Summer 2023 is likely to be the hottest ever recorded on Earth. It has been marked by floods and devastating wildfires across Europe. Could this become the norm? IRENE RONDINI, Communications & Marketing Lead, Irish Green Building Council, outlines the programme for Better Homes 2023.
The latest data on our carbon emissions and climate projections for 2050 leave little doubt: We cannot keep designing, building, and renovating the way we have always done it.
This year, the Irish Green Building Council’s annual residential conference, Better Homes 2023, explores how we can balance the demand for comfortable, climate-proof housing while staying within our carbon budget.
Meeting our housing needs without blowing our carbon budget
Building upon the findings of the ‘Building a Zero Carbon Ireland” roadmap, Better Homes 2023’ will discuss how we can meet the needs of a growing population without blowing Ireland’s carbon budget.
The panellists will first discuss the type of homes being built: Do they consider Ireland’s changing demographics? Are they suitable for smaller households and an ageing population? Panellists include Sean O’Leary of the Irish Planning Institute, and Gillian Brady and Oliver Kinnane of UCD who will present the initial findings of a project looking at the whole-life carbon impacts of various types of housing developments.
Building climate-proof, comfortable homes
EPA projections (and recent storms) show that Ireland is increasingly experiencing extreme weather, potentially leading to devastating effects on homes and communities. As the CEO of AXA, one of the world’s largest insurers, said in 2015: ‘A 2°C world might be insurable; a 4°C world certainly would not be’.
Against this background, Helen Merry of Allianz, Julie Clarke of Trinity College Dublin, and David Feighery of Cundall will examine how we can construct climate-safe homes that not only withstand these challenges but also safeguard the health and well-being of users.
Making post-occupancy evaluation the norm
Our third panel will talk about the importance of post-occupancy evaluation and the role of the Home Performance Index Certification in improving quality and transparency in the market. For this panel, we will be joined by Madeline Hallinan of Dublin City Council, Charlie Conway of Ballymore and Simon Keogh of Coady Architects.
Better Homes 2023
These topics will be extensively discussed at Better Homes 2023 on Friday, 01 December, at the Gibson Hotel, Dublin. Join over 200 building and construction professionals, policymakers, and researchers at Better Homes 2023 and reimagine our approach to housing with us.
