Women in BUILD Awards 2016

2016 Women in Build Awards Build 23 Code of Practice for Buildings & their Services (1994), and the first life cycle approach to environmental building design. My CPD series was published as Sustainable Construction (2007), and most recently The Sustainability Guide to the Plan of Work (2016), which is available from RIBA Bookshops, translates my project experience into process guidance and formalises the professional role of Sustainability Champions within the RIBA. It is a step towards the industry fully embracing the genuine benefits of sustainable construction and the role of sustainability champions, thus making sustainable construction the norm. I am currently working on ‘Eco-Max a history of good ideas’ for publication in 2017. Gaia has received 3 awards in 2016: Gaia Architects Pioneer Award for Ecological Design - UK, Gaia Research - Best for Specialist Sustainable Design Advice – UK, and Gaia Research - The Women in Build: Sustainability Adviser of the Year – UK. The latter deserves special attention. Women make up only 11% of our industry, a shameful statistic. Notably, some years ago I received an ‘Inspirational Figure in Construction’ Award… and my prize? A pair of cufflinks! The industry has to face up to its failings if it is to attract the best and the brightest. We need to emulate those professional bodies with positive role models for women. Gaia Research will continue to help clients make the right decisions in the face of the impending changes, which are seeking to reverse unsustainable trends in transport, energy consumption, ill-heath, waste and pollution. Our own extensive experience suggests that, with the right advice and professional support, sustainable construction is achievable and cost neutral as well as delivering additional cost benefits over time.