Neighbourhood Toolbox

The Exchange #9 Calculating Embodied Carbon
2025-02-24 09:30 - 14:30 UTC | Chancellors Building, 274 Convocation Ave, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7PA
On Monday, 24 February 2025, NTB and University of Bath hosted The Exchange #9 Calculating Embodied Carbon.
At the workshop we were joined by A/Professor Aoife Houlihan Wiberg, Dr Taghried Abdelmagid, PhD researchers Abdulrahman Ba Jaman, Nithya Thomas, Omer Ahmed and Patrick Barry who led an exciting workshop to help us understand the concept of embodied carbon and its significance in delivering a net-zero whole life carbon (WLC) built environment.
On the day, we embarked on a sensory journey to understand the importance of embodied carbon and the life cycles associated with every material. We also discussed where to find energy performance data (EPD) to make quick comparisons that inform our material choices during the early stages of our projects.
This session emphasised the challenges that design professionals encounter due to inconsistencies in the way manufacturers provide their Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) information. It underscored the urgent need for standardisation to simplify how EPD information is presented to ensure that inaccessible EPD data is not the barrier preventing us from making environmentally responsible choices.
The Agenda for the day was:
9:45 | Arrivals, Tea and Coffee
10:00 | Introductions and NTB updates
10:10 | Introduction to Embodied Carbon
10:40 | Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) Calculations
11:10 | Break, Tea and Coffee
11.20 | Multi-Sensory Material Workshop
12:00 | Lunch
12:45 | Calculating Embodied Carbon Workshop
14:30 | Thanks & Session close.

The Exchange #10 Small Practice
2025-02-24 09:30 - 13:30 | Prewett Bizley Architects, Unit 4, 2 Glastonbury Road, Wells, Somerset, BA5 1TH
On Monday, 17 March 2025, NTB hosted The Exchange #10 Small Practice.
We met at Prewett Bizley Architects’ office in Wells for an engaging workshop focused on small practices.
On that day, we were joined by Emma Keyte from Free Projects, who delivered a talk titled “Recipe for Agility.” Her presentation highlighted the importance of agility in our daily work and shared the essential ingredients needed to position our practices to remain agile (and fragile) to navigate significant moments and realise our professional trajectory.
Following her talk, we conducted a workshop in which attendees explored what success looks like for their practice, the barriers preventing them from achieving that success, and a round-table discussion to identify common obstacles they face and derive collective strategies that we can implement together to overcome these.
We had a great time!
The Agenda for the day is:
9:30 | Arrival, Teas and Coffees
9:45 | Introductions and NTB Updates
10:00 | A Recipe For Agility | Emma Keyte, Free Projects
10:45| Break, Teas and Coffees
11.00 | Workshop Exploring Small Pracitce
12:30 | Lunch
13:30 | Thanks & Session close.

The Exchange #8 Participatory Design
2025-01-20 09:30 - 14:30 | The National Self Build & Renovation Centre, Lydiard Fields, Great Western Way, Swindon, SN5 8UB, United Kingdom
On Monday, 20 January 2025, NTB hosted The Exchange #8 Participatory Design.
At this workshop, we heard from two organisations that specialise in developing grassroots approaches to foster diverse and meaningful community participation in the design and construction of the places we inhabit.
We were joined by Tom Spencer from Terrestrial shared his work and through a participatory workshop taught us ways to build more meaningful and creative partnerships to uneart more meaningful community arts adventures.
We were joined by Malcom Hamilton from Play Disrupt who showed us how embedding play – drawing on an array of creative play, technology, theatre, storytelling and visual art – can help broaden and diversify participation on projects.
The Agenda for the day was:
09:30 | Arrivals, Tea and Coffee
09:45 | Introductions and NTB updates
10:00 | Using Play To Build Participation | Malcom Hamilton, Director, Play Disrupt |
11.00 | Break, Tea and Coffee
11.15 | Designing Community Adventures | Tom Spencer, Director, Terrestrial Consultancy |
12:15 | Lunch
13:15 | Workshop Exploring Ways To Building Community Partnerhips
14:00 | Thanks & Session close

The Exchange #7 Forest to Workshop
2024-11-18 09:30 - 14:30 | Prewett Bizley Architects, Unit 4, 2 Glastonbury Road, Wells, Somerset, BA5 1TH
On Monday, 18 November 2024, NTB hosted The Exchange #7 From Forest to Workshop.
With our wellies and raincoats on, we ventured into Longleat Forest with Jim McConkie, the Head Forester, to learn about the continuous cover forestry technique. We learnt so much! From the considerations needed to create a balanced and resilient ecology to the benefits this has for commercial harvesting.
In the afternoon we visited Somer Furniture’s workshop where Will Floyd-Maclean gave us a tour and shared the company’s ethos and research journey to a beautiful modular furniture solution that takes responsibility for the process from timber source through to use, end of life and on to reuse.
The Agenda for the day was:
09:45 | Arrivals | Meet at Firewood Retail Point, Longleat Forestry, Warminster, BA12 7NE |
09:45 | Introductions and NTB updates
10:00 | Longleat Forestry Tour | Jim McConkie, Head Forester |
12:00 | Lunch
12:30 | Travel to Somer Workshop | Meet at Marston Trading Estate, Unit 14, Mooracre, Frome, BA11 4RL|
13:00 | Somer Workshop Tour | Will Floyd-Maclean, Director |
14:30 | Thanks & Session close

The Exchange #6 Equity By Design
2024-09-16 09:30 - 14:30 | The Hop Pole Inn, The Hop Pole Inn, Woods Hill, Limpley Stoke, BA2 7FS, United Kingdom
On Monday, 21 October 2024, NTB hosted The Exchange #6 Equity by Design in Frome.
We were joined by Stuart Reed, Hazel Vernon from We Are The People a research unit of Bath Spa University who provided lots of thought provoking insights into how we can build more equity into the process of designing!
We were also be joined by Robin Meader and Simon Blakeman from Open Storytellers, who shared equitable lessons from their collaboration with We Are The People advising Frome Museum on how to co-produce access awareness in the cultural heritage sector for people with learning disabilities.
The Agenda for the day was:
09:30 | Arrival, tea & coffee
09:45 | Introductions and NTB updates
10:00 | Equity by Design | We Are The People, Bath Spa University |
11:00| Break
11:15 | Case Study: Frome Museum | Open Storytellers |
12:15 | Break for Lunch
13:15 | Workshop exploring ways to design equity into community projects.
14:15 | Thanks & Session close

The Exchange #5 Biodiversity Net Gain
2024-09-16 09:30 - 14:30 | The National Self Build & Renovation Centre, Lydiard Fields, Great Western Way, Swindon, SN5 8UB, United Kingdom
On Monday, 16 September 024, NTB hosted The Exchange #5 Biodiversity Net Gain at the Silk Mill Studios in Frome.
We were joined by Gregor Neeve from Thomson Environmental Consultants who shared insight into the work of an ecologist and shared his advice and insights regarding the government’s recent Biodiversity Net Gain 2024 mandatory policy. On the day we also get a tour around the Saxonvale site from Jonny Buckland from Studio Saar and members of the Mayday Saxonvale team about there proposals and approach to developing a community-led scheme to regenerate this area. Alongside the site walk, Gregor shared his insights as an ecologist as to how he would approach undertaking an ecological impact assessment of the site.
The Agenda for the day was:
09:30 | Arrival, tea & coffee
09:45 | Introductions and NTB updates
10:00 | Intro to Biodiversity Net Gain
11:00| Break
11:15 | Walking tour of Saxonvale site in Frome through the BNG and Ecology lens
12:30 | Break for Lunch
13:00 | BNG Discussion and Q&A
14:00 | Thanks & Session close

The Exchange #4 Conservation & Retrofit
2024-07-15 09:30 - 14:30 | Manvers Street Baptist Church, Manvers Street, Bath, BA1 1JW
On Monday, 15 July 2024, NTB hosted The Exchange #4 in Bath on Conservation and Retrofit workshop in Bath City Centre.
At the session, we were joined by Gabriella Herrick, Director at Llewellyn Harker Lowe Architects, who shared the history of conservation, how to prepare heritage impact assessments.
After a break we heard from Sara Grimes from Bath West Community Energy who told us about the work of their organisation and their new Green Heritage Homes Programme they have developed in partnership with Bath and North East Somerset Council to offer the We also heard from Alexandra Best from B&NES who shared insight and misconceptions about listed building consent processes and their new Service Level 0 agreement supporting their community to attain early advice to support them to attain early advice as to how to approach their retrofit of heritage properties.
This was followed by a talk from Sally Richards from Frome Town Council regarding their Retrofit Assessment Programme who shared how the assessments are undertaken and early insights and lessons/challenges they are facing in delivering their programme.
After the provided lunch we hear from James Sibson and Tim Greensmith from FCB studios about their approach to conservation retrofit projects including Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings which was followed by Matthew Somerville providing a tour of their award winning Bath Clore Learning Centre.
The Agenda for the day was:
09:30 | Arrival, tea & coffee
09:50 | Introductions
10:00 | Conservation Basics | Gabriella Herrick LHL ARCHITECTS |
10.45 | Break
11:00 | Green Heritage Homes & Service Level 0 |Sara Grimes BWCE & Alexandra Best B&NES |
11:45 | FTC Retrofit Assessments Programme |Sally Richards FROME TOWN COUNCIL |
12:00 | Break for Lunch
12:30 | Reuse & Retrofit | James Sibson and Tim Greensmith FCB STUDIOS
1:00 | Guided Tour around Roman Baths Clore Learning Centre | Matthew Somerville FCB STUDIOS |
14:30 | Thanks & Session close
If this is of interest to you and your not already a member of the exchange please scroll down to get your individual ticket now. Or if you are be interested in becoming a member please click here.

The Exchange #3 Natural Materials | Event Passed
2024-06-17 09:30 - 14:30 | The National Self Build & Renovation Centre, Lydiard Fields, Great Western Way, Swindon, SN5 8UB, United Kingdom
On Monday 17th of June Neighbourhood Toolbox hosted The Exchange #3 Natural Materials. At this workshop we explored how we as designers can make better use of natural materials both above and below ground when designing buildings.
On the day Tom Graham, Director of the Tom Graham Workshop who shared an introduction to ACAN and the work of their Natural Materials group followed by a deep dive on Wood Fibre Insulation from the perspective of an installer. This was followed by a group discussion where everyone shared information about the array of natural materials they brought. In the afternoon, Beth Williams, Associate at Build Collective, who shared her experience of alternative solutions to achieve concrete-free foundations on projects.
The Agenda for the day was:
09:30 | Arrival, tea & coffee
10:00 | Introductions and Member updates
10:30 | Intro to ACAN and the Natural Building Materials Group | Tom Graham |
11:00 | Break
11:15 | Above The Line – Building in Natural Grown Materials | Tom Graham |
12.00| Natural Material Show and Tell
12:30| Break for Lunch
13:15| Concrete-Free Foundations | Beth Williams |
14:15 | Thanks & Session close

The Exchange #2 Building and Fire Safety | Event Passed
2024-05-20 09:30 - 16:30 | The National Self Build & Renovation Centre, Lydiard Fields, Great Western Way, Swindon, SN5 8UB, United Kingdom
On Monday, 20 MAY 2024, NTB hosted a Building and Fire Safety workshop. Andrea White, A W Fire Ltd Director, joined us at the session.
Andrea White, the Founder and Director of the Women Talking Fire group, is an inspiring figure in the UK fire safety industry. Her influence was recognized by IFSEC Global in 2022, and she was honored as one of the Top 100 most influential women in the construction industry in 2023.
During her first talk, Andrea not only provided a comprehensive overview of the Building Safety Act 2022 legislation but also shared practical tips from the designers’ perspective. This practical advice empowered us with the knowledge of how to navigate these regulations more effectively.
Andrea’s second talk was particularly relevant for design and construction professionals. She discussed Fire Statements and Fire Strategies, sharing exemplar strategies that are crucial to consider when delivering projects at various scales, from residential to commercial, across the RIBA work stages.
The full agenda for the day was:
09:30 | Arrival, tea & coffee
09:50 | Introductions
10:00 | The Exchange Updates and Volunteer Programme
11:15 | Break
11:00 | The Building Safety Act For Designers
12:00 | Break for Lunch
13:00 | Fire Statements and Fire Strategies
14:00 | Workshop exploring fire safety strategies on different projects
14:30 | Thanks & Session close

The Exchange #1 | Circular Economy | Event Passed
2024-04-22 09:30 - 16:00 | Makers Yard, 37 Lower Keyford, Froome, BA11 4AR, United Kingdom
Neighbourhood Toolbox has hosted The Exchange #1 Circular Economy.
Attendees learnt about the Circular Economy and provided with a Toolkit that provides a framework to support them to practice in a more circular way.
KEY SPEAKERS:
Lea Esteban (ARUP Circular Economy Skills Manager)
Hannah Stopford (Frome Town Council)
WHEN: Monday 22 April 2024
WHERE: Makers Yard, 37 Lower Keyford, Frome BA11 4AR
Start Time: 9.30am End Time: 2.30 pm
WORKSHOP ITINERY:
09:30 | Arrival, Tea & Coffee
09:45 | Introducing The Exchange
EXPLORE
10.00 | Theory: What Is The Circular Economy?
11:00 | Client Context: Understanding Local Need For A Circular Economy
11:20 | Break
DESIGN
11:40 | Introduction To Circular Economy Toolkit
12:40 | Lunch
REALISE
13:20 | Workshop Exploring Ways To Implement Circular Processes In Practice
14:20 | Thanks & Session Close
