Green Building Calculator

Category: Events

  • Sustainable Building Materials & Products – Databases and Tools (Event) C#1456

    Sustainable Building Materials & Products – Databases and Tools (Event) C#1456

    GBC > Events > Past > C#1456


    Sustainable Building Materials & Products – Databases and Tools Event

    • 4 presentations 4 Organisations 4 Tools
    • Including BrianSpecMan of GBC and Ankita Dwivedi of Firstplanit
    • followed by delegate Q&A

    Date: 15th September 2022

    Time: 12:30-14:00 pm

    Organiser: ASBP The Alliance for Sustainable Building Products

    Location: Online (Zoom)

    Cost: Free for ASBP members, £20 for partners, £30 general admittance

    Registration (no link, it has already happened)


    GBC CPD

    During the Q&A Session a definition of ‘violet materials’ was requested, additional slides have been added at the beginning, extracted from GBE CPD Green or Violet materials Which do you use?


    GBC See Also:


    Sustainable Building Materials & Products – Databases and Tools (Event) C#1456

    © GBE GBC GBL NGS ASWS Brian Murphy aka BrianSpecMan **
    1st September 2022 – 17th September 2022

  • Self-Build & Design Show West (Event)

    Self-Build & Design Show West (Event)

    Self-Build & Design Show West Event

    GBC > Events > Past > GBC#1423


    About

    • Date: Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 10-4, 10th – 11th September 2022
    • Event: Self-Build & Design Show West
    • Venue: Westpoint, Exeter, Clyst St. Mary, Exeter, EX5 1DJ
    • Presenting Green Building Calculator (GBC V2) and Firstplanit
    • Meet BrianSpecMan from GBC and Ankita of Firstplanit

    GBC and Firstplanit join forces for retrofit and new build


    Serendipity

    • Alliance for Sustainable Building (ASBP) had referred Ankita of Firstplanit to BrianSpecMan of National Green Specification (NGS), Green Building Encyclopaedia (GBE) 2 years earlier but our email services never quite made the connection
    • We individually exhibited at Futurebuild 2022 with very positive response from construction professionals to both offerings.
    • GBC received an email from Firstplanit the first morning of the show, GBC realised that Firstplanit had created what BrianSpecMan had wanted to do 20 years ago, with bells and whistles.
    • Ankita visited BrianSpecMan at the GBC stand and that was the most important handshake of the show.
    • We are now working together to push our ambitions as far as we can.
    • The self-build market was buoyant in the East and South West we decided to dip our toes into the water and see if there is a need for Firstplanit and GBC in this sector.
    • It turns out the need is very high, we are glad we came here.
    • We met with so many self-builders at different stages of their journeys and gave them plenty of independent advice
    • We met Anti-Greenwash Charter‘s Charlie & Becks after a recent 1 hour zoom call
    • We met Exeter Science Centre‘s Natalie and hope to present to their audiences
    • We met Build a Dream Self Build Association‘s Valarie and have planned a presentation 25/10/2022

    Meet Ankita of Firstplanit and BrianSpecMan from GBC

    SelfBuild+Design 2022 AD
    A visitor being introduced to Firstplanit by Ankita Dwivedi

    2 speaker slots presenting Violet v Green Materials and Green Building Calculator


    On the stand we ran GBC Powerpoints of GBC Screenshots


    GBC Video

    https://youtu.be/6rcOT_lWAc4

    SelfBuild&Design West 2022
    Circular economy in action:
    Shell scheme gets used many times each year
    Table and chairs hired for the two days
    Apple iMac Monitor: new-to-me, remanufactured with war wounds, via Mac4Schools
    Exhibition furniture: reclaimed plywood from dismantled grain drying retaining wall made by Martin West of Syndicate West
    Posters: >50% are reused for GBC and <50% are new for Firstplanit

    Smart phone: Next outing with new-to-me refurbished iPhone11 from Back<Market
    Back<Market has just passed the 1m tonnes of CO2e avoided by selling second-life refurbished smart phones and computers avoiding making new ones. 21/04/2023


    Recent Events

    Future Events

    • UK Construction Week ’22
      • Venue: NEC Birmingham,
      • Zone: Net Zero,
      • Stand: B1081 (close to the Grand Design link.)
    • Regen ’22
      • Liverpool, 2nd-3rd November
    We were not alone a glimpse before the public arrived

    Self-Build & Design Show West Event GBC#1423

    © GBE GBC GBL NGS ASWS Brian Murphy aka BrianSpecMan **
    27th August 2022 – 23rd April 2023

  • GBC Mentoring Khartoum Sudan

    GBC Mentoring Khartoum Sudan

    GBC Mentoring Khartoum Sudan

    ArchwayMentoringBanner
    By Archway – Architecture Mentoring Program
    • Programme to guide and mentor students and fresh graduates in various disciplines presented by graduates and experts.
    • A video presentation by BrianSpecMan followed by delegate Q&A

    Date: 13th August 2022

    Organiser: Reem Tageldin @ Archway team, Faculty of Architecture, University of Khartoum, Sudan

    Social Media Links: Twitter LinkedIn facebook Instagram

    Title:

    ArchwayMentoringPoster

    Speaker: Brian Murphy aka BrianSpecMan

    Delivery: On-line via facebook video

    Moderator: Shahd Gaafar 


    GBC Feedback

    Hi Brian

    • I would like to thank you so much for giving us some of your precious time.
    • To be honest this was an amazing experience for us here in Sudan to have someone with your experience give us a session.
    • I hope we may have you as a speaker more often.

    Sincerely Shahd Gaafar

    Hey Brian!

    • The session was very informative and more than expected!
    • Thank you so much for your collaboration.

    Reem Tageldin

    Hey Reem

    • Thank you for such an Intelligent audience with interesting questions
    • (the best I have had so far).

    BrianSpecMan


    GBC Q&A

    Archway – Architecture Mentoring Program 
    Don’t forget to comment with your questions, so we can answer them at the end of the session!
    Q&A starts at 1:11:00 in the video

    What can we replace cement with?
    See Video Q&A @ 1:11:50

    Reem Tageldin How does the emerging health challenges (COVID for example ) change the framework for GBC?
    See Video Q&A @

    Mona Dualbait Sudan uses mostly violet materials because they are cheaper, how can we as a country in an economic crisis tackle this?
    See Q&A @ 1:14:00 & 1:20:30

    Nawal Bakhet Has GBC been applied to an existing project?
    Student competition entry completed and Retrofit version case studies underway
    See Video @ 30:38-33:50

    Assmaa Yousif Are temporary structures actually more efficient? or will we end up consuming more?
    See Video Q&A @ 1:15:20

    Hazardous materials are everywhere, contractors are struggling to educate about hazardous materials and waste, what can Architects do about hazardous materials and waste?
    See Video @ 1:20:30

    Hala Warrag If we want to learn how to use this calculator where can we apply to?

    Reem Tageldin Interesting!

    Reem Tageldin A contextual GBC will be a great addition to the profession.
    See Video @ 40:30 to 41:00

    Noon Osama What could be a greener alternative for HVAC systems, specially in a hot climate like ours?
    See Video Q&A @ 1:24:00

    Assmaa Yousif Also Avoid the cladding lol !

    Can GBC work in Sudan?
    See Video @ 1:26:40 to 1:29:20

    Reem Tageldin Very informative
    Thank you Reem

    Reem Tageldin Very informative! Thank you for the content

    Shima Alshaikh Thank you for such an informative session!!!
    Thank you for saying so, I appreciate it.


    GBC CPD

    Archway Mentoring CPD S1 PNG
    Archway Mentoring CPDC 9H1 PNG

    GBC Mentoring Khartoum Sudan C#1396

    © GBE GBC GBL NGS ASWS Brian Murphy aka BrianSpecMan **
    13th August 2022 – 27th August 2022

  • GBC News

    GBC > Blog > News > Events > C#842


    GBE News

    • GRC V1 Build Sustainable Building Awards 2023 Winner
    • Spoke 4 times at Grand Designs Live 2023 NEC
      • In discussion with Kevin McCloud about bats and birds in building and landscape
    • Exhibited at UKCW 2023 NEC
    • Exhibited at Whitllesford Village Hall Community Energy Event
    • GRC V1 Green Apple Award Winner 2023
    • GRC V1 Prestige Awards Application 2023/24
    • GRC V1 London Construction Awards 2023 Application and finalist
    • GRC V1 Green Apple Award 2023 Application
    • Exhibiting at Build for the Future: East Midlands @ Lincolnshire Showground 23rd May
      • Potential speaking opportunties at Lincoln University
      • GRC CPD planned with local Conservation Practice
    • Invited to exhibit at Kingston Efficient Homes Show 20th May
      • Potential speaking opportunties at LSB University
      • GRC CPD planned with 5 local Practice
      • Consultancy opportunity with Local Practice
    • Attended Grand Designs Live London
      • Ask an Expert with HiiGuru
      • 4 speaking opportunities
      • 45 minutes 1 to 1 discussion with Kevin McCloud on stage
    • Invited to Mentor Students studying at Linz Austria
    • Invited to Caroe Architects GRC CPD in April
    • Wilkinson Eyre Architects (CPD) C#1864
    • Buy Now GRC V1 PENDING
    • GBC to exhibit at Futurebuild 2023
    • GRC V1 to be presented on Edge Stand at Futurebuild 2023
    • Writing a GBS Robust Specification for BIPV installer
    • GBC Invited to join BIM Heroes
    • BrianSpecMan to be Collabed Champion renamed BuildMyTalent
    • GBC & GRC CPD to Defence Estates
    • GBPDC started updating 892 assemblies Hierarchy file (See Wilkinson Eyre CPD)
    • GBE updated GBE Jargon Buster to update A54, 562 pages, >9000 terms 09/01/2023
    • Discussions with Plymouth University to include CobBauge to readymade walls
    • GBC & GRC at Regen 2022 Liverpool
    • GBC & GRC at Saunders Boston Architects Environment Week
    • GBC at EIHA Hemp Working Group Added Hemp constructions to GBC
    • GBC at International Hemp Building Symposium
    • GBC Show me a Change Maker
    • GBC Feedback
    • GBC Awards: CIOB Sustainability Award 2022 submission
    • NGS signs on Anti-Greenwash Charter
    • GBC Podcast @ Futurebuild 2022
    • GBE gets SME News UK Enterprise Award 2022

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    GBC News C#842 End.

    © GBC GBE GBC GBL NGS ASWS Brian Murphy aka BrianSpecMan **
    11th February 2022 – 8th November 2023

  • GBC Carbon Crunching Chat (Newsletter) C#819

    GBC Carbon Crunching Chat Newsletter

    GBC is launching a newsletter with two invitation emails to existing contacts

    Sign up for GBC Carbon Crunching Chat Newsletter

    GBC Users Postcard FB2022 PNG

    Green Building Calculator launches Version 2 at Futurebuild 2022

    Hello current and future Carbon-Counters

    • GBC V2 is MS Excel-based, open-book, a multi-functional design and decision tool and calculator,
    • It adds whole building embodied energy, embodied carbon, sequestered carbon and costs to the existing in-use energy, carbon and costs of GBC V1. 
    • GBC V2 calculates Form Factor to help set U value targets, it engages user’s choice of regulated, design standards, or campaign targets, including:
    • UK or any national regulations; AECB, CL, CLR, PH, EnerPHit; LETI, ACAN, RIBA, TfL, etc.
    • GBC V2’s elemental assemblies allow choice of components, materials or products; checks, confirms U values meet targets or warns if not. 
    • Summary sheet emphasises which elements have disproportionate heat losses to enable review of specification choices.
    • GBC V2 includes a bill of quantities to allow cost planning, quotation collating, tendering;
    • with cost and carbon data, intelligent value engineering is possible.

    BrianSpecMan@icloud.com

    GBC SP Postcard FB2022 PNG

    Hello Solution Providers

    • The launch of GBC Version 2 initiates the need for two fundamentally important datasets:
    • Green Building Product Data Collection (GBPDC):
      • It includes ‘Golden-thread CCPI quality’ product properties and performance, with embodied energy, embodied carbon, sequestered carbon and Environmental Product Declaration data.
    • Green Building Price Book (GBPB):
      • Products, Accessories, Labour and Plant rates
    • GBC V2 includes drop down lists of appropriate products to choose from, users select your company and products by name, it then interrogates this data to populate the calculator’s cells from look up tables and automatically calculates many impacts.
    • GBC V2 includes a bill of quantities to interrogate GBPB to allow competent cost planning & tendering
      • With cost, performance and impact data linked dynamically, all in one place, intelligent value engineering is possible and substitution avoided.

    BrianSpecMan@icloud.com

    If you have ‘Golden-thread CCPI quality’ data to share GBC are interested

    • Excel Exhibition Centre
    • Futurebuild 2022
    • Digital Impact Zone
    • Stand L68
    • 1st-3rd March 2022

    Registration for futurebuild:


    GBC Events

    Futurebuild 2022


    GBC Newsletters

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    Contact form


    GBC Collaboration


    GBC Carbon Crunching Chat (Newsletter) C#819 End.

    © GBE GBC GBL NGS ASWS Brian Murphy aka BrianSpecMan **
    10th February 2022 – 11th February 2022

  • GBC Feedback

    GBC Feedback


    GBC Feedback


    GBC Mentoring & CPD Feedback

    CPD Presentation: I want I want I want a Green Building Calculator, so I made one

    Delegate Q&A session followed

    Archway – Architecture Mentoring Program Khartoum Sudan 13th August 2022

    • I would like to thank you so much for giving us some of your precious time.
    • To be honest this was an amazing experience for us here in Sudan to have someone with your experience give us a session.
    • I hope we may have you as a speaker more often.

    Sincerely Shahd Gaafar Event Moderator

    • The session was very informative and more than expected!
    • Thank you so much for your collaboration.

    Reem Tageldin Event Organiser

    • Thank you for such an Intelligent audience with interesting questions
    • (the best I have had so far)

    I am a masters student trying to figure out the details of your calculator.

    I will most likely be doing my thesis on building sustainability and a deep understanding of this calculator (which is literally the best one I’ve ever seen) would be amazing.  
    Noah Schneider 26th August 2022


    I am studying at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth.
    We have an assignment and I heard that your tool was the one to go for!
    Alana Cox Student at CAT 23rd June 2022


    “Well done on all the great work you do BrianSpecMan Murphy.” 11th June 2022

    Ralph Montague BArch MRIAI, Director at ARCDOX
    Talks about #bim, #innovation, #engineering, #architecture, and #construction


    If you’re interested in avoiding green wash and actually calculating embodied and operational carbon, you NEED to know about BrianSpecMan Murphys Green Building Calculator. Check it out on LinkedIn 11th June 2022

    Ele George Driving construction sector change // Consulting on sustainable and offsite buildings // Collaboration Hub Manager at Energiesprong // Strategy Manager at Offsite Alliance // Founder of Elevate


    GBC and GBE Lectures Feedback


    I first encountered Brian Murphy and the GBC spreadsheet at university in my masters program in 2016 and was quite impressed with it. Brian was able to show us very clearly the impact of our design solutions by using the calculator. More importantly with my 16 years of work experience at the time I saw what it could provide, a direct antidote to greenwashing. There had been several industry attempts to move towards a more responsible process for buildings and their environment in the last 20 years. In my experience, these processes tended to focus on ‘add-ons’ (bat boxes, bicycle parking, green roofs) to achieve a sustainability standard. There have always been ways to shortcut around these and the building industry has been typically reluctant to move away from the ‘the way they have always done it’.

    Brian’s passion for a more accurate and universal criteria was clear from his first lecture and has not waned in the many discussions I have had with him. I have been working in the private residential market for the last 12 years and typically these projects have small design teams and discussions about what is the best solutions are, become a debate between the contractor and the architect and often the client choses to go with the contractor’s suggestion. The GBC provides a much more robust argument with which to convince the client and the contractor.  On a recent project the client was happy to follow the guidance from the GBC, the main contractor was mostly supportive, but the sub-contractors continually challenged our decisions and at every opportunity pointed out to the client that the amount of insulation was not necessary, or the overhang was excessive.  The GBC gave the client the confidence to ignore the noise coming from them.

    Once the project data is in the GBC you can really examine the design, carbon and cost implications between different types of insulation, or heating systems for example.  The GBC openly identifies where the information is coming from how it’s being used so as to really make the calculator transparent.  This transparency removes bias and takes a major step towards providing an accurate tool with which to assess a project and ultimately help architects, designers, project managers and clients deliver a more sustainable built environment.


    • James Kells (See Q&A 12/03/2022)
    • 14/03/2022
    • Thats great work you are doing, best of luck with it.
    • Thank you James

    GBC CPD Feedback


    • Jerome Le Dorze
    • 13/12/2021
    • Following CIAT CPD Video release (awaiting editing before posting here)
    • Thanks Brian, I’m always very impressed.
    • YOU are the green encyclopaedia.
    • I loved the tenets enunciated in the introduction and the calculator is I’m sure a massively useful tool. (I want I want I want!)
    • Thanks, Jerome

    © GBE GBC GBL NGS ASWS Brian Murphy aka BrianSpecMan **
    13th December 2021 – 23rd June 2022

    GBC Feedback C#700 End.