For the first instalment of our newly launched Sustainable Asset Management Series, we are exploring the theme of “high-tech homes”. With the Future Homes Standard now launched more people will be living in homes equipped with advanced technologies such as heat pumps, mechanical ventilation systems, and solar PV.
However, living in these homes requires a shift in how occupants manage their day-to-day habits. This may include heating homes more consistently, using ventilation systems effectively to prevent damp, and making the most of solar generation by using electricity when it is available.
This event will bring together insights from pilot projects examining how tenants experience these higher-tech homes. It aims to deepen understanding of both the challenges and opportunities they present, and to draw practical lessons for future housebuilding and the long-term management of increasingly complex housing.
We will hear a keynote from Professor Minna Sunikka-Blank, Professor of Architecture and Environmental Policy at the University of Cambridge and Golzar Zandi, Development Project Manager, Economy & Place, Cambridge City Council, who will share their evaluation of tenants’ experiences of living in energy-efficient, higher-tech homes in Cambridge.
Following the keynote, our expert panel “Beyond the Technology: Managing and Living in High-Tech Homes” will explore how we encourage residents to make the behavioral shifts that will enable future homes to be genuinely sustainable in practice.
Panelists include:
Emma Fletcher, Innovation Director, Octopus Energy Homes
Rory Bergin, Partner HTA
Tom Kordel, Director, XCO2
Ben Earl, Head of Partnerships and Sustainability, Abri
Professor Minna Sunikka-Blank, Professor of Architecture and Environmental Policy, University of Cambridge
Golzar Zandi, Development Project Manager, Economy & Place, Cambridge City Council
Chaired by Anna Clarke, Director of Policy and Public Affairs, The Housing Forum
Join us to gain practical insights, share experiences, and help shape how we design, deliver, and manage the next generation of homes.