BUILDING PERFORMANCE AWARD | WINNERS CAMPAIGNERS FOR CHANGE Outstanding projects, products and companies driving best practice in the industry were celebrated at the 13th CIBSE Building Performance Awards, as Liza Young reports M ax Fordham and BuroHappold Engineering were the standout winners at the CIBSE Building Performance Awards at Grosvenor House hotel in London last month. As well as scooping the Project of the Year Residential award for the Agar Grove Estate regeneration, Max Fordham won Project of the Year Public Use for The Engine Shed, Scotlands building conservation centre. The consultancy was also crowned Building Performance Champion for The Engine Shed (see our feature on page 32). The judges, chaired by CIBSE technical director Hywel Davies, recognised Max Fordham for its extremely thorough attention to detail and commitment to a two-year aftercare period. They were impressed by the projects rounded approach to sustainability taking in material, energy and human aspects and the long-term view of the development. As well as winning the Project of the Year Retrofit category for Bartlett School of Architecture, 22 Gordon Street, BuroHappold Engineering picked up the trophy for Building Performance Consultancy (over 300 employees). BuroHappold Engineering associate Tom Hopton was crowned Building Performance Engineer of the Year. Having worked at the consultancy since 2015, Hopton has been the lead engineer for many award-winning projects with innovative design at their core from the UKs first large-scale horse-manure biomass system to the restoration of a 900-year-old building into a modern training campus. On the evening of the awards, hosted by magician Ben Hanlin, guest speaker Yewande Akinola, of Laing ORourke, talked about the power of engineers to the 680-strong audience. As engineers, she said, we have the power to shape a better world and improve the quality of our environment. Whether its buildings or the built environment in the Far East or in this country or in the Middle East we are literally shaping the future of our world, and technology is paving the way for this. We are the game changers, Akinola added. However, she believes engineers need to become campaigners for the changes we need to see, and show the clients, the kids and the Gretas that weve got this. She added: We need to shape the future of our buildings and environment by combining creativity and engineering, to get to a place where we can say to children: we have done our very best. Akinola also stressed the importance of diverse teams that reflect the societies that we serve to make these changes. We live in incredible times, she said, and engineers are at the heart of it. I am hopeful for the future and I hope you are inspired to step into the light and change towards creating and shaping that sustainable, exciting, creative world that we all deserve, and our children deserve. CJ 14 March 2020 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Mar20 pp14-20 Awards.indd 14 21/02/2020 16:57