Be-St

After a decade of challenging misperceptions around the quality, safety, and potential of Scottish timber, BE-ST has launched the Mass Timber Centre of Excellence - a milestone in the journey to making UK-grown mass timber a mainstream, high-value construction solution. Sam Hart, associate dire

A major initiative to lower carbon emissions generated by Scotland’s most densely populated urban buildings was officially launched last week at a sold-out event hosted at the Edinburgh Futures Institute. The Centre for Net-Zero High Density Buildings, based at the University of Edinburgh and

The Construction Leadership Forum (CLF) has published a new report assessing the quality, usefulness, and validity of data currently held by building owners across Scotland. Named ‘The National Existing Buildings Database’, this report represents a key step in understanding the informati

The strategic partnership between Scotland’s National Retrofit Centre, hosted by BE-ST, and the UK National Retrofit Hub has deepened through new appointments. Since 2023 BE-ST and the National Retrofit Hub (NRH) have worked together to enable the delivery of retrofit at scale across the UK. T

Retrofit Scotland was relaunched at the International Retrofit Conference yesterday.

A recent MSP reception was held at the Scottish Parliament aimed at exploring the next steps for the proposed Scottish Passivhaus equivalent legislation. Sponsored by Alex Rowley MSP, the reception on 28 February was attended by MSPs from across the political spectrum, including minister for housing

Scotland’s first eco construction training centre is teaching students key skills to deliver net zero targets. Constructed by McTaggart Construction, the newly opened state-of-the-art facility at West Lothian College supports sustainable construction and energy efficiencies. It will provide tr

Caitriona Jordan, head of retrofit at Built Environment Smarter Transformation (BE-ST), Sara Edmonds, head of citizen engagement at BE-ST, and co-director of the National Retrofit Hub (NRH), and Rachael Owens, co-director of NRH, share their insights from the International Retrofit Conference. As th

Changeworks has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST) with the aim of accelerating and improving retrofit in Scotland.

The organisers of this year’s Green Home Festival are urging homeowners and the construction industry to “be brave” and embrace innovations like microwave heating to help build a more sustainable future and meet net zero targets.

Framing home improvements in a positive light, particularly to homeowners and private landlords, will be key to delivering Scotland's net zero targets, according to the Existing Homes Alliance (EHA).

A major milestone has been reached on a flagship, net zero carbon housing development in Edinburgh as the first homes are now under construction. Located on Waterfront Avenue in Granton, ‘Plot D1’ will comprise over 70 one, two, and three-bedroom apartments alongside several commercial u

A new catalogue of net zero carbon building designs could provide a significant boost to Scotland’s affordable housing sector, as part of a standardised approach for local authorities and housing associations to adopt across a range of future developments. The energy-efficient design and perfo

An equivalent MOT system for homes could help Scotland to achieve zero carbon goals and save energy, according to a former president of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS). Christina Gaiger, trustee of the Edinburgh Architectural Association and youngest ever RIAS president, bel

As part of Scotland Excel’s ‘Supporting the journey to net zero’ campaign, Caitriona Jordan, head of retrofit programmes at Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST), looks at the skills needed in the construction industry to support decarbonisation. Decarbonisation