UKGBC Masterclasses

Deepen your knowledge. Strengthen your practice.

UKGBC masterclasses are expert-led, interactive learning experiences that build both technical knowledge and practical capability. They provide the opportunity to explore important sustainability topics in depth, engage with the latest thinking and emerging practice, and consider what they mean for your role, projects and organisation. Drawing on UKGBC’s expertise and network of industry practitioners, our masterclasses combine specialist insight, real-world examples, discussion and peer learning to help you build the knowledge and confidence to act.

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Who are masterclasses for?

Masterclasses are designed for built environment professionals who want to develop their knowledge and capability in a particular area of sustainability. They are particularly valuable if you want to:

  • Deepen your technical knowledge of a specific sustainability topic.
  • Understand the latest thinking, evidence and emerging practice.
  • Explore relevant frameworks, methodologies and approaches.
  • Understand how sustainability principles can be applied in different contexts.
  • Learn from real-world examples and industry experience.
  • Explore challenges and questions with experts and peers.
  • Build the confidence to make informed decisions and put your learning into practice.

Whether sustainability is at the heart of your role or one part of your wider responsibilities, masterclasses can provide an opportunity for focused professional development around the issues most relevant to your work.

How do masterclasses work?

Our masterclasses are half-day, interactive learning experiences, delivered either online or in person. They bring together small to medium-sized groups of professionals from across the built environment value chain, creating space for both in-depth learning and meaningful discussion. Masterclasses combine expert insight, technical learning, practical exploration and peer exchange. Rather than simply presenting information, they create opportunities to engage with a subject in depth- asking questions, exploring different perspectives, and considering how learning relates to real-world situations.

Depending on the topic, a masterclass might include:

  • Expert-led technical content and insight.
  • The latest research, guidance and emerging practice
  • Practical frameworks, tools and methodologies.
  • Case studies and real-world examples.
  • Insight from UKGBC members and industry practitioners.
  • Facilitated discussion and interactive exercises.
  • Opportunities to share challenges and experiences with peers.

The format can vary according to the subject, allowing the learning experience to be designed around the topic and the capabilities participants are looking to develop. Bringing together participants from different disciplines and parts of the value chain is an important part of the experience. It allows participants to explore how a sustainabilty challenge is understood and approached from different perspectives, while building connections and broader understanding of how change can be delivered across the built environment.

Topics we’ve explored

1

Biodiversity Net Gain

Developing a deeper understanding of Biodiversity Net Gain and exploring how it can be approached in ways that maximise benefits for nature, communities, projects and organisations.
2

Resilience

Exploring climate resilience and adaptation, and developing greater understanding of how the built environment can prepare for and respond to the physical impacts of a changing climate
3

Nature Disclosure and Reporting

Building knowledge of the evolving nature disclosure and reporting landscape and exploring what emerging approaches mean for built environment organisations.
4

Social Value

Deepening understanding of social value and exploring approaches to creating, delivering, and demonstrating positive social outcomes through the built environment.
5

Offsetting and Carbon Pricing

Exploring the principles, approaches, and considerations surrounding carbon offsetting and carbon pricing and their role within credible approaches to decarbonisation.
6

Whole Life Carbon Assessments

Building technical knowledge and practical understanding of whole life carbon assessment and its role in understanding and reducing carbon across the lifecycle of built assets.
7

Designing and Delivering Net Zero Buildings

Exploring the principles and approaches involved in designing and delivering net zero buildings, and how net zero ambitions can inform decisions throughout the development process.
8

Operating and Retrofitting for Net Zero

Developing knowledge of approaches to reducing operational carbon and improving the performance of existing buildings through effective operation and retrofit.
9

Biophilic Buildings

Exploring the principles of biophilic design and how stronger connections with nature can be integrated into buildings and places.
10

Decarbonising your Culture

Exploring the relationship between organisational culture and decarbonisation, and how behaviours, decision-making and ways of working can enable progress towards sustainability goals.
11

Accelerating Leadership

Exploring the leadership capabilities needed to influence others, navigate complexity, and accelerate sustainability action within organisations and across the built environment.
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Bring a masterclass to your organisation

Any of our masterclasses can also be delivered in a bespoke format for your organisation. We can work with you to understand your priorities,  your team’s existing knowledge, and the capabilities you want to develop, and tailor the learning accordingly. You might want to build deeper technical expertise around a particular sustainability topic, create a shared understanding of an emerging area of practice, strengthen your team’s capability around a specific challenge, or explore what an issue means within the context of your organisation.

We can adapt an existing UKGBC masterclass or work with you to shape a learning experience around your organisation’s particular needs, context and ambitions. This gives your teams the opportunity to learn together, explore questions specific to your organisation and build shared knowledge and capability that can be applied beyond the masterclass.

Talk to us about designing a bespoke masterclass

Why learn with UKGBC?

UKGBC is embedded across the built environment and brings together organisations and professionals from across the industry to accelerate the transition to a sustainable built environment. Our position across the value chain allows our masterclasses to connect sustainability expertise with industry experience – bringing together technical knowledge, emerging thinking, real-world practice, and different perspectives from across the sector.

Learning alongside other built environment professionals also creates opportunities to exchange experience, challenge thinking, and understand how different organisations are responding to shared sustainability challenges. And learning doesn’t have to end when a masterclass does. Participants can connect with UKGBC’s wider ecosystem of guidance, research, events, learning opportunities and professional networks to continue building their knowledge and capability.

Pricing and Eligibility

Our masterclasses are open to both UKGBC members and non-members, with preferential pricing available to UKGBC members.

Prices may vary depending on the masterclasses, their format and the subject being explored. The price for each session will always be clearly displayed on the individual masterclass page.

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WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR STRATEGIC PARTNERS