{"id":721492,"date":"2023-11-29T09:59:23","date_gmt":"2023-11-29T09:59:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?p=721492"},"modified":"2023-11-29T09:59:23","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T09:59:23","slug":"aj-climate-champions-podcast-how-public-practice-associates-are-driving-retrofit-and-net-zero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/aj-climate-champions-podcast-how-public-practice-associates-are-driving-retrofit-and-net-zero","title":{"rendered":"AJ Climate Champions podcast: How Public Practice associates are driving retrofit and net zero"},"content":{"rendered":"

Public Practice<\/a> is a social enterprise that places built environment professions in the public sector, primarily in placemaking roles and increasingly in key roles that drive retrofit and net zero.<\/p>\n

ACAN co-founder Lauren Shevills, now lead retrofit innovation and delivery officer at Westminster City Council, explains that Public Practice has changed the trajectory of her career, enabling her to marry her passion for community and stakeholder engagement with technical architectural expertise.<\/p>\n

Steve Westcott, low carbon programme manager at Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) says Public Practice has empowered him to work more strategically and \u2018be closer to the conversations\u2019 that matter. Off the back of Westcott\u2019s role, GMCA is recruiting additional Public Practice associates.<\/p>\n

Speaking about retrofit, Shevills observes that one major challenge is that retrofit cannot be mandated because it\u2019s currently not part of the planning process.\u00a0 A retrofit-first policy requires a rethink of current guidance and Westminster Council has five workstreams underway to explore various aspects of retrofit. Westcott explains that a fabric-first approach is often too costly. The GMCA is developing portfolio-wide data collection for the city\u2019s non-domestic estate to inform future grant disbursement decisions.<\/p>\n

Both Shevills and Westcott say their move to the public sector involved a steep learning curve that was well supported by Public Practice through workshops with other associates throughout their placements.<\/p>\n

AJ Climate Champions is hosted by Hattie Hartman and George Morgan. To catch up on all episodes, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Find Climate Champions on your favourite podcast app: subscribe via Spotify<\/a>,\u00a0Apple Podcasts<\/a>,\u00a0Google Podcasts<\/a>, Deezer<\/a>\u00a0and Podbean<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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