Spotlight on… 

Richard Broad, Director, The Alliance for Sustainable Building Products 

What’s your current role at your institution? 

I am a Director at the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP). We are a non-profit sustainability organisation with an ever-growing membership alliance of forward-thinking companies and institutions from across the built environment sector. 

We are passionate about low carbon products that can create healthy buildings and a more resource efficient built environment. I work across the organisation, managing working groups, supporting research, engaging with members, and managing our annual awards programme. 

Which past experiences have helped you the most in your current role? 

My role is diverse, and I am lucky to engage with a wide range of interesting people from across the sector, including those involved in the Transforming Homes project. 

I joined ASBP 10 years ago having just finished a Master’s in Architectural Technology. I also work for the Good Homes Alliance and have worked for a number of progressive sustainability organisations including Passivhaus Trust, Building Performance Network and the SHINE Healthcare Network, so I have gained a well-rounded outlook of the industry. 

All of these organisations sit under the Sustainable Development Foundation umbrella, which was recognised at COP26 as an International Centre of Excellence (ICE) for High Performance Buildings by the United Nations ECE. 

What excites you about the research in the Transforming Homes project? 

There are three aspects which particularly excite me about the project – 1) Improving the quality of social housing to deliver healthier homes for residents, 2) Tackling the enormous retrofit challenge, and 3) Utilising natural insulation materials – underused but amazing products with a range of benefits beyond just thermal performance – low carbon, renewable, an ability to lock up carbon, lower VOCs, and enhanced humidity control. The challenge is to overcome barriers to roll out natural materials at scale. 

How is your expertise contributing to the Transforming Homes project? 

Stakeholder engagement is our key strength. We have a large and diverse network including leading architectural practices, major contractors, and product manufacturers from start-ups and innovators, to market-leading multinational companies. Our membership includes all of the major manufacturers and suppliers of natural insulation materials in the UK, who we will engage with to utilise their expertise and gather feedback on the project. 

Knowledge sharing is also a key focus of ours. We share learning through regular events, conferences and guidance development. We will disseminate the findings from the project to our members, partner organisations and wider industry, to help share the learnings far and wide, and deliver maximum impact for the project.