Top 5 CPD Ideas for Passive House Architects

Eco-friendly homes are becoming more popular than ever. They are becoming less expensive and more accessible, which is driving demand.

Sustainable architects are finding new ways to reduce waste and help the planet. One of the steps they are taking is helping create passive homes. These homes are more energy efficient and otherwise good for the planet.

Like other professions, house architects should consider taking up Continuing Professional Development (CPD), allowing them to enhance their professional skills and stand out from their competitors. In fact, CPD is a vital part for house architects and design professionals, as many professional institutes now require their members to undergo a certain number of CPD hours every year.

Here are the top five CPD ideas for passive house architects.

What is CPD for Architects?

Continuing Professional Development or CPD refers to the activities architects undertake to ensure their professional skills are updated with the latest developments in the industry. Generally, the CPD for architects is divided into three categories – structured, reflective, and self-directed. Architects often acquire new information through CPD training activities to meet their professional development objectives and improve their capability in the workplace.

These standards are becoming more important, especially for architects focused on sustainability. They are helping architects meet the needs of clients seeking to be part of the $81 billion market for eco-friendly buildings.

Architecture is an evolving field, and it often evolves at a rapid pace, creating more sustainable and efficient building solutions. In order to keep up, architects should stay abreast of these rising trends. They must have an excellent grasp of the latest developments that could reshape the future of architecture. Ongoing education through CPD is crucial for an architect’s career growth.

1.      Training New Employees 

New architects must receive proper mentoring and training when they come into the firm. It’s an essential step for their learning and professional development. Architects play an important role, making it necessary to equip those new to the profession with the knowledge and skills they need to carry out their responsibilities.

A mentor can be anyone who has practiced the profession for several years and has handled various projects. They can partner with a new architect during the first few months of employment. The mentor can provide guidance and advice to help promote and foster the professional development of the new architect. As someone who knows the ropes in the profession, the mentor can be an effective source of encouragement and advice. They can offer assistance through training and integrating the new architect into the firm. With an expert mentor, the new architect can quickly become a contributing member of the firm.

Mentoring can benefit both the mentor and the new architect. The mentor will feel like they are helping the firm by sharing their acquired knowledge and experience in architecture. By helping others, they gain a better understanding of their profession. Meanwhile, the new architect can greatly benefit from the mentoring by having easy access to helpful guidance and advice, not to mention encouragement, which they need the most, especially during the first few months of being an architect.

2.      Working at Heights 

Like other professions that often deal with danger, especially when working in tall buildings, architects should prioritize their safety at all times. They must ensure that the building they are working on has fire exits that meet the regulatory standards and that they are working only with non-hazardous materials. For these reasons, they should consider booking onto the available online health and safety courses.

Working at construction sites is dangerous, even if you are not directly involved in constructing the building. As an architect, you are sometimes required to make a site visit and personally visit the construction area, which would sometimes require them to climb to the top of the building. According to the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) data, one of the top causes of fatalities in construction is falling from heights.

Thus, one of the CPD Ideas for architects is to take a safety course about working at heights. While taking up the training cannot entirely guarantee that you will not meet any accidents, it can, no doubt, mitigate the risks involved in working at heights. Architects are fully responsible for protecting themselves and the people they work with.

3.      Learn about Listed Building Compliance 

There are about 400,000 listed buildings in the UK. So, if you’re an architect based in the UK, you must be skilled in Listed Building Compliance. Performing work on listed buildings can be challenging since these buildings are considered of special significance or historic interest. 

Whether you need to restore, retrofit, or extend a listed structure, you must be very careful not to cause damage to the property’s original character. Therefore, architects must clearly understand the significance and nature of the listed building. In addition, they should have sufficient knowledge of the laws that protect these historic structures.

Training courses on Listed Building Compliance is highly recommended for architects if they want to advance their professional career. The course will teach them important things like how to get consent or permission to carry out work on a listed building. They will also learn if these types of buildings need to have disabled access and other facilities. It also teaches them how to comply with energy-efficient laws when working with listed buildings.

4.      Learn about Passive House Architecture 

Architects nowadays should also be knowledgeable about passive house architecture. Passive house refers to a high-performance standard on building construction, which dramatically reduces the building’s energy needs. Passive houses are believed to deliver energy savings of up to 90%.

The Passive House design requires the integration of super insulation, airtightness, advanced window technology, and efficient ventilation to provide occupants with clean air and a suitable temperature. While a Passive House’s biggest benefit is providing healthy and comfortable living conditions, its most admired characteristic is its ability to significantly reduce the consumption of electricity and natural gas, which essentially helps to cut down carbon emissions.

But the adoption of Passive House is not mainly about caring for the environment or preventing the dangers of climate change. Even if you do not care much about the planet, Passive House buildings can benefit you in many ways. A passive house is often less costly to maintain because they use a small amount of energy and requires fewer repairs. But perhaps, the biggest benefit it can give is keeping the homeowners healthy. With a passive house, you can enjoy better sleep quality and breathe fresh air daily.