Free Vacuum Glazing CPD Roadshow for Heritage Retrofit Professionals

Vacuum Glazing UK is launching a free CPD Roadshow to help architects, conservation professionals, specifiers, installers and glazing specialists understand how vacuum glazing can improve historic and traditional buildings.

The roadshow will visit Cambridge, London, Oxford, Edinburgh and Durham throughout 2026.

Each event will provide practical guidance on vacuum glazing technology, heritage retrofit, planning considerations, installation best practice and real project applications.

For professionals working with listed buildings, conservation areas and sensitive retrofit projects, the roadshow tackles one of the biggest questions in heritage building performance:

How can we improve comfort, energy efficiency and carbon reduction without compromising historic character?

Why do heritage buildings need better glazing options?

For many years, heritage projects have often been limited to two imperfect choices.

Single glazing can satisfy conservation expectations, but it performs poorly by modern standards. Slim double glazing can appear suitable at first, but it is widely associated with early failure, poor longevity and performance decline over time.

Vacuum glazing offers a more robust alternative.

Almost as thin as single glazing, LandVac vacuum glazing can achieve centre-pane U-values as low as 0.34 W/m²K, while retaining slender profiles suitable for sensitive heritage applications. LandVac also offers the glazing industry’s first 25-year glass unit warranty.

That means historic buildings no longer need to choose between looking right and working properly.

What will the Vacuum Glazing CPD Roadshow cover?

The Vacuum Glazing CPD Roadshow has been designed to give professionals clear, practical and up-to-date information.

Each event will cover:

• What vacuum glazing is and how the technology works
• How vacuum glazing compares with single, double, slim double and triple glazing
• Key specification considerations for heritage and retrofit projects
• Planning and conservation considerations for listed and conservation area buildings
• Correct installation techniques, including handling, setting blocks, sealants and compatible framing systems
• Real project examples showing where vacuum glazing has already been used successfully

The sessions will be led by specialists covering glass technology, heritage and carbon efficiency, and manufacturers or installers already incorporating vacuum glazing into real projects.

Who is speaking at the Vacuum Glazing CPD Roadshow?

Christopher Procter, Director at Procter-Rihl Architects, specialises in sustainable residential projects in conservation areas. As a highly active member of Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN), he has co-authored the Climate Emergency Conservation Area Toolkit and has since published Climate Emergency Heritage Sash Window Best Practice – Vacuum Glazing.

He also spent years teaching future architects as Course Leader in Technical Studies, MA Architecture, at the Royal College of Art, making him ideally placed to speak on the role of vacuum glazing in heritage retrofit, planning, conservation and carbon reduction.

Commenting on the importance of the roadshow, Christopher Procter said:

“Architects, conservation officers, specifiers, installers, planners and heritage professionals need clear, current information.

“Vacuum glazing has developed very quickly since I first covered it in the Climate Emergency Conservation Area Toolkit in 2023. At that point, it was one of several emerging technologies. In the three years since, third-generation products have entered the market and the technical options have become much clearer.

“My latest guide, Climate Emergency Heritage Sash Window Best Practice – Vacuum Glazing, explores the products, details and methods now available for this rapidly evolving technology. Much of this information is not otherwise easily available, which makes industry education important.

“The problem is that practice has not always caught up with the technology. Slim double glazing was widely promoted for heritage sash windows, but it brings compromises in appearance, performance and longevity. Vacuum glazing now offers the best options for many heritage situations, including projects where thermal performance and conservation appearance both matter.

“The roadshow is important because better knowledge should lead to better details, more consistent planning outcomes and more effective carbon reduction in historic buildings.”

Who should attend the Vacuum Glazing CPD Roadshow?

The roadshow is aimed at professionals working across heritage, construction, retrofit and glazing.

It is particularly relevant for:

• Architects
• Conservation officers
• Planning professionals
• Specifiers
• Installers
• Glazing specialists
• Retrofit consultants
• Heritage property professionals

If you work on listed buildings, conservation area projects or traditional buildings, the roadshow will help you understand where vacuum glazing can be used responsibly and effectively.

What will attendees receive?

Attendees will receive a CPD certificate, refreshments, practical technical insight and the opportunity to handle physical vacuum glazing samples.

There will also be additional roadshow benefits, including:

• The chance to win one of 10 signed copies of Christopher Procter’s guide, Climate Emergency Heritage Sash Window Best Practice – Vacuum Glazing
• Entry into a prize draw for one of three fully funded trips to China to visit the LandGlass factory
• Practical conversations with people already working with vacuum glazing in real heritage projects

The prize draw is open to attendees from across the full roadshow.

Where is the Vacuum Glazing CPD Roadshow taking place?

The Vacuum Glazing CPD Roadshow will visit five heritage-focused locations across the UK.

Cambridge

18th June 2026
Darwin Room, Novotel Cambridge North
2 Cambridge Sq, CB4 0AE

London

28th July 2026
The Building Centre
26 Store St, WC1E 7BT

Oxford

9th September 2026
Mercure Oxford Hawkwell House Hotel
Iffley Village, Oxford, OX4 4DZ

Edinburgh

17th September 2026
Princess Royal Suite, The Royal Scots Club
29-31 Abercromby Place, EH3 6QE

Durham

15th October 2026
Banner Room, Durham Miners Hall
Flass Street, DH1 4BE

How can vacuum glazing support heritage retrofit?

Historic buildings should not be left behind in the drive for better energy efficiency.

The challenge is not whether we care about heritage. It is how we protect historic buildings from becoming expensive, uncomfortable or difficult to use in the future.

Vacuum glazing gives professionals another route forward. It can help improve thermal performance, reduce operational carbon and support continued building use, while preserving the visual character that makes heritage buildings special.

Amy Boutle, Head of Marketing at Vacuum Glazing UK, said:

“Historic buildings should not have to choose between looking right and working properly. The roadshow is about giving professionals practical, honest guidance on a technology that can help heritage buildings perform for modern life while preserving the details that make them special.

“There is still a huge amount of confusion around vacuum glazing, slim double glazing and what is actually possible in listed buildings and conservation areas. We want to help close that knowledge gap, support better specification and give the industry confidence to use solutions that last.”

Is the Vacuum Glazing CPD Roadshow free?

Yes. The Vacuum Glazing CPD Roadshow is free to attend, but places are limited.

Each attendee will receive a CPD certificate and access to practical guidance from industry specialists.

Can vacuum glazing be used in listed buildings?

Vacuum glazing can be suitable for some listed building and conservation area projects, depending on the building, window condition, planning requirements and proposed detailing.

Every historic building needs careful assessment. However, vacuum glazing gives architects, conservation professionals and specifiers another option when seeking improved performance without unnecessary visual compromise.

How does vacuum glazing compare with slim double glazing?

Vacuum glazing is much thinner than standard double glazing and can offer stronger thermal performance than many slim double glazing options.

Slim double glazing has often been used as a heritage compromise, but it can bring issues around longevity, visible double reflections, wider glazing bars and reduced performance over time.

Vacuum glazing provides a longer-lasting alternative for many heritage projects, particularly where thermal performance, slender appearance and conservation detailing all matter.

Is vacuum glazing suitable for conservation areas?

Vacuum glazing can be suitable for many conservation area projects, particularly where windows need to retain a traditional appearance while improving energy efficiency.

The right solution will depend on the building, existing windows, local planning requirements and proposed frame details.

This is one of the key reasons the roadshow has been created: to help professionals make better informed decisions.

How can I book a place?

Places are free but limited.

Book yours, here.