Optoppen is an innovative construction method designed to address the challenges of urban densification by adding lightweight, low-carbon roof extensions to existing buildings. The approach is rooted in the concept of “topping up” — using the space above existing structures to create additional floor area, maximizing the potential of existing buildings. This sustainable strategy helps to meet the growing demand for housing and office space in urban areas while significantly reducing the environmental impact of traditional development.

A key component of this solution is the Optoppen Web Platform, which offers an easy-to-use tool for building owners, developers, and city planners to assess the feasibility of adding storeys to their buildings. This dynamic platform allows users to model the vertical extension potential of their existing structures, providing real-time data on the additional floor space that can be added, the carbon savings achieved by using timber, and the overall environmental impact of the project.

The Optoppen tool incorporates various parameters, such as building type, structural conditions, and local planning regulations, to deliver a tailored assessment of each project’s potential. This feature helps users understand the limitations and opportunities of their existing buildings and enables them to experiment with different configurations, optimising designs before making any commitments. The tool also highlights the embodied carbon savings of using timber for the new extensions, further reinforcing the environmental benefits of the approach.

On the Optoppen website, stakeholders can access a comprehensive database of case studies, policy insights, and best practices from across Europe. This knowledge hub helps guide the decision-making process by providing detailed examples of successful projects, along with valuable lessons learnt. The platform also fosters a wider conversation on policy and regulatory frameworks that support upward extensions, addressing any potential barriers to implementation.

By focusing on existing buildings, Optoppen presents a practical solution to urban housing and office space shortages, offering a cost-effective, low-carbon alternative to demolishing old structures and constructing entirely new ones. The approach supports the efficient use of resources, reduces construction waste, and contributes to the revitalization of older urban areas. As cities continue to grow and face mounting pressure to meet housing demands, the Optoppen approach provides a scalable and sustainable way to enhance the built environment, all while adhering to carbon reduction goals.

A wide range of solutions exist which can facilitate the creation, storage, and use of materials passports, making it easier for manufacturers, designers, and owners to store and reference valuable information about the composition of their products and buildings. Many of these solutions can help collect key product and sustainability information including data from EPDs, health and wellbeing information, circularity metrics, and more. Additionally, materials passports can include information related to the manufacture, testing, and warranty of products to enable better due diligence and improve insurability.

These solutions can facilitate the creation of materials passports at a variety of levels from individual materials and products to wider building systems. Many also provide some level of interoperability with other digital tools like BIM, LCA calculators, digital twins, or digital reuse hubs. By utilising these solutions, valuable information can be better collected and utilised across the built environment supply chain to encourage more sustainable and circular decisions in the future.

Para is a digital twin and building analytics platform that helps to make assets more energy-efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable. By providing real-time monitoring of environmental parameters and carbon emissions at the equipment level, floor level, and by functional area, Para offers a detailed and actionable understanding of a facility’s environmental impact. Their sustainability tool is a comprehensive solution for assessing energy use, managing sustainability initiatives, and reporting on progress. It enables users to understand the contribution of each functional space to total Greenhouse Gas emissions and identify areas that do not meet sustainability targets. Additionally, Para can measure progress toward achieving certification compliance with key industry standards such as LEED O+M, WELL, EDGE Buildings, and more.

Regarding sustainability and energy, Para is able to help clients:

• Track and visualise carbon emissions with a detailed breakdown by floor, zone, system type, and asset.
• Categorise emissions into Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3
• Monitor Greenhouse Gas Usage Intensity (GHGUI).
• Identify areas for improvement by providing real-time recommendations for sustainability and energy performance optimisation
• Develop tailored implementation plans by generating customised scenarios.
• Save up to 28% in energy savings
• Boost occupant wellbeing by optimising building performance without compromising indoor air quality and user comfort
• Assess progress towards sustainability goals such as LEED O+M and Net Zero
• Monitor energy and resource conservation strategies
• Score facility efficiency
• Benchmark a building’s emissions
• Generate reports on environmental metrics

The platform has five key modules which can be deployed across a real estate portfolio: Portfolio Management, Asset Management, Energy Intelligence, Occupant Wellbeing and Sustainability Management.

Minoro is a free online resource providing access to over 1000 guidance and resources for managing carbon reduction in buildings – the first time this information has been collated and centralised. Developed by Grimshaw in collaboration with over 20 supporting organisations including World Building Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), RIBA, Architecture 2030, the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and several national Green Building Councils from across the globe, Minoro, links the resources to a series of actions that will decarbonise new and existing buildings.

By collating the best international and regional resources and guidance in one place, Minoro makes navigating and delivering carbon reduction more achievable. Adopting the actions set out in the platform will help to unlock opportunities and outcomes and provides a stepwise approach: a carbon management toolkit is also available for download to support live projects.

Curated by experts from across the built environment and construction value chain, the platform is designed to help and be accessed by asset owners, investors, design teams, consultants, contractors, and building operators. The information is organised into different actions which can be sorted by region (including the UK, EU, and seven other countries with more including Ireland to be added), by project stage (from pre-design to end-of-life), or by core activity or stakeholder.  The content is regularly updated ensuring that the most relevant guidance is available and feedback for improvement or input is welcomed through the platform.

Various platforms exist which provide energy monitoring dashboards so users can understand the performance of their buildings and identify areas of inefficiency and opportunities for improvement. These platforms can also often enable data driven maintenance and enable teams to more easily collaborate.

The platforms will take data from a variety of sources, including HVAC systems, utility bills, meters, submeters, and data from sensors (looking at temperature, C02, air quality, humidity and occupancy). When insights from these solutions are acted on it can save approximately 10 – 30% of energy consumption, although this and the return on investment is very dependent on the building.

Various solutions exist which automatically adjust HVAC in real time based on changing environmental conditions. They take into account different data sets, including weather data, site energy behaviour, utility tariff structure, etc. Using this information, they make adjustments to different equipment resulting in up to 40% savings (depending on the building).

Many of these platforms also enable demand response to reduce peak demand on the grid when energy is dirtiest and most expensive.

Another benefit is also the prolonged life of the HVAC equipment itself due to reducing required runtime, which has financial and embodied carbon savings.