Flip it — our professional development seminars
07.02.2025
Professional development, flipped
As part of our mission to engineer a better society, we're launching Flip it, our professional development seminars for a better built environment.
Sharing our expertise, our goal is to tackle our industry's challenges together with our clients and partners.
From architects to main contractors, each session is tailored to provide the latest engineering insights on various subjects including mass timber, adaptive reuse and transport.
If you'd like to arrange a session, please write flipit@elliottwood.co.uk.
Flip it programme
Flip it is our professional development seminar series designed for:
- Architects
- Developers
- Agents
- Project managers, design managers, quantity surveyors
- Main contractors
The session format is a 45-minute presentation followed by a 15-minute Q&A.
Currently, we offer sessions on:
- The Commercial Timber Guidebook
- Technical Timber
- Steel reuse ― raising the bar
- Concrete: Navigating a history of risk and innovation
- Materials and the renovation of existing structures
- Existing building audits — maximising value
- The future of planning — demolition v retrofit
- Transport for carbon and social impact
- The future of digital engineering
- Getting BIM right, the first time
There are three options:
- We come to you
- You come to us at The Society Building
- Open Breakfast Sessions at the Society Building. Dates to be announced.
We understand each stakeholder is different, so we tailor our sessions to meet the goals of each organisation.
These sessions are not (yet) certified, however they can still be used by architects for RIBA or ARB CPD points as the content will cover parts of the core curriculum.
If you'd like to arrange a session, please write flipit@elliottwood.co.uk.
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We're launching Flip it to share our expertise and tackle our industry's challenges together with our clients and partners.
Timber — overcoming barriers
Mass timber is functional, beautiful and a renewable carbon store.
But its adoption in large-scale commercial construction, particularly in the UK, has been slow.
That’s why we’ve launched the Commercial Timber Guidebook, a technical resource to help our industry overcome insurance barriers.
Sessions
- The Commercial Timber Guidebook — overcoming insurance barriers
Learn to use the Commercial Timber Guidebook and develop your knowledge of mass timber. This session offers technical insights on overcoming insurance barriers, illustrative examples and strategies to address key challenges in mass timber projects. - Technical timber — durability and risk management
Expand your expertise in timber construction with insights on durability and risk management. This session also covers hybrid structures, SIPs and traditional stick-frame methods.
Steel reuse — raising the bar
Steel is a big deal.
Globally, ~10% of carbon emissions come from steel production.
But here’s some good news: reclaiming steel is also a big deal.
Session
- Steel reuse — raising the bar
Based on lessons from two market-leading projects — 30 Duke Street and 20 Giltspur Street — learn how to incorporate steel reuse at scale. This session includes insights on tolerance in steel sizing. It also features an in-depth discussion on succeeding in the steel reuse market and unconventional solutions such as floor jacking.
Going circular
The global economy is only 7.2% circular and shrinking.
The global built environment accounts for 50% of material extraction and nearly 30% of biodiversity loss. Applying circular solutions for reusing and adapting concrete structures is critical to achieving a more sustainable built environment.
Sessions
- Concrete: Navigating a history of risk and innovation
A shallow dive into the murky waters of historic concrete and why structural engineers seem to give conflicting advice on what looks to be the same thing! Whether you want to know more about filler joist floors or what made everyone so fussed about RAAC in 2023, this session will educate, explain and theoretically entertain. Materials and the renovation of existing structures
Learn about engineering materials and a forensic approach to renovating existing structures. This session charts the history of key engineering materials and explores our encounters with these materials on projects such as The Ritz, William Kent House, and Eton House.
The future of retrofit
The UK's retrofit policy landscape is evolving.
How can we adapt to this changing regulatory and market landscape and maximise the value of existing buildings?
- Existing building audits — maximising value
The purpose of existing building audits is rapidly evolving. Pre-redevelopment and pre-demolition audits — once a mere tick-box exercise under the London Plan Policy — are gaining value as Westminster and the City of London embrace retrofit-first policies.
Based on insights from our proven in-house auditing processes, we share insights on:- Why carry out a pre-redevelopment audit? What are the drivers?
- What should be included within an audit? What needs to be considered?
- When should an audit be undertaken? What are the issues and opportunities with carrying out audits at different project stages?
- How do we maximise value and give the audit a purpose beyond planning?
- The future of planning — demolition v retrofit
2025 is a big year of change in planning policy, with several councils likely to adopt Retrofit First policies. These policies are key to the transition to a low-carbon, circular construction industry. However, policy change brings risk, uncertainty and the need for radical upskilling for all sectors of the industry.
This session will break down key parts of new policies introduced by Local Planning Authorities such as Westminster, Bristol, Enfield and the City of London. What can developers do to reduce planning risk? How must architects and consultants adapt their practices to align with policy requirements? And what lessons can we learn from recent major cases and leading retrofit projects?
Transport matters
At 26% (2021), transport represents the UK’s largest GHG-emitting sector. While other sector emissions have halved since 1990, transport has seen less than a 3% reduction.
But better transport planning can make a difference.
Using our internal Transport Carbon tool, we’ve found transport emissions can exceed whole life (operational and embodied) emissions in less than 20 years, sometimes less than 10 depending on the land use and building location.
Session
- Transport for carbon and social impact
Based on insights from our internal Transport Carbon Tool, you'll learn how to assess and mitigate carbon and social impacts in your projects. You'll also develop a deeper understanding of land use and transport planning considerations on a project and city-wide level, helping you design developments that are more efficient, sustainable, and beneficial for clients, end users, and the wider community.
Digital, transformed
Digital engineering has evolved.
Once focused on enabling complex geometries, it now can drive your organisation's efficiency, sustainability, and collaboration. But how?
Sessions
- The future of digital engineering
This session explores how structured datasets, automated workflows, and transparent design decisions shape the industry. You'll learn how digital tools are helping Elliott Wood reduce environmental impact, distribute knowledge, and compare design options. From better supply chain mapping and material passports to filling the construction skills gap, we share our lessons to help you define your digital transformation strategies. - Getting BIM right, the first time
Cut through the noise and avoid ‘bad’ BIM. Building Information Modelling (BIM) can greatly benefit building and infrastructure projects. This session offers a clear six-step process to achieve ‘good’ BIM, allowing you to maximise project and client benefits.
ETHICS 2.0 — our call to action
We can’t Engineer a Better Society alone.
While we still don’t have all the answers, we are optimistic that we can make a difference.
ETHICS 2.0 is a call to action for our community, a place for big questions about the issues driving all aspects of our lives today.
