On Thursday, December 4th, 2025, the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) hosted its annual conference, titled ‘Building Performance Reimagined – What’s Next?’. The event, held at the Royal Society in London, brought together a prestigious group of senior engineers, architects, innovators, and policymakers to discuss the evolving challenges and opportunities within building performance.
The conference, in line with the theme of CIBSE’s 2024-25 President Fiona Cousins, focused on practical strategies to enhance sustainability, efficiency, and occupant well-being across the built environment. Drawing on insights from recent CIBSE reports, the event centered on four key areas: thermal comfort, energy saving, data measurement, and retrofitting.
A strong emphasis was placed on real-world application, with case studies throughout the day showcasing emerging performance metrics, innovative technological solutions, and successful retrofitting projects. This focus on actionable examples also highlighted opportunities for industry partners to contribute their own case studies as part of future sponsorship packages.
The conference featured three well-attended sessions, each addressing a different dimension of building performance. The first session, titled ‘Fabric first’, was chaired by Sasha Krstanovic, Founder and Design Lead at mstep and CIBSE Trustee. The session examined the growing importance of decarbonization and climate resilience. Speakers Kathryn Dapre (CALA), Tom Smith, and Ola Bialas (Hoare Lea) discussed the challenges of reducing emissions and mitigating overheating risks, offering attendees clear examples of best practice in the housebuilding sector.
The second session, titled ‘Research, policy, and future planning’, was led by Sam Baptist, CIBSE Head of Government Affairs. This session explored how research and policy can inform more sustainable and resilient buildings. Presenters Becci Taylor (Arup), Lewis Turner, Dipo Lafinhan, and Andrew Wholley addressed topics including affordability within planetary boundaries, sharing forward-looking insights into delivering homes that are both environmentally responsible and economically viable.
The final session, titled ‘People first’, focused on the central role of occupants in determining building performance. Speakers Tom Randall, Jon Belfield, and Vic Tink (InTandem Systems) presented practical case studies and strategies that put people at the heart of building design, operation, and performance assessment.
The conference was a platform for thought leaders, practitioners, and stakeholders to come together for a day of knowledge-sharing, discussion, and collaboration. It reinforced CIBSE’s ongoing commitment to advancing high-quality building performance and addressing the urgent sustainability, efficiency, and well-being challenges facing the industry.
By presenting practical examples, highlighting emerging innovations, and facilitating cross-sector dialogue, the event has set a benchmark for future CIBSE conferences, supporting continued progress and inspiring action across the built environment.