Passivhaus Masterclass: Firoz Lalji Global Hub

Date: 17 November 2026	Time: 14:00 - 17:30
Location: Queen Elizabeth II Centre, SW1P	Cost: £60 - £120 + VAT

 

What does it actually take to deliver Passivhaus at the scale and complexity of a live, occupied city? On 17 November, the day before the UK Passivhaus Conference, this half-day masterclass goes deep into one of the most ambitious non-domestic Passivhaus retrofit projects in the UK: the £100 million transformation of Lincoln's Inn Fields into the Firoz Lalji Global Hub for the London School of Economics, designed by David Chipperfield Architects. 

 

Anticipated to be the largest Passivhaus retrofit building in the UK, the project confronts nearly every constraint that makes non-domestic retrofit hard: a sensitive conservation area location, sandwiched between Grade II* and Grade II listed buildings, a post-war concrete and brick structure, a demanding client sustainability brief, and a simultaneous drive for circular economy principles. The project targets Passivhaus certification, Net Zero, BREEAM Outstanding and WELL Platinum, all on a deep retrofit.

This is a forensic case study for practitioners who want to understand how these outcomes are achieved in practice - the decisions made, the trade-offs navigated, and the technical detail behind the delivery.

 

 

The session will cover

• Delivering EnerPHit at non-domestic scale: constraints, methodology and lessons from the design process

• Fabric retention and circular economy principles: how retaining approximately 60% of the existing structure shapes the thermal and airtightness strategy 

• Integrating a new CLT extension into a deep retrofit envelope: structural, thermal and airtightness considerations 

• Heritage context and Passivhaus: working within a conservation area without compromising performance targets

• The multi-accreditation challenge: coordinating Passivhaus, BREEAM Outstanding and WELL Platinum on a single project

• Contractor perspective: what advanced non-domestic retrofit demands from the supply chain

 

Who should attend

This advanced level masterclass is designed for certified Passivhaus designers, consultants and engineers working on - or preparing to work on, complex non-domestic retrofit projects. It assumes a working knowledge of Passivhaus principles and PHPP, and is particularly relevant to those navigating heritage constraints, mixed-use programmes or large-scale fabric interventions.

Attendance to the Masterclass earns 4 PHI credit points. Attendance to the site tours (limited availability only for in-person Masterclass delegates) earns another 2 PHI credit points. 

Combine this with a 2026 UK Passivhaus Conference ticket taking place the day after the Masterclass in the same venue to earn an additional 15 PHI credit Points.

 

 

 

Programme

Draft programme subject to changes

13:30 – 14:00	Registration opens
14:00 – 14:10	PHT welcome. Sarah Lewis. Passivhaus Trust
14:10 - 14:45	Part 1 Perspectives from the client Vision, Brief, Estates strategy: LSE speaker TBC, & Patrick Watson, 3PM project manager From Start to Finish – Architectural Overview and Strategy: Maria-Chiara, David Chipperfield Architects (Design Architects)
14:45 - 14:55	Part 1 panel Q & A
14:55 - 15:40	Part 2 Building design Passivhaus for performance: Gwilym Still, Max Fordham (Passivhaus Designer) MEP design & overcoming challenges: Harry Popplewell, Arup (MEP Design)  Passivhaus detailed design & certification challenges: David Lam, Max Fordham (Passivhaus Designer)
15:40 - 15:55	Part 2 panel Q & A
15:55 – 16:25	Tea & coffee break
16:25 - 17:10	Part 3 Construction Topic title TBC: Speaker TBC, Adamsons Associates (Delivery Architects) Lessons learnt from Passivhaus in delivery: Lewis Burrell, Mclaren Group
17:10 - 17:25	Part 3 panel Q & A
17:25 - 17:30	Close
18:00 - 19:00	TBC - Site tours of LIF Firoz Lalji Global Hub
19:30 onwards	Conference networking dinner*

* Masterclass & Conference ticket holders only

 

Costs

	In-Person	Online
PHT member	£90+VAT	£60+VAT
Non-member	£120+VAT	£90+VAT
Public sector	Free*	Free
Academics	N/A	Free

*Limited free in person public sector tickets are available. Please contact info@passivhaustrust.org.uk to register interest, using your official work email.

NB: Group booking is available for up to 10 people. Please ensure all tickets include full names & email addresses so all delegates recieve access to online webinar links, recordings, and PHI credit renewal points.

 

Booking

Book now via the online event page.

 

This event is part of PassiFest 2026 - a festival of Passivhaus events building up to the Passivhaus Trust's 2026 UK Passivhaus Conference on 18 November.

 

Site tours

Step onto site after a day in the classroom. Places will be available for an accompanied site visit to 35 Lincoln's Inn Fields immediately after the Masterclass to see lessons in real life. Numbers are strictly limited and exclusively available to in-person Masterclass delegates only. This is a live site - 5 point PPE is required.

Site visit tickets will be released closer to the event. Please keep an eye on your email for offical release dates.

 

 

Further Information

Previous PHT story: Retrofit to Passivhaus standard for LSE heritage building - 8 June 2026

Previous PHT story: Dialling up Passivhaus retrofit across the UK - 18 July 2026

2026 Passivhaus Retrofit Masterclass series - Now availanle on-demand

2025 Passivhaus Large & Complex Masterclass series: Non-Domestic EnerPHit

Previous PHT story: LSE embraces Passivhaus - 24 May 2024

UK Passivhaus Conference 2026: Passifest

Construction Enquirer: McLaren lands London School of Economics £100m revamp - 2025

 

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