Exploring the non-visual effects of lighting

The 2023 Jean Heap Bursary has helped fund an advanced eye-tracking headset, which is allowing lighting designer and researcher Simone Bonavia to assess how lighting affects people’s non-visual functions

Building on performance: CIBSE awards analysis

The quality of data in entries to the CIBSE Building Performance Awards is improving, says Julie Godefroy, who reveals new categories for the 2025 accolades, which are now open for submissions

Keeping fit with less energy: Ravelin Sports Centre

Designers behind the Ravelin Sports Centre have crunched its energy-use numbers down to an impressive 87kWh·m-2 per year, less than half that required to achieve a DEC ‘A’ rating. Andy Pearson discovers how an innovative mix of passive and active technologies produced a sector-leading building that won a CIBSE Building Performance Award

Plantroom pioneer: CIBSE Engineer of the Year Phil Draper

Phil Draper has been pioneering heat pump retrofits in commercial buildings since 2012 and has now been recognised as CIBSE’s Engineer of the Year. Andy Pearson finds out what the industry can learn from his innovative and collaborative approach

A model retrofit: the Building Simulation Award 2023 winner

The integrated modelling of an office retrofit in Weybridge won Yorgos Koronaios the Building Simulation Award 2023. Savills Earth’s Alexandros Chalkias MCIBSE looks at the work that gained Building 100 an impressive Nabers Design for Performance rating of 5.5

The X Factor: XCO2’s holistic approach to environmental consultancy

CIBSE Building Performance Award Winner XCO2 was set up to provide MEP and environmental engineering, which has enabled a holistic approach to building design, focusing on passive design and ‘barely there’ services. Andy Pearson speaks to co-founder Tom Kordel

Reaching new heights: the all-timber Black and White office building

A six-storey timber façade at the Black and White office building in London helped slash embodied carbon and won its engineer an SFE Façade 2023 Design and Engineering Award. Andy Pearson finds out how the winning design was engineered while alleviating safety risks