BSRIA 2017 Briefing - two more speakers added to agendaMay 2017

BSRIA is delighted to announce two more speakers to the agenda at its flagship event – the annual Briefing and lunch – they are: Kath Fontana, Managing Director of ISS Technical Services and Chris Twinn, Principal, TwinnSustainabilityInnovation. The event will look at the issue of tomorrow’s challenges in today’s buildings and will be held at the Brewery, in London, on Friday 17th November 2017.

Kath Fontana FRICS

Kath is a Chartered Surveyor with over 25 years’ experience of delivering Facilities and Asset Management solutions working for blue chip companies such as Serco, Aspire Defence Services, Interserve and BAM Construct UK. She is currently MD of ISS Technical Services.

She has extensive experience of managing complex programmes and service delivery at senior level across a range of sectors. She is passionate about diversity, property technology and cross discipline collaboration in the built environment.

She is active in the development of professional standards being a Non-Executive Director on the RICS Global Management Board, Chair of the RICS Professional Group Board for Facilities Management and a member of the BSI Advisory and Technical Committees for FM. Kath is a regular speaker at industry events and a guest lecturer at Middlesex University.

Chris Twinn FRSA Hon FRIBA FCIBSE MEI CEng BSc (Hons)

Chris’ background is building design, planning and implementation as an independent consultant after 28 years with Arup as director and Arup Fellow.

His projects span the world, with many firsts, including zero carbon and extra-low resource use prototypes, as well Eco-city master planning. Chris was a lead designer for the BedZED project; on Portcullis House in Westminster; Kings Cross Central; Stratford City; and the Kingspan Lighthouse.

The premise behind much of his current work is that “using fewer natural resources should mean sustainability costs less than business-as-usual”.

Chris is a chartered engineer, an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers, an Energy Institute corporate member, UK Green Building Council Ambassador, EDGE Committee member, Historic England Urban panellist and has been a Design Council:CABE design review panellist since 2003. In 2014 he founded the consultant practice of Twinn Sustainability Innovation.

Julia Evans, Chief Executive, BSRIA said:

“We are delighted that both Kath and Chris have agreed to speak at this prestigious event. We know that they are excellent speakers – with lots to say and a wealth of industry expert experience. With this exciting line-up of speakers – BSRIA’s members and audience will be in for a real treat with this stimulating spectrum of speeches. All addressing the range of issues connected to tomorrow’s challenges in today’s buildings.

Of course there will be ample time for ‘q&a’.”

Tomorrow’s challenges in today’s buildings

It is well known that 80 per cent of the buildings needed for 2050 already exist. But what will be the requirements within these buildings to accommodate the changing and varied expectations of the occupants while not forgetting our energy/carbon targets?

The latest opportunities emerging are focused on health, wellness, independence, mobility and leisure. Products and services that address these needs will have a fast growing market to capture. Building services are at the heart of realising these opportunities and delivering the built environment of the future.

This will not only provide challenges for the workplace but also for communities as a whole, including residential, leisure and retail. How will building services need to adapt to meet the needs of future generations and industries?

Because the coming demographic shifts are foreseeable over the next few decades, governments are afforded the opportunity to adopt a proactive approach to align their policies to the evolving needs.

This year’s Briefing explores the options of how technology and research can enable us to prepare and accommodate future needs both in the residential and commercial buildings of the future.

Other speakers include: Sir Ranulph Fiennes Bt OBE, Tom Wright CBE, Group Chief Executive at Age UK and Age International and Tassos Kougionis, Principal Consultant – Residential at BSRIA’s Sustainable Construction Group. The Chair is Ant Wilson MBE, Director – Sustainability & Advanced Design – Building Engineering at AECOM.

The lunch is at 13:00: the event will close at 15.30. More detailed information on the event is available at:

Briefing 2017: tomorrow's challenges in today's buildings

For sponsorship details or to discuss booking your company table –

e-mail: tracey.tilbry@bsria.co.uk or phone 01344 465 512.

Venue: The Brewery, 52 Chiswell Street, London, EC1Y 4SD.