An exhibition celebrating the life and work of our founder, Max, is now open at the Building Centre in London.

Max Fordham (1933 - 2022) was a visionary engineer and pioneer of low-energy, sustainable building design. His courage, intellectual rigour and engaging personality allowed him to form creative partnerships that drove the evolution of environmental design into the mainstream.

The exhibition presents a curated collection of drawings, models, original letters and videos from Max’s life and career. Through seminal projects from the last 50 years, it explores many of his key ideas and their impact on the design of the built environment.

It is now open to the public at The Building Centre in London, from 8-24 March 2023, free of charge.

Max and the practice won significant and varied recognition for their work in ensuring human comfort and minimising the energy use of buildings.

He pursued a new approach to engineering based on his insatiable curiosity about how buildings work. Applying the fundamental principles of physics and an intuitive understanding of the flows of heat, light and air, Max developed approaches for the passive design of buildings that influenced and elegantly complemented the architecture.

Max’s final project, his own award-winning Passivhaus home, embodied the ideas and approaches he had championed throughout his career and became the first home to achieve net zero carbon in line with the UKGBC’s Framework.

"Max Fordham: Engineering Ideas, Engineering Change" takes place at The Building Centre, 26 Store Street, London WC1E 7BT, Wednesday 8th - Friday 24th March 2023. Visit the Building Centre website for more information.

Images: Paul Vincent