Natural Fibre Insulation and the Retrofit Challenge

On Thursday 15th February 2024, we were joined by guest speakers and members of our ASBP Natural Fibre Insulation Group for a webinar exploring the retrofit challenge and how natural fibre insulation can be a key part of the solution.

Natural fibre insulation (NFI) products and systems are derived from natural materials such as wood fibre, wool, hemp, cellulose and straw. NFI is now the fastest growing insulation segment in the UK and its share of the market is expected to grow significantly over the coming years.

Recent events organised in collaboration with the Natural Fibre Insulation Group have attracted 1000+ registrations, with interest in natural building materials at an all-time high.

We were delighted to have two guest speakers for the webinar:

Rachael Owens, Co-Director of the National Retrofit Hub, who will provide an update on the objectives and activities of the newly established Hub. Rachael is an architect and Head of Sustainability at Buckley Gray Yeoman, and a member of the Architects Climate Action Network, where she coordinates the Climate Literacy group.

Pete Walker, Professor of Innovative Construction Materials at the University of Bath, who will introduce the Transforming Homes project. ASBP is a partner in the project, which is researching, prototyping and developing bio-based retrofit solutions for 1920-1940s housing stock, which account for approximately 1.1 million of the homes still in use in the UK today.

We will also be joined by expert speakers from our Natural Fibre Insulation Group – Mark Lynn, ASBP Chair and MD of Eden Renewable Innovations (Thermafleece); and Chris Brookman, Founder of natural building material supplier Back to Earth.

Recording

Programme

13:00 Welcome from ASBP and the Natural Fibre Insulation Group
Richard Broad, Associate Director, ASBP / Chair, ASBP Natural Fibre Insulation Group

13:05 The retrofit challenge and an introduction to the National Retrofit Hub
Rachael Owens, Co-Director, National Retrofit Hub / Head of Sustainability, Buckley Gray Yeoman

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13:20 The role of natural fibre insulation in meeting the retrofit challenge
Mark Lynn, Managing Director, Eden Renewable Innovations (Thermafleece) / Chair, ASBP

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13:40 Retrofit and condensation: Minimising damp & mould health risks
Chris Brookman, Founder, Back to Earth

Presentation coming soon

14:00 Introduction to the Transforming Homes project
Professor Pete Walker, Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering, University of Bath

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14:10 Q&A

14:30 Close