2026 Building Performance Winners

Winner: Engentica - EMSD, Government of Hong Kong

The digital innovations in this category spanned the full lifecycle of building design and operation, with all entrants manifesting ground-breaking thought and impacts. But Engentica, a unified digital platform designed to transform operations and maintenance (O&M) in building facility management was a worthy winner. Engentica, which has been successfully embedded across five government venues in Hong Kong, comprises two integrated modules: a digital operations and maintenance system, and agentic AI, an intelligent layer that enables predictive analytics, energy analysis and fault diagnosis.

The platform is underpinned by a standardised semantic modelling framework, providing a structured, machine-readable representation of electrical and mechanical systems and their inter-relationships. This allows frontline staff to quickly identify affected systems and locations. Engentica provides step-by-step troubleshooting using real-time data and semantic reasoning. Engineers and management gain insights into energy efficiency and system performance, driving strategic decisions.

Since Engentica’s launch in early 2025, over 3,800 work orders have been processed. Approval workflows allow facility managers to monitor task status in real time, with automated alerts for outstanding work, and clear task visibility and accountability. Engineers benefit from a unified platform view, improving coordination and oversight.

Judges Comments: “This entry was a true organisational change. The scale and type of change was impressive and is going to have a true impact on the performance of all buildings. The continued impact following feedback from academia and the wider industry is commendable, with the organisation continuing to search for further improvements.”

Winner: B201 Redevelopment - Beca

The University of Auckland’s 1970s human sciences building B201 had become an outdated, unsustainable and earthquake-prone structure. The design team was challenged to go beyond the initial light-touch refurbishment and demolition/rebuild options and deliver a transformational adaptive reuse development to achieve world-leading sustainability and better value for money.

Incorporating earthquake engineering analysis, reduced structural load and an innovative heat pump system delivering 100% electric heating has turned B201 into a world-class 26,500m² facility including offices, studios, labs and breakout areas – and won a 6 Green Star rating (93/100), the highest points in the rating system’s history.

B201’s carbon journey exemplifies ‘building less’ by strengthening and expanding the existing structure, and has extended its lifespan for another 50 years. Decarbonisation of B201 and the surrounding buildings is estimated to reduce operational carbon emissions by approximately 700 to 900 tons annually, or 14,000 to18,000 tons over the lifespan of the plant. This represents a reduction of 5% to 8% in the university’s natural gas emissions relative to the baseline year (2019).

Judges Comments: “Comprehensive, honest, holistic approach, consideration of material selection, thorough consideration of climate change and exemplary demonstration of every category in building performance. This project could be described as achieving the ‘greatest hits of benchmarks’.”

Sponsor: ABB

Winner: Buro Happold

Buro Happold’s commitment to net zero carbon projects is reflected in its two key climate targets: by 2030 it intends to design all new-build projects as net zero carbon in operation, and to reduce the embodied carbon intensity of all new buildings, major retrofits and infrastructure projects by 50% from a 2020 baseline.

The firm’s recent implementation of PAS 2080 principles establishes a structured approach to managing whole-life carbon emissions across all disciplines and supply chain levels. By embedding carbon considerations across project stage, carbon reduction opportunities are systematically identified and acted upon, enhancing building performance and supporting Buro Happold’s commitment to sustainability via tools and processes currently being embedded into management procedures.

Innovation is a core strength of the company. An internal ‘jetpack’ innovation fund continues to offer up to £10,000 to anyone in the firm with an innovative idea. Recent projects include a material passports tool, sensory mapping for the built environment and urban AI. 

For its London office fit-out, Buro Happold achieved WELL ‘Platinum’ in May 2025 and BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ in January 2025 and it drove an ultra-low upfront embodied carbon score for the fit-out of 75 kgCO2/m². The recent WELL POE performance review verified all 80 out of 80 POE points attempted, including 10 innovation points on carbon disclosure and reduction.

Judges Comments: “The standout features of BH were an internal ‘innovation fund’ of £100,000, to which all employees could apply for a £10,000 budget to develop an innovation; undertaking pro bono work for projects across the world; and the highest scores from both clients and staff.”

Winner: Willmott Dixon

Energy Synergy® is Willmott Dixon’s proprietary building performance service designed to monitor operational energy and close the performance gap between design and in use, averaging 34% in non-domestic buildings. Eliminating this waste has a positive impact on customers’ operational costs and carbon emissions.

Energy Synergy® monitors all aspects of operational energy performance, including heating, ventilation, small power and domestic hot water. The process is integrated into customers’ building management systems to capture energy use data, typically over a three-year post-occupancy period.

The building performance system is actively monitoring 16 projects, providing customer facilities teams with AI-supported dashboard data and technical support from building performance experts. Buildings with 12 or more months of monitoring demonstrate an average 15% better-than-predicted performance compared with TM54 projections.

Bassaleg School in South Wales exemplifies the exceptional results that can be achieved with a -21% performance gap (271,292 kWh vs 341,998 kWh target), outperforming typical UK schools which average 70-80% performance gaps. This delivers annual savings of 327,204 kWh, 65.11 tonnes CO₂e, and £98,161, representing a 7:1 return on the £14,000 three-year Energy Synergy® package.

Judges Comments: “Willmott Dixon showed a long -standing commitment to building performance monitoring and it was great to see this great body of work bearing fruit. The scale of projects assessed, and the honesty in the submission over the real-world difficulties of collecting data stood out.”

Sponsor: CMR

Winner: Buro Happold

Highly Commended: SCS & Introba Consulting

Buro Happold’s MEP and Sustainability teams have delivered embodied carbon assessments of building services systems across multiple projects using the RICS Whole Life Carbon Assessment (WLCA) 2nd Edition methodology, supported by Environmental Product Declarations via OneClick LCA.

Recognising the lack of detailed information at early design stages, the firm developed a bespoke ‘Rapid Scheduler’ tool that uses RICS rules of thumb and in-house expertise to estimate quantities for more than 200 building services items. This allows it to report whole-building embodied carbon with sufficient buffer, avoiding unrealistic targets for clients and stakeholders.

Across projects, early-stage assessments and targeted specification strategies have proven effective in delivering measurable reductions in embodied carbon, supporting low-carbon design and aligning with net zero objectives. An integrated approach has provided meaningful insights at each stage, supporting informed design decisions and contributing to full-building WLCA efforts.

Buro Happold has actively promoted its MEP embodied carbon work through industry engagement, knowledge sharing, and policy development, including through delivering a series of online masterclasses.

Judges Comments: “Impressive engagement activities to raise awareness of the impact of embodied carbon in the construction industry. Buro Happold has shown a consistent way of addressing embodied carbon and whole life in its projects, processes and contribution to the industry.”

Sponsor: CIBSE Lifecycle Carbon Assessment Training (LCA)

Winner: One Creative Environments

In response to rising energy costs and growing environmental responsibility, ONE Creative Environments (ONE) partnered with its building landlord, Prime, to transform their shared headquarters into a high-performance, low-carbon workplace.

An inventive funding model allowed ONE to successfully encourage the landlord to invest in energy efficiency improvements. The works were financed through the service charge, offset by the resulting savings on energy bills, creating a self-funding, win-win arrangement. The success of the model demonstrates how genuine partnership between landlord and tenant can deliver measurable improvements in building performance, sustainability and commercial outcomes.

Together, the team designed and delivered a retrofit programme that included low-energy LED lighting, air source heat pumps, enhanced sensor automation and expanded EV charging infrastructure. As a result, energy costs were reduced by 75%, the EPC rating rose from D to A, indoor environmental quality improved across multiple metrics, and staff satisfaction increased, all while the company grew in size and maintained a lower carbon footprint per employee.

Judges Comments: “In a market where capital constraints often stall retrofit and renovation efforts, this model provides a powerful demonstration of how aligned incentives and collaborative thinking can unlock progress. By combining open-source tools with a pragmatic financial structure, the team showed a route that others across the sector could realistically adopt.”

Winner: Hong Kong Children's Hospital - Hospital Authority

Highly Commended: Landsec - BGIS Global Integrated Solutions

Hong Kong Children’s Hospital’s facilities management (FM) team has pioneered a transformative approach to ensure safe, reliable and exceptional caring for young patients.

To alleviate the inherent fear and anxiety associated with paediatric hospitalisation, HKCH employs child-friendly medical equipment settings to turn sometimes frightening procedures into more healing and enjoyable experiences.

Innovative energy management and infrastructure upgrades have driven decarbonisation by significantly reducing the hospital’s Scope 2 carbon footprint by transitioning hot water supply from gas to high-efficiency heat pumps, driving a 25% gas consumption reduction. An energy management data dashboard empowers the FM team to identify more energy-saving opportunities and drive strategic decision-making.

To keep operations efficient and sustainable, regular green workshops and incident drills for staff have deeply embedded safety culture in the hospital’s operations. And BIM asset management provides technicians with animated repair manuals for efficient equipment repair.

Judges Comments: “The winner delivered evidenced improvements to building performance in an operational hospital, a challenging environment in which to deliver energy and carbon reductions. It did this using excellent feedback, knowledge-sharing processes and extensive stakeholder engagement underpinning great performance.”

Sponsor: CIBSE Patrons

Winner: Data Academy Apprenticeship - Hoare Lea

Hoare Lea’s Data Academy launched in 2023 to ensure its engineers and consultants had the vital data, AI and digital skills needed to drive efficient and effective project delivery, moving from a reliance on traditional engineering intuition to a data-first mindset.

This enduring cultural and technical change has embedded data and AI in the way the firm designs and delivers buildings. Data Academy participants have reported an increased confidence applying data to design, while managers have highlighted improved project deliverables and cross-discipline collaboration. Surveys show strong demand for places, with high levels of engagement. Feedback has demonstrated the strong application of skills in live projects, delivering client value within weeks of people starting the course.

Success is evidenced by the 68 active participants and 20 completions, 13 of which passed with distinction. Measurable efficiency savings have included £150,000 to £250,000 annually from design software analysis and 75% time saving in reporting. Cutting-edge data tools have already helped the firm secure projects with NHS and higher education clients.

Judges Comments: “Hoare Lea showed that it put in a huge amount of effort to create, produce, maintain and manage its initiative effectively. The scheme covered a lot of bases and showed itself to be delivering the most value. Data-driven statistics and clear evidence showed the entry wasn’t just a headline but a proven deliverable.”

Sponsor: Lochinvar

Winner: Cosysense

Cosysense is a patented retrofit control system that personalises thermal comfort while reducing HVAC energy use. It was developed to address the persistent mismatch between predicted and actual thermal comfort in legacy commercial buildings.

The system was tested in a zone with no existing smart control, and tests confirmed substantial efficiency gains, with peak reductions of 82% during spring and average seasonal savings of 34% in HVAC energy use. Cosysense also maintained optimal comfort with fewer runtime hours, dynamic setpoint adjustments and no user disruption, even under fluctuating occupancy. Its overarching effects globally include the carbon footprint of its cloud-based data collection and storage protocols.

Cosysense delivers robust whole-life value by combining deep operational savings with low embodied and operational carbon, high demountability and zero-upfront cost. The platform avoids full HVAC replacement by unlocking comfort and energy gains from legacy equipment with minimal intervention and retaining its embodied carbon.

Judges Comments: “Cosysense stood out for its ease of application, energy-saving potential, cost savings and overall positive effect on thermal comfort of the spaces it is deployed in. This product uses AI to leverage performance while being able to be deployed in both new and retrofit applications. An agnostic approach and tangible savings.”

Winner: WISE - Swegon

Highly Commended: IES Live 2025 - IES

Investing in a demand-controlled indoor climate enables significant energy savings. Swegon’s WISE system also allows users to follow up how the building is performing in reality while in operation, even remotely: up to 80% energy savings for air handling and up to 60% energy savings for cooling and heating compared with basic ventilation.

Adaptable to buildings of all sizes, WISE is a smart solution for demand-controlled indoor climate, both for new construction and renovation projects, where optimal comfort is combined with energy efficiency, flexibility and sustainability. It contributes to the evaluation of building performance by gathering data from the property and optimising the indoor climate accordingly.

Advanced wireless mesh technology provides full two-way communication with every sensor and product, making the system highly flexible for both small and large spaces. It is especially effective in complex installations or listed buildings, where reduced wiring is a major advantage.

Uniquely, the system continuously analyses building performance and directly optimises connected services for significant energy savings. It dynamically adjusts chiller and heat pump water temperatures to reduce thermal losses, lowers system air pressures to save fan power, and adapts primary air temperatures based on room-level loads to maximise free cooling or heat exchanger recovery.

Judges Comments: “Based on extensive research and development, the product demonstrates measurable, repeatable and evidence based performance improvement from evaluation of real building performance data. Well-evidenced operations and maintenance, good post-occupancy feedback and genuine performance outcomes.”

Sponsor: Crane Fluid Systems

Winner: Bourn Quarter - SRE

Bourn Quarter is a new-build commercial and light industrial development near Cambridge, comprising a portfolio of 10 flexible-use units. Building objectives included minimising operational energy demand, reducing embodied carbon and providing adaptable units to meet diverse occupier needs.

The construction approach combined durable industrial materials with modern methods, delivering a consistent aesthetic across units while allowing for tenant adaptation. All units are equipped with live energy monitoring systems, accessible both within the building and remotely via digital applications. The app not only provides real-time consumption data but also reports faults in building services and metering equipment.

Ongoing performance commitment has been demonstrated through periodic energy audits, with insight shared on in-use feedback loops and the enabling of targeted tenant interventions to maintain energy intensity within agreed benchmarks.

The project has set a precedent in integrating embodied and operational carbon considerations into light-industrial fit-out design, embedding whole life performance at portfolio scale.

Judges Comments: “A future-ready industrial estate project, where tangible alignment with the UK’s net zero trajectory is evidenced through the establishment of portfolio-wide carbon limits in advance of the zero carbon guidance. Impressive work with multiple tenants, including on influencing their Scope 3 emissions and supporting them during fit out and operation. A comprehensive use of WLCA reviews, including with tenants on fit-out, and notable use of recycled steel and concrete. Outperforming RIBA 2030 embodied carbon targets is commendable.”

Sponsor: Crane Fluid Systems

Winner: Bluebird Project, Southend-on-Sea - Max Fordham

Bluebird is a shared Passivhaus scheme that helps homeless people get back to independent living with joy and dignity. Delivered through homeless charity HARP, Bluebird provides 50 bed spaces within the renovated terraced housing, and has created a high-quality, safe and comfortable environment for its residents.

The housing is gas-free and uses air source heat pumps for heating and hot water. Recycled and recyclable materials have been used wherever possible, as well as local labour and supply chains. Following a review with Passivhaus consultants, proposed quantities of glazing were reduced, and chamfered aluminium canopies were incorporated into the rear of the property to protect the building from overheating and provide shelter for outdoor socialising.

Simplicity and dependability are paramount: because of the low heat load of the building and high occupancy, domestic hot water is the dominant load. Bedrooms utilise thermostatic radiator valves that can be easily controlled by the occupants. Heat pumps run on hot water priority, meaning the hot water cylinder is recharged as soon as it becomes depleted. The team chose an inherently low-carbon timber frame primary structure, an approach that has also consistently delivered excellent thermal and airtightness performance.

Judges Comments: “The project’s approach to controls and remote management shows a genuine understanding of the operational realities of this type of housing, while its comprehensive treatment of whole-life performance demonstrates maturity and responsibility in design. A quietly outstanding example of how purposeful, well-informed collaboration can deliver lasting social and environmental value.”

Sponsor: Crane Fluid Systems

Winner: B201 Redevelopment - Beca

Beca used advanced earthquake engineering analysis to transform the University of Auckland’s outdated human sciences building into a reuse development achieving world-leading sustainability and value for money.

The façade’s heavy concrete spandrels were replaced by an airtight, lightweight curtain-wall that reduced services demand. Reducing structural load and podium strengthening created space for the new atrium, a flagship naturally-ventilated public space, with feature stairs punched through the shear walls to improve the campus’s connectivity – and an innovative timber roof incorporating indigenous design concepts developed with the local Māori tribe.

A New Zealand-first, two-stage heat pump system provides 100% electric heating to B201 and three adjacent and dependent buildings. B201’s 1,500kW low-temp heat pumps feed the adjacent buildings’ existing radiators and reheat coils, enabling them to become 100% electric without reconfiguring their on-floor services – an elegant solution to the initial campus heating ‘problem’.

Other initiatives included a 24/7 150kW chiller to maintain temperature and humidity in the PC1 laboratories, CO₂ heat pumps for domestic hot water, heat recovery for the main air handling units, and demand-controlled ventilation using CO2 monitoring and control.

After 12 months of operation, energy usage was 1,750MWh and 8.5kgCO2e/m², within 5% of the design target. At 66kWh/m² per year the EUI is already well below the 2050 UKNZCBS limit of 75 kWh/m² per year for higher education with one-go retrofit.

Judges Comments: “This project could be described as achieving the ‘greatest hits of benchmarks’: comprehensive, honest, holistic approach; consideration of material selection; thorough consideration of climate change; and an exemplary demonstration of every category in building performance. A challenging brief from the client which was outdone by the design team and allowed the consultant to go above and beyond.”

Winner: Wilmott Dixon

By combining automated monitoring, expert analysis and benchmarking, Willmott Dixon’s Energy Synergy® building performance service offers a scalable model for industry-wide improvement and points the way to the next generation of building performance.

Strategically, it directly supports the firm’s target to eliminate the energy performance gap across all non-domestic new builds and major refurbishments by 2030, driving operational efficiency and decarbonisation across the built environment.

Currently deployed on £1.27bn of Willmott Dixon projects, Energy Synergy® is highly replicable, marrying seamlessly with new and existing building management systems.

Information from an AI-driven global dashboard allows subsequent learning to be systematically integrated into future design and commissioning processes, improving TM54 modelling accuracy and informing consultant assumptions, supporting Willmott Dixon’s commitment to continuous improvement. The firm then actively shares its findings through industry networks and customer case studies.

Judges’ Comments: “A great example of monitoring building performance with proven results over a range of projects. This is a scheme that is showing best practice for building performance in an reliable, replicable and scalable way, with the ability to provide energy savings that reduce operational energy and costs. Willmott Dixon spoke about upskilling and were really invested in sharing this knowledge.”

Winner: CarbonMe - Hilson Moran

One of the biggest barriers to tackling embodied carbon in mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) design is the difficulty in accessing robust and reliable data at RIBA stages 1 and 2. Engineers do not typically produce carbon data at this point because of time and cost barriers.

To tackle this problem, Hilson Moran developed CarbonMe, a web-based application with a graphical interface designed to transform how MEP engineers estimate embodied carbon from the earliest design stages. Enabling early inclusion of carbon data allows for informed decision-making and ultimately lowers environmental impacts.

Clear graphical and numerical outputs let design teams see the impact of each option and adjust system selection or key parameters in real time. Outputs are then structured to RICS WLC 2nd Edition and NRM categories so they can be exported directly into LCA reports with minimal reformatting.

Internal analysis of recent work indicates that extracting MEP quantities from BIM and preparing data for LCA consumes 20% to 40% of total WLCA hours. Automating these steps with CarbonMe reduces delivery time by 20 to 30 hours per assessment. The combination of faster WLCA turnaround, earlier optioneering and reduced reliance on external parties provides a clear operational impact.

Judges Comments: “The extent of the innovation is excellent, simplifying the communication of the impact of decisions on embodied carbon across the lifecycle of a project. Everyone involved can understand the outcomes, no matter their background or expertise. This accessibility has been achieved through the use of industry standards such as RICS NRM and plain language.”

Sponsor: Airflow Developments

Winner: XCO2

Now in its 18th year, XCO2 has grown into a multidisciplinary consultancy of more than 90 staff. It continues to deliver high-performance, low-carbon building across housing, education, culture and hospitality, with a mission to act as a catalyst for change in the built environment.

Accelerating net zero cannot be achieved in isolation, so the firm looks outward – sharing tools and expertise to equip staff, clients, design teams and manufacturers.

For example, in the Hackney New Homes Programme, XCO2 acts as lead multi-disciplinary consultant on the design of over 400 homes across the borough. Workshops with the client and design teams have equipped them with the knowledge to apply low-energy design principles to their wider portfolios.

And the XCO2 Academy, a two-year training programme that has just completed its first cycle, has raised the firm’s technical baseline, embedded net zero principles into practice and provided a ready-made framework for a new apprenticeship scheme.

Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) is integrated into a growing proportion of XCO2’s projects, and increasingly clients ask for POE as a standalone service. For example, an evaluation of Harris Westminster Sixth Form identified energy efficiency opportunities that unlocked grant funding for LED lighting and a building management system upgrade, saving up to £1,000 a week for the school: a dramatic improvement in operational, carbon and financial resilience.

Judges Comments: “A very forward-thinking approach – the submission proved that building performance was integral to the building culture. XCO2 are able to and want to scale their impact throughout. Their teaching and public events indicate their reach beyond project teams and align well with CIBSE expectations for sector uplift. It is clear the firm has a genuine approach and are passionate about it.”

Sponsor: Mitsubishi Electric

Winner: RCDC

Highly Commended: Lawler Group

Specialists in sustainable design and decarbonisation, RCDC has a simple mission: to make a positive difference through the work it delivers. The firm strongly believes that drastic change is required to decarbonise the construction industry and tackle wider sustainability issues, including resource depletion and biodiversity crisis. Thus, it applies three principles to its work: Sustainable, Digital, Innovative, with the latter two elements enabling the first.

Over half of RCDC’s consultancy work is net zero-focused, but where projects do not target net zero, it still integrates meaningful sustainability measures, such as a a new-build residential block in south London where the design replaced gas boilers with all-electric exhaust air heat pumps.

RCDC’s flagship innovations tackle some of the most persistent barriers to building performance. For example, SmartWindows, developed with Innovate UK funding, addresses poor indoor environments by providing autonomous window control that reduces exposure to CO₂, mould, external pollution and noise, while minimising heat loss. It has applications across education, healthcare and social housing.

Judges Comments: “RCDC’s diverse workforce and commitment to innovation aligns with the culture of collaboration and team development. Its drive to improve building performance is demonstrated in examples such as its IoT-enabled heat-metering platform that enables the optimisation of heat pump retrofits and its being incorporated into CIBSE TM39. The commitment of RCDC to knowledge sharing is also impressive. It contributes to different working groups at CIBSE, teaches at UCL and LSBU, and provides CPD to a large number of professionals and tutoring to students at local schools.”

“With a sustainability policy to buy second-hand furniture, RCDC really is practising what it preaches.”

Sponsor: CIBSE Certification Ltd

Winner: Swegon

Highly Commended: GlasCurtain

Reducing embodied carbon in its products has relied on Swegon’s combination of supply chain engagement, factory process changes and consistent measurement discipline. To address the difficulties in obtaining reliable verified carbon costs, the firm partnered closely with suppliers, explaining the increasing demand from clients for robust, EPD-grade information. In several cases, this collaboration directly resulted in the creation of first-time Environmental Product Declarations for key components.

Embodied carbon reduction was also embedded on the factory floor and down the supply chain through new quality assurance steps and a disciplined assessment methodology.

By systematically weighing embodied, operational and safety factors, Swegon can achieve durable, safe and genuinely low-carbon outcomes over decades of use, rather than focusing solely on achieving a low upfront embodied carbon figure.

Judges Comments: “The winner shows the huge potential for embodied carbon reductions in building equipment/systems through the replacement of conventional materials. Swegon has gone through the process of assessing the embodied carbon of their products and identified the key carbon emitters and took steps towards reducing them. Beyond this, it has shown the capacity to go beyond conventional thinking in terms of low-carbon and circular product design.”

Winner: BBC Workplace

AECOM’s client BBC Workplace is committed to reducing Scopes 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 46% by 2030/31 from a 2019/20 baseline.

The BBC’s property portfolio includes more than 150 properties across the UK. Improving the efficiency of this existing building stock as well as the approach to new developments is a key factor in achieving carbon reduction targets and led to active engagement with AECOM on this journey.

From reducing emissions through degasification and REGO-backed electricity, to achieving zero waste to landfill accreditation, pioneering heat pump installations and embedding circular economy principles into refurbishments, BBC Workplace ensures that sustainability is now at the core of how the BBC operates.

At BBC Scotland’s Pacific Quay, operational performance has since shown a 95% reduction in heating/cooling carbon, a 50% reduction in overall building carbon, and a 39% reduction in energy use, consistently exceeding projections while eliminating 95% of gas consumption without increasing electricity demand. Total carbon savings attributed directly to the air source heat pumps installation are 1,289 tonnes of CO₂ per year.

Judges Comments: “The judges commend the heat decarbonisation efforts from BBC Workplace. In particular, works at Pacific Quay included the replacement of gas-fired boilers and conventional water chillers with four-pipe air source heat pumps and cascade water source heat pumps for hot water generation.”

Sponsor: Ideal Heating Commercial Products

Winner: Miriam Ozanne, Independent Building Performance Consultant

Highly Commended:

• Sean Harlow, Head of Engineering - Atelier Ten
• Jessica Glynn, Associate - Atelier Ten

Miriam Ozanne leads the way in promoting and teaching the importance of building performance, helping clients to decarbonise their estates, reduce energy and deliver net zero strategies. Clients value her building performance team’s method of combining deep technical design knowledge with a practical approach to develop realistic and actionable plans for improving building performance.

As Project Director, Miriam develops strategies for reducing energy, and net zero roadmaps for clients such as the BBC, the Crown Estate, HMRC and 20 Fenchurch Street (London’s ‘Walkie Talkie’), and supporting FM/maintenance teams in implementing these and monitoring results. At 20 Fenchurch St, based on Miriam’s recommendations, landlord energy consumption reduced by 17%, reducing energy bills by more than £500,000 a year. And at the BBC Scotland HQ in Pacific Quay, she helped deliver a 95% reduction in heating/cooling carbon, a 50% reduction in overall building carbon, and a 39% reduction in energy use, consistently exceeding projections.

An expert in communicating complex performance requirements to multiple stakeholders, Miriam has also lectured, tutored and led workshops on various engineering topics for architecture and engineering students, and is an active mentor and role model.

Judges Comments: “Miriam bridges the gap between design and in-use by listening to people, the building and the data. She described the challenge of optimising building performance while working with existing infrastructure and controls all while minimising cost and maximising value.”

Sponsor: Hays

Winner: Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation

Highly Commended: Shade the UK

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) is the first statutory body in Hong Kong to achieve a Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)-approved net zero commitment. Demonstrating leadership beyond regulation, HKSTP pledged to achieve net zero by 2045, five years ahead of Hong Kong itself.

To stay a front-runner, the corporation actively piloted a wide range of new technologies – from solar and AI-based optimisation to IoT, mobility and green coatings – providing real-world testbeds that not only accelerated HKSTP’s own decarbonisation pathway, but also gave start-ups the industry support needed to scale their innovations.

HKSTP piloted a hydrogen-powered PV charging system, creating a hybrid solution that supplements grid supply while providing clean, resilient energy for EVs and on-campus use. And an ageing cooling system was upgraded by deploying high-efficiency chillers, AI-driven optimisation and PICV upgrades, delivering a significant gain in efficiency and establishing a scalable model for future retrofits.

With more than 7,000 PV panels generating 1.5 million kWh in 2024, Science Park now hosts one of Hong Kong’s largest on-site renewable energy networks. And against its 2020 baseline, HKSTP had already achieved an 18.6% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by July 2025.

Judges Comments: “The impact of this entry is much wider than the development and organisation itself, creating a ripple effect for other businesses, individuals and the wider economy through support for green start-ups, green leases, sustainable catering and actions to reduce waste. This project provides valuable learning at a national level – for governments and institutions to understand the enabling infrastructure and actions required to make this sort of project implementable at speed.”

Winner: AirDoor - VES

AirDoor from VES is a bespoke freestanding unit developed to address a widespread problem in commercial buildings: uncontrolled air infiltration through open doorways. While open doors are essential for welcoming customers and improving footfall, they also allow outdoor air to rush inside, bringing with it pollutants, dust, allergens and moisture. AirDoor is engineered with advanced aerodynamic features, developed through computational fluid dynamics (CFD), to precisely control and direct airflow.

The system enhances overall building energy efficiency, countering fluctuating wind pressures and minimising thermal exchange at doorways, ensuring consistent indoor temperatures. This reduces reliance on additional heating or cooling systems while improving air quality and occupant comfort.

Described as ‘the iPhone of the ventilation industry’, AirDoor reduces outside air infiltration, helping HVAC systems work more efficiently, delivering up to 95% energy savings vs overhead air curtains and up to 54% savings when conditioning the whole space. With low running costs and no heating element, AirDoor offers a 3.44 year payback compared to traditional overhead heaters, delivering substantial long-term savings. And, using CFD analysis, experts estimate that AirDoor saves 15,000kg of CO₂ on each site annually.

Judges Comments: “The technology’s versatility is particularly impressive – equally effective in heating and cooling applications, and valuable for both tenants and operators across the retail sector. It tackles a seemingly small problem with wide-ranging impact, offering strong commercial appeal through rapid payback and broad potential for adoption.”

Winner: AirDoor - VES

AirDoor addresses the perennial issue of heat loss and poor thermal comfort in buildings with entrances either in constant use or open. Traditional solutions such as overdoor heaters are often noisy, inefficient and ineffective, especially in windy conditions. These systems can also add to discomfort with noise and uneven heat, while consuming large amounts of energy.

AirDoor takes a completely new approach. This patented, floor-mounted system creates an invisible air barrier that dynamically adapts to external weather conditions, keeping indoor air in and external elements out. The result is a consistently comfortable and calm environment that directly supports wellbeing.

An intelligent control system, supported by multiple sensors, continuously monitors airflow conditions, inside and out, and a variable-speed fan array dynamically adjusts to create a stabilised air barrier. This real-time modulation prevents unconditioned external air from entering and reduces unnecessary energy loss.

More than 200 AirDoors have now been installed. As well as continued roll-outs with John Lewis Partnership and Sainsbury's, VES has ambitious plans to secure new partnerships and large-scale deployments with major retailers worldwide.

Judges Comments: “Many buildings for commercial reasons prefer to have open entrances or there are reception lobbies with near constant traffic through the doors. Typically, these spaces are uncomfortable. The current solution of a heated door curtain leads to high heat loss. The AirDoor product provides improved comfort and performance with lower heat loss.”

Sponsor: Crane Fluid Systems

Winner: Riverside Primary School - Architype

Riverside Primary School in Perth is the first certified Passivhaus school in Scotland and the first Passivhaus steel-framed school in the UK. The project included a super-insulated envelope, exceptionally high airtightness, triple-glazed windows and doors and MVHR ventilation – all working in tandem to achieve an effective and efficient low-energy building fit for 21^st-century teaching.

Designed to reduce energy costs by around 70% compared with a CIBSE typical benchmark school, the school performs even better than predicted and closes the often-occurring performance gap prevalent in today’s schools.

Architype collaborated closely with school staff to create a bespoke learning space tailored to their desired pedagogy and worked with the council to shape designs that would meet their ambitions of being healthy, inspiring and energy efficient.

Every member of the school has been given the opportunity to feed back their views on the school and suggest any areas of improvement. For example, the students have been engaged in this process themselves, forming an eco-committee of energy champions that monitors the building’s performance.

Judges Comments: “We were impressed by the mature, well-rounded collaborative approach to building performance involving all stakeholders. The winner had a holistic approach to all aspects of building performance which they were willing to adapt as the project developed. They were not afraid to use occupant feedback to address any issues and instigate improvements. And not satisfied with just their building, they developed good practice guidance for the wider industry in implementing Passivhaus standards in steel frame buildings.”

Sponsor: Crane Fluid Systems

Winner: Locomotion New Hall - Buro Happold

Briefed to create a sustainable, inclusive space to house and display 47 historic railway vehicles, Buro Happold has balanced conservation needs with public accessibility. Located on a 2,050m² brownfield site, the building design integrates the industrial scale of railway heritage with a welcoming visitor experience. A steel portal frame supports a wide mono-pitch roof, enclosed in a high-performance, airtight envelope to maximise energy efficiency.

The energy and carbon strategy prioritised a passive-first fabric approach with good U-values and a high airtightness target. Glazing throughout the Locomotion New Hall is minimised, and an efficient suspended LED lighting design provides illuminance levels suitable for viewing the collection with the damaging levels of UV and sunlight. To elongate whole life performance, the project reused existing hard landscaping and incorporated recycled materials, reducing embodied carbon.

A RIBA Stage 3 operational energy model predicted 137kWh/m² per year, but the latest DEC certificate indicates actual performance of 49.7kWh/m² per year, a significantly better outcome thanks to better than expected airtightness, and effective commissioning and BMS tuning.

Judges said: “Buro Happold went above and beyond the brief. Its solution to balancing the needs of visitors and conservation of the museum collection is simple and robust with low energy demand. Overall, the design was considered in the round, taking a fabric first approach with careful consideration of materials and their impact. The construction achieved a remarkably air-tight envelope. Future-proofing has already paid off with the prepared-for installation of PV having been recently completed.”

Sponsor: Crane Fluid Systems

Winner: Decarbonisation of York House - British Land

York House is a five-floor, multi-occupied office building, home to British Land’s head office, and the company’s decarbonisation testbed. Interventions included replacing four gas boilers and chillers with two air source heat pump (ASHP) chillers and one water-to-water heat pump, totally removing gas use; upgrading to a fully LED intelligent lighting system; and retrofitting 33 indoor air quality sensors providing real-time information on CO2, temperature and particulate matter to optimise efficiency and wellbeing.

The building is controlled through a demand-driven strategy and maintains 17°C temperatures when unoccupied, reducing time to heat the building and maximising efficiency. York House has a year-long cooling load. It now uses some heat rejected from the cooling process to heat the building, saving energy. Each system can operate standalone – cooling doesn’t need to run with heating.

York House decarbonisation has improved whole building energy efficiency by 31% vs 2019 – exceeding our 2030 portfolio reduction target of 25%. It has also contributed to a 50% reduction in carbon intensity vs 2019 – ahead of expectations for the 2030 portfolio reduction target of 75%.

Judges Comments: “The carbon payback of 2.5 years, Nabers 4* and CREEM alignment is very impressive. The monitoring strategy, soft landings, handover review and on-site training were all examples of best practice. The sensor strategy was great, and we were pleased to see more people measuring indoor air quality. Linking to user dashboards was great to see. This project will bring about wider change a blueprint for both the developer’s wider commercial portfolio, and other similar buildings.”

Sponsor: Crane Fluid Systems

Winner: 11&12 Wellington Place - Ove Arup and Partners

Highly Commended: Project Featherstone - Buro Happold

11&12 Wellington Place in Leeds was designed with the highest level of sustainable performance in mind, targeting operational net zero carbon and becoming the first building outside London – and only the fourth in the UK – to achieve a NABERS Design for Performance rating of 5* or above, certifying the building as one of the most efficient commercial buildings in the country.

An all-electric reversible air source heat pump system replaced gas fired boilers and air-cooled chillers to eliminate on-site fossil fuels. Fabric upgrades, triple glazing, higher levels of air tightness, lighting efficiency and control improvements also reduce energy demands.

700m² of photovoltaics installed on the roof generate the equivalent annual electricity of more than 42 homes, saving a forecasted 407 tonnes of carbon annually.

A smart building system was installed to provide active control over temperature and lighting levels, enhancing occupant comfort and energy efficiency. The Bluetooth-enabled lighting control system allows for individual light fittings to be adjusted, giving tenants flexibility over their own environments. Office managers have access to this system, enabling them to tailor lighting and temperature conditions to meet specific needs and preferences.

Embodied carbon has been significantly reduced below the design target through reporting and targeting at all stages, with the final construction achieving a significant reduction on design target and below LETI and other industry benchmarks.

Judges Comments: “This building project encompasses the greatest level of achievement in respect of closing the operational energy and embodied carbon performance gap in providing a desirable multi-tenanted workspace. The low operational energy highlights the value of the NABERS Design for Performance process, and the collaborative effort in relation to the commissioning, hand-over, fit-out and early operational performance monitoring.”