Turn your designs into reality, learn how to procure domestic retrofit works.

Description: This ever popular course, taught by experienced industry professionals, supports you to navigate the construction industry, make the most out of your budget, learn to be a discerning customer and how to be a good client.

For: Householders already aware of what home energy improvements they require, seeking to commission architects and contractors. Ideal next step after a My Home Energy Planner assessment.

How you will benefit: Gain an understanding of the importance of the planning phase and common problems you may encounter. Fnd the right retrofit contractor at the right price.

What you will learn:

• To consider objectives, priorities and get the best result.

• Balancing time, cost and quality

• Regulations, approvals, and consents

• Which ‘professionals’ are needed - selection and appointment

• Selecting and appointing builders and using contracts

• Examining common pitfalls and avoiding them

• Getting the most for the resources you have available

• Exchanging ideas and energy with like-minded people – & sharing the pain!

  

Knowledge required: Understanding of retrofit basics, an understanding of your retrofit improvements*

Trainers: Marianne Heaslip, URBED and Bill Taylor, Taylor Armitt Consulting.

Cost:

• Early bird member - £99
  
• Early bird non-member - £120
• Standard member - £139
• Standard non-member - £170

**Earlybird tickets end 23rd September 2017**

Limited bursary places available, email info@carbon.coop for more.

Dates: Sat 7th and 14th October 2017, 10am - 1:30pm

“Excellent course, gave me a lot of info that I didn't know I needed... made me think about how important the planning phase is and has spurred me on to learn more.” - Participant 2017

Routes To Retrofit is a part of Carbon Co-op's Home Energy Training Programme, see more here: carbon.coop/training

*NB the course is for householders who are already aware of what improvements they require and are looking to take things to the next step, i.e. commission contractors etc. If you are unsure of what needs to be done to make your house energy efficient please commission a Carbon Co-op whole house assessment. Equally, these seminars are not for suppliers or contractors or professionals who offer services in retrofit design and delivery - householders are attending these seminars in order to receive impartial advice not sales pitches and we are happy to separately offer CPD services for professionals.

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SEMINAR CONTENT IN DETAIL

Session 1

• Your brief: Understanding and clarifying your aims, priorities, budget, programme and scope of works and expectations.
• Your team: Overview of who might be involved in your project and when, and importance of clear communication.
• Importance of the existing condition: Understanding where you’re starting from.
• Funding Options: What’s available, possible combinations and restrictions.
• Time, Cost and Quality: Getting the balance right and understanding the risks, and mitigating the energy efficiency ‘performance gap’.
• Regulations and approvals: What you need to consider – planning, building regulations, party walls, health and safety etc. - and where responsibility lies.

Session 2

• Appointing Professionals:
  • understanding what advice you need
  • range of different building professionals and their differing roles and responsibilities
  • examining quotes
  • forms of agreement
  • quality control
  • communications
• Choosing and appointing builders and contractors:
  • Appropriateness for scope and type of work
  • culture and communication – information required
  • tender and selection processes
  • aftercare

• Scheduling works: Whole house vs step-by-step, thinking about packages of works.
  

• Contracts:
  • Forms of contract including overview of ‘traditional’ vs ‘contractor design’
  • Risk management - dealing with ‘unforeseen extras’
  • Defects, warranties and aftercare

Trainer bios:

Marianne Heaslip, URBED
marianne@urbed.coop, @marianneheaslip

Marianne is a chartered architect with interests in urban design, sustainability and participative design. She holds an MSc in Advanced Environment and Energy Studies from the Centre for Alternative Technology, and is a Certified Passive House Designer. Marianne has experience in both new build and retrofit projects at a range of scales, with a particular focus on low-energy and sustainable design. She worked on two of the pioneering TSB ‘Retrofit for the Future’ projects with the lessons learned through this work applied in her role on the Carbon Coop’s retrofit 'Community Green Deal’ programme. She is currently working on a number of retrofit and refurbishment projects across the North West – including as a member of Terrace 21 cooperative in Granby, Liverpool, where she plans to live.

Bill Taylor – MD of Taylor Armitt Consulting
bill@taconsulting.org

Bill is the MD of Taylor Armitt Consulting and has been working in affordable housing for over 30 years. With qualifications in Town & Country Planning and Housing Policy, he has held development and asset management roles to Director level in several housing associations, where he developed an interest in co-operative housing and social enterprise. He formed his own consultancy in 2009. Bill focuses on enabling energy efficient improvement of housing, advising companies on business strategy and tendering, issues around Corporate and Social Responsibility, and adding and demonstrating Social Value. Bill has worked extensively with Fusion21 (a social enterprise he helped to establish in 2001), developing of their ‘retrofit’ offer for social housing and the wider market. This provides procurement frameworks and client advice on funding, energy efficiency and resident involvement. It adopts Fusion21’s proven training and employment model to encourage clients and the supply chain to develop the workforce that will deliver retrofit into the future. Bill is a qualified Domestic Energy Assessor and a Green Deal Advisor. Bill also advises housing associations on development issues, from strategy and policy though to processes and delivery. He also assists housing associations, consultants and contractors with procurement issues. His work in social audit involves advising on delivering, measuring and reporting on ‘social value added’ and he is a Social Accountant and Auditor with the Social Audit Network.

Carbon Co-op
carbon.coop, @CarbonCoop

Carbon Co-op is a community benefit society made up of householder members seeking to make radical reductions in their household energy usage.
Membership costs £35/year, for more details and to apply visit: http://carbon.coop/user/register