Built environment professionals are invited to roll up their sleeves and dive into the practical challenges—and opportunities—of reducing carbon in the construction sector at this year’s WoodBUILD conference
As the race to decarbonise construction accelerates, so too does the demand for more clarity, cohesiveness, accessible tools, and collaboration across disciplines above all. That’s why WoodBUILD 2025 will feature a powerful lineup of breakout workshops designed to equip industry professionals with real-world insights and strategies to drive down both embodied and operational carbon.
Across two days, attendees will hear from architects, engineers, policymakers, developers, and sustainability experts tackling the sector’s most pressing issues—from carbon accounting to timber myths and the convergence of energy and material performance. These participatory sessions will help delegates shape better outcomes across their projects, while also connecting them to some of the leading voices in low-carbon construction.
Day 1 AM: Taking embodied carbon into account
Chair: Dr Diana Waldron
Speakers & Experts: Clara Koehler, Toby Maclean, Simon Corbey, Tabitha Binding, Jonathan Davies
With embodied carbon now recognised as a dominant contributor to total building emissions—particularly in new builds—this session focuses on making meaningful reductions at the point of design.
The session introduces the new Early Stage Embodied Carbon Tool (ESECT), developed through the Home-Grown Homes Project in partnership with ASBP and the Good Homes Alliance. The tool offers designers, housing associations and local authorities a practical way to evaluate material choices and building systems before planning permission, when most of a building’s carbon fate is sealed.
Delegates will hear from the team behind the tool, including Clara Koehler and Toby Maclean, and gain insight into real-world applications through feedback and case studies.
“Embodied carbon is a major contributor to total emissions, yet remains challenging to address. This session introduces the ESECT tool—a practical resource for designers and developers to better understand and apply embodied carbon knowledge. Participants will gain tools, insights, and a supportive network to help identify solutions early in the design process and cut carbon from the start.” Dr Diana Waldron, Woodknowledge Wales
This workshop is essential for professionals seeking to embed low-carbon decisions at the very start of the design journey—when it counts most.
Day 1 PM: Myth busting – designing and building with timber
Chair: Dr Julie Godefroy
Invited Experts: Paul Brannen, Tabitha Binding, Jonathan Davies, Toby Maclean, Seb Laan Lomas, Dainis Dauksta, John Sweeny, Chris Jones, James Roberts
Despite growing interest in timber construction, widespread misconceptions still stand in the way of progress. Is timber risky in fire? Is there enough Welsh wood to go around? Can we really build large-scale housing from it?
This breakout pulls together a broad range of voices from across the timber and construction sectors to tackle these questions head-on. Through a series of rapid-fire contributions and an open dialogue format, the session will provide clarity, bust persistent myths, and explore how timber can be part of a future-ready construction culture.
Speakers include policy experts, foresters, architects, engineers, and developers, with practical experience ranging from material specification to urban planning.
Whether you’re new to timber or looking to deepen your understanding, this interactive workshop promises valuable takeaways and fresh thinking.
Day 2 AM: Regenerative Materials First
Led by: Louise Townsend
Facilitators: Louise Townsend/Christiane Lellig
Speakers (invited): Tim Clement (Morgan Sindall), Richard Farmer, Alan Edwards
This breakout session builds on the official launch of the new Regenerative Materials First hub, a platform designed to bring together innovators across the construction sector working on live trailblazer projects that prioritise circular and regenerative material strategies.
With a focus on turning ambition into implementation, this workshop is tailored for professionals and organisations with the energy, expertise and drive to embed regenerative materials as credible, scalable alternatives to conventional construction products. Speakers will also share their experience on the integration of reclaimed materials in building projects, highlighting the challenges and solutions found throughout their journey.
Delegates will explore what’s needed—from a process, business model and legislative standpoint—to shift the supply chain toward a truly circular economy. This session aims to stimulate new collaborations and surface the policy and procurement levers that could accelerate adoption.
A must-attend for those building the business case for change—or already piloting it in practice.
Day 2 PM: Embodied and operational carbon – two branches of the same tree
Facilitator: Seb Laan Lomas
Speakers: Toby Maclean, Gary Newman, Nick Grant, Chris Griffiths, Dr Diana Waldron
It’s time to treat embodied and operational carbon with equal priority, these two branches of carbon emissions are extremely critical to address the full climate impact of the built environment. This session reframes the conversation—exploring how energy efficiency, building services, and material choices are interdependent, but they must be addressed together if the industry is to reach meaningful reductions in whole-life carbon.
Chaired by architect and activist Seb Laan Lomas, the session brings together a diverse mix of technical experts and thought leaders. Expect rich discussion on unintended consequences, common blind spots, and how better system thinking can lead to better buildings.
Topics will range from retrofit-first approaches to circular material strategies, new buildings and high performing building standards, with speakers drawing from both policy and project-level experience.
“We can’t tackle the climate challenge with half the picture—this session brings embodied and operational carbon together, urging us to think holistically, act decisively, and design with full impact in mind.” Dr Diana Waldron, Woodknowledge Wales
This is a must-attend for professionals looking to harmonise energy and materials strategies across both new build and retrofit.
Don’t Just Talk Carbon. Act on It.
The breakout workshops at WoodBUILD 2025 are more than learning sessions—they’re spaces to challenge assumptions, forge collaborations, and leave with the tools to do things differently.
Each session is rooted in practical examples, tailored to the Welsh and UK context, and designed for built environment professionals actively shaping the future of construction. Whether you’re specifying materials, influencing policy, or designing the next generation of homes, these workshops offer something you can use the very next day.
The breakout sessions are open to all WoodBUILD 2025 attendees. Secure your place now and be part of the movement driving smarter, lower-carbon building practices in Wales and beyond.
