRAE President, followed by a Panel Discussion chaired by Vanda Dimitriou (Loughborough University) and Bill McQuade (ASHRAE President). Fit for 2050: Are Building Services Engineers Being Replaced, Repositioned - or Reinvented by AI?”
Bringing together leading academics, practitioners, and professional voices, the session will explore how AI is reshaping performance, simulation, wellbeing, and the future role of the engineer - challenging assumptions and inviting the audience into the conversation.
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| Date: Friday, 27/Mar/2026 | |
| 8:30am - 9:00am | 2.REG: Registration and refreshments Location: EHB104 |
| 9:00am - 9:15am | 2.15: Session 15 Location: EHB104 Opening Address by Hannah Gray - CIBSE ASHRAE Graduate of the Year Winner Designing Buildings Fit for 2050: A Next Generation Perspective This opening address reflects on what it means for buildings to be “fit for 2050”, moving beyond compliance towards real performance, resilience, and inclusive design. It highlights the role of research, data, and collaboration in delivering buildings that support both people and the planet.
Hannah Gray is a mechanical engineer at Foster + Partners and the current CIBSE ASHRAE Graduate of the Year. She is a graduate from the University of Edinburgh with First Class Honours in Mechanical Engineering. Alongside her professional practice, Hannah is actively involved in mentoring and graduate development, supporting early-career engineers through a range of industry engagement initiatives. Her work focuses on integrating technical design decisions with measurable sustainability outcomes, with a particular interest in how engineering strategies can support high-performance, environmentally responsible buildings. |
| 9:20am - 10:35am | 2.16: Session 16: Delivering Heat Networks in Practice: Costs, Integration and System Optimisation Location: EHB104 Session Chair: Ben Arnold |
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Benchmarking operational energy performance of higher educational institutions in England and Wales and analysing energy use characteristics 1UCL Institute of Environmental Design and Engineering, University College London; 2UCL Institute of Environmental Design and Engineering, University College London Investigating Categorisation of Hospitals for Energy Performance Evaluation Purposes in the UK Using Data-driven Approach UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, University College London, United Kingdom Comparing energy use calculations from SBEM and a DSM 1BRE; 2ERS Consultants Ltd |
| 9:20am - 10:35am | 2.17: Session 17: Digital Twins in Practice: Connecting BIM, BEM, and Building Controls for Real Performance Location: EHB001 |
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The impact of Level of Detail on the interoperability between Building Information Modelling and Building Energy Modelling. A validated approach using real-world data Loughborough University, United Kingdom Demonstration of an Active Control Methodology in a Rehabilitation Building in Estonia using Optimisation Techniques and Physics-Based Simulations IES, United Kingdom Making the sensors make sense CPW, United Kingdom |
| 9:20am - 10:35am | 2.18: Session 18: Closing the Carbon Gap: From Early-Stage Design to Transitional Technologies Location: EHB002 |
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Bridging the Performance Gap: A Whole Life Carbon Optioneering Tool for Early-Stage Housing Design Energy Systems Catapult, United Kingdom Investigating the Efficacy of Building Standards in Reflecting the Benefits of Low-Carbon Building Materials Heriot-Watt University, United Kingdom Domestic Carbon Capture as a Transitional Technology in the Path to Net Zero Glasgow Caledonian University, United Kingdom |
| 10:35am - 10:55am | Break 2.1: Break Location: EHB Atrium |
| 11:00am - 12:15pm | 2.19: Session 19: Modelling Overheating Risk: Modelling, Testing and Validation Location: EHB104 |
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Adapting the UK Building Stock to Future Heat Stress: Typology-Based Overheating Risk and Mitigation Modelling 1Hoare Lea, United Kingdom; 2UK Green Building Council Robustness of Part O overheating mitigation guidelines to future UK climate scenarios Loughborough University, United Kingdom Reliable overheating modelling in modern apartments: empirical validation 1Loughborough University, United Kingdom; 2Hilson Moran Partnership Ltd.; 3Inkling LLP; 4EDSL Ltd.; 5Porritt Associates |
| 11:00am - 12:15pm | 2.20: Session 20: Delivering Heat Networks in Practice: Costs, Integration and System Optimisation Location: EHB001 |
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Towards Net-Zero: A Comprehensive Cost Estimation Model for Building Connections to District Heating Systems FairHeat, United Kingdom Decarbonising Heat in Social Housing: A Retrofit Pilot Integrating Low-Temperature Heat Networks FairHeat, United Kingdom Optimising Anchor load buildings on District Heat Networks Fresh Heat Networks, United Kingdom Decarbonisation of UK Leisure Centre Using District Heat Networks: Understanding Existing Occupancy Heating Demand 1Ramboll, United Kingdom; 2Loughborough University |
| 11:00am - 12:15pm | 2.21: Session 21: Indoor Air Quality in Workplaces: Pollutants, Plants and People Location: EHB002 |
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Indoor air quality and ventilation – the challenge of controlling indoor NO2 in modern office buildings University College London, United Kingdom LARGE SCALE EXPERIMENTS ON THE IMPACT OF GREEN LIVING WALLS ON INDOOR AIR QUALITY OF OFFICE BUILDINGS 1University College London (UCL); 2University College London (UCL) Quantifying Formaldehyde Purification Efficiency by Moss (Physcomitrella patens) under Controlled Environment University College London, United Kingdom Occupancy in office buildings: insights from 22 meeting rooms in central London ARUP, United Kingdom |
| 12:00pm - 1:15pm | 2. Lunch: Lunch and Networking Location: EHB Atrium |
| 1:15pm - 2:30pm | 2.22: Session 22: Mitigating Overheating: Proven, Overlooked and Emergency Strategies Location: EHB104 Session Chair: Jaydeep Bhadra |
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Mitigating future summertime overheating in houses: influence of ventilation strategies Loughborough University, United Kingdom Yoghurt on windows as an emergency, low-cost heatwave preparation intervention 1Loughborough University, United Kingdom; 2Heatwave Toolkit dot com Plant or Plants? A Cross-disciplinary Investigation of Green Infrastructure's (GI) integration in Low Carbon Healthy Design 1Model Environments; 2Max Fordham's LLP |
| 1:15pm - 2:30pm | 2.23: Session 23: Smart Resource Systems for 2050: Technology, Policy & User Behaviour Location: EHB001 |
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Optimising the Integration of PV in CHP-Operated Hospitals: Overcoming Conflicts on the Road to Net Zero London South Bank University, United Kingdom Data Centres, Heat Recovery and the Route to Net Zero WB Power Services Ltd, United Kingdom Advantages of vacuum drainage is water-scarce areas and healthcare environment JETS Vacuum AS, United Kingdom From Transparency to Trust: Why Complex Tariffs Create ‘Sustainability Fatigue’ and Undermine Occupant-Driven Decarbonisation University of Galway, Ireland |
| 1:15pm - 2:30pm | 2.24: Session 24: Designing Indoor Environments for Wellbeing and Human Performance Location: EHB002 |
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Clean Air, Cloudy Evidence: Reassessing Ventilation, IAQ, and Learning Outcomes in Schools 1UCL, United Kingdom; 2University of Nottingham Non-Visual Lighting Strategies for Circadian Well-being in Educational Spaces: An Integrative Case Study 1Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architecture, Istanbul, Turkiye, Assoc. Prof. Dr.; 2Istanbul Technical University, Environmental Control and Construction Technology MSc Programme, Istanbul, Türkiye; 3Marmara University, Department of Architecture, Istanbul, Turkey, Research Assistant In the race to achieve Net Zero, have we forgot to M.E.G.A. Make Environments Great Again. Does designing for people performance in an Air Traffic Control Tower increase energy use. 1Jacobs, United Kingdom; 2Jacobs, United Kingdom Indoor Air Quality in Homes retrofitted with Heat Pumps and Electric Cooking Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom |
| 2:40pm - 3:55pm | 2.25: Session 25: Smarter HVAC Sizing for Net Zero: Methods, Comfort and Early-Stage Decision-Making Location: EHB104 |
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Bridging the Gap Between Steady-State and Dynamic Load Modelling: A Sizing Methodology for Net-Zero HVAC Design in Office Buildings Hoare Lea, United Kingdom Rethinking Thermal Comfort in the Middle East: Localised CLO Inputs and Sustainable HVAC Design for Open Bowl Stadia Loughborough University, United Kingdom Early design sizing solutions for building services system under different uncertainties. 1Open University, Milton Keynes,UK.; 2Low Carbon Europe,Brighton,UK. |
| 2:40pm - 3:55pm | 2.26: Session 26: Data Driven Insights for High-Performing Buildings Location: EHB001 |
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From Controlled Experiments to Real-World Insights: A “Test bed Building” framework for Post-Occupancy Evaluation of Building Envelope Systems 1Institute for Renewable Energy, Eurac Research, Bolzano, Italy; 2Fire Laboratory and Fire Engineering, Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG), Ljubljana, Slovenia; 3Focchi Spa, Poggio Torriana, Italy Leveraging High-Granularity Operational Data to Inform Building Control Strategies, Indoor Air Quality and Performance Gap Considerations 1Atamate, United Kingdom; 2University of Oxford, United Kingdom From Compliance to Performance: Embedding Indoor Air Quality in Sustainable Workplaces for Occupant Wellbeing within a B Corp Framework Hilson Moran, United Kingdom Data-Driven Optimisation of Electrified Heating Systems: A Case Study on the University of Warwick Campus. University of Warwick, United Kingdom |
| 2:40pm - 3:55pm | 2.27: Session 27: Net Zero Pathways for Public Estates: Strategic Approaches Across Sectors Location: EHB002 |
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A Collaborative Framework for Developing a Net Zero Pathway Across England’s School Estate 1Mott MacDonald, United Kingdom; 2The Bartlett, UCL Faculty of the Built Environment A Prioritised Net Zero Carbon Pathway for the DfE Schools Estate: Outputs and Strategic Insights 1Mott MacDonald, United Kingdom; 2The Bartlett, UCL Faculty of the Built Environment Towards Net-Zero Operational Carbon: Strategic Retrofitting and Energy Optimisation of Middlesex University College Building 1Middlesex University; 2Arup, United Kingdom |
| 4:00pm - 4:25pm | CLOSE: Closing Remarks Location: EHB104 Closing Remarks by Anastasia Mylona, CIBSE Technical Director, followed by Awards and closing drinks reception. |