The Autumn Learning Programme

Autumn is one of the busiest periods in the CPD calendar. As organisations and professionals look to complete their annual learning commitments, the demand for high-quality technical education increases.

Continuing professional development isn’t simply encouraged; for many professionals, it’s a requirement. Architects registered with the Architects Registration Board (ARB) must undertake and record CPD to maintain their competence, while practising RIBA Chartered Members are expected to complete and record annual CPD across the RIBA Core Curriculum.

To support the specification community, the School of Specification has developed its Autumn Learning Programme: a series of practical CPD sessions exploring the technical, regulatory and design challenges shaping today’s built environment.

Upcoming CPD Sessions

Developed in response to the challenges facing the built environment today, our Autumn Learning Programme brings together industry experts to share practical guidance, technical expertise and real-world insight that supports better specification.

Designing for climate resilience: As temperatures rise and extreme weather events become more frequent, resilience is becoming a fundamental part of the design process. This session explores overheating, flooding, ventilation, façades, material selection and long-term building performance.

Maintaining specification integrity: Understand why specifications change during procurement and delivery, how to reduce substitution risk and the role of product data, certification, testing and EPDs in protecting design intent.

Gateway 2: building compliant submissions: Explore how specification decisions influence compliant Gateway 2 submissions, from product evidence and information management to competence and multidisciplinary coordination.

Retrofit and existing buildings: Learn how to improve existing buildings through fabric upgrades, services integration, moisture management and whole-building performance, while also balancing operational and embodied carbon.

Heritage retrofit: Discover specification strategies for historic buildings that improve performance while respecting architectural significance, conservation principles and traditional materials.

Acoustics, wellbeing and inclusive design: Explore how acoustics, neurodiversity, accessibility and occupant wellbeing influence specification and long-term building performance.

School of Specification is inviting a limited number of organisations to become Knowledge Partners for this year’s Autumn CPD Programme.

Knowledge Partners work alongside the School of Specification to help develop independent, educational CPD that supports better specification across the built environment. Together, we create sessions centred on the industry’s biggest technical challenges, combining practical expertise with meaningful discussion to deliver genuine value for architects, engineers and other specification professionals.

As a Knowledge Partner, you’ll have the opportunity to:

• Shape a CPD session around a key industry challenge.
• Share your technical expertise with the specification community.
• Demonstrate thought leadership through independent, knowledge-led education.
• Build credibility by contributing to better specification across the built environment.
• Raise your profile through the School of Specification, Architecture Today and associated marketing channels.
• Engage with architects, engineers and other specification professionals actively seeking technical learning.

Every session is built around collaboration, practical expertise and knowledge sharing. If your organisation would like to contribute to this year’s programme, we’d love to hear from you.