Iconic, attractive and eye-catching buildings are rightly awarded for architectural and structural brilliance. But what are they like to work in, live in, shop in or stay in? How much are they costing their occupiers to power? What impact are they having on our environment? Do they ‘perform’ as the design intended? All of these questions are challenged by building performance awards and that is what makes them so important to our built environment and to society. Building performance awards recognise the project teams, orgnisations and products that enable new, refurbished and existing buildings to ‘perform’: to manage energy efficiently and provide a comfortable and productive environment for their occupiers. So who should be taking building performance recognition seriously? Architects because if you can demonstrate to clients that not only will their building look great and fit their image, but it will save money and boost productivity too over a sustained period, you’