1. art and entertainment
2. visual art and design
3. architecture

REPORT PRODUCED BY
FOR
Foreword
by Tom Broughton
Head of Content, UBM Live Built Environment
It gives me great pleasure to
introduce a collection of think
pieces assessing the future of the
built environment. It is appropriate
that this paper comes to you as we
launch Ecobuild 2015, an event that
is synonymous with innovation, thought
leadership, design and architects, cuttingedge products and the considerations which
impact on the future of our built fabric.
Over the next 21 pages you will hear from
industry leaders on the economy, the
role of clients, the plight of contracting,
the upcoming election, as well as the
trajectory of our cities and what it means for
architecture and design. All of this comes
within the context of a global sustainability
debate that is shifting up a gear to focus
on investment in wellbeing. As you will see,
such investment can demonstrate a direct
return for end-users and the way in which
people live and work in our buildings.
This collection comes too as the economy
recovers and companies focus on growth
again. But as housing demand outstrips
supply, population growth accelerates and
the infrastructure of our cities dominates
the political agenda, there is a fierce debate
the future of the built environment
about the consequences of economic
growth: the rising cost of living and higher
energy consumption, for example. The
challenge for regulators, public clients
and private investors is to create stability,
consistency of procurement and certainty
for private companies in a time of massive
change. The sector needs to pull together
to create an environment where companies
can invest confidently in technology and
their people in order to deliver the next
decade of growth.
On page 10 you will find Thomas Lane’s
overview of the Ecobuild 2015 programme.
Once again, Ecobuild will focus on macro
issues and hot political and industry
debates. It will feature industry leaders,
regulators, government ministers, politicians,
global academics and the very best hosts.
Alongside this, our seminar programme
will bring you case studies, learning and
continued professional development from
across the built environment and beyond.
We hope that this collection of articles helps
to set the scene and provide you with
an insight into our thinking as we strive
to ensure that Ecobuild is once again
timely, relevant and informed.
3
The next chapter
for green building
Few businesses care
about the mechanical
intricacies of how solar
panels can cut energy
consumption. They’re interested in how investing in better
indoor environments can lead
to better returns on their
greatest asset: their people
by Jane Henley
Chief Executive Officer
World Green Building Council
Investing in a better indoor environment can improve the
health, wellbeing and job performance of your staff
While we know how our cars, fridges,
washing machines and TVs perform, few of
us have any idea about the places in which
we spend 95% of our time – buildings.
We have clear evidence that green design
attributes – such as high levels of fresh
air, natural light and views of nature – can
improve occupant productivity, health and
wellbeing, but we haven’t been able to
put that information into the hands of the
businesses that occupy buildings.
The World Green Building Council’s
new report is set to change this. Health,
wellbeing and productivity in offices: The
next chapter for green building outlines
the range of design factors that can affect
workers’ health, satisfaction and job
performance.
Take daylight, for example. While the
stereotype of the coveted “corner office”
may be outdated, research finds that
workers with access to natural light and
views are more productive than their
colleagues who are squeezed into dark,
dim cubicles.
4
A recent study by neuroscientists has found
that office workers with windows sleep an
average of 46 minutes more each night,
while their windowless colleagues report
poorer scores on quality of life measures
related to physical health and vitality.
Another 2011 study, which investigated the
relationship between view quality, daylighting
and sick leave of employees in administration
offices of Northwest University, found those
in offices with better daylight and views took
6.5% fewer sick days.
Absenteeism is a significant drain on
business productivity – which ultimately
impedes profitability. In the United Kingdom,
sickness costs employers an average of
£595 per employee per year, while poor
mental health costs employers £30bn a year
through lost production, recruitment and
absence
Understanding the design factors that
help or hinder workplace performance can
inform financial decision-making. When
employee salaries and benefits make up
90% of a typical organisation’s budget, a
the future of the built environment
small improvement in staff performance can
have a big impact, and will outweigh higher
construction or occupation costs.
Health, wellbeing and productivity in
offices: The next chapter for green building
– sponsored by JLL, Lend Lease and
Skanska – also presents a simple toolkit that
businesses can use to measure the health,
wellbeing and productivity of their buildings
and inform financial decision-making.
This toolkit aims to shift the conversation
about sustainability away from the technical.
Few businesses care about the mechanical
intricacies of how solar panels on a building’s
roof can cut energy consumption and
carbon emissions, or how a blackwater
treatment plant in a building’s basement can
slash water use. But they are interested in
understanding how investing in better indoor
environments can lead to better returns on
their greatest asset – their people.
the future of the built environment
In many cases, sustainable design strategies
trigger a virtuous circle that delivers on the
“triple bottom line” of people, planet and
profit. For example, designing a building
to maximise daylight reduces the need for
artificial daylight, and with it energy costs
and carbon emissions, while also creating
a more pleasant and productive workplace
for people.
While this report doesn’t have all the
answers, it does establish a pathway to help
building owners and managers measure
the previously unmeasurable – and to
make business decisions that are better for
people, performance and profit, and leave
the planet better off too.
DOWNLOAD
Health, wellbeing and productivity in
offices: The next chapter for green
building from www.worldgbc.org
5
THE Future of
contracting in the
built environment
rising energy costs and
depletion of finite natural resources will lead
to a mushrooming market
for recycled materials
selling products to selling services. This
approach is not new – the aviation sector
has been selling flying hours instead of
engines for the past 50 years. by Rick Willmott
Chief Executive
Willmott Dixon
COLLABORATIVE CONSTRUCTION
We need to convince procurers of the commercial
advantages of building sustainably – happily, there are lots
Sustainability is no longer a buzz word in
our industry; most companies regard it as
an important part of how we do business.
The challenge now is where to take it next.
The drivers that will shape this approach will
revolve around demonstrating more clearly
to procurers the commercial advantages of
choosing to build more sustainably. We need
to be leading the agenda, rather than having
it set elsewhere.
CLIMATE ADAPTATION & CARBON TARGETS
Extreme weather has become the norm.
Designing our buildings to be resilient to the
full range of meteorological challenges is
going to be key for our industry.
Being a high environmental impact sector,
no other industry has the chance of having
such a massive influence on our country’s
approach to sustainable growth than our
activities in and around the built environment.
One of the biggest trends has been the
move towards creating social value within
communities. I believe it is huge untapped
opportunity for our industry, given the scale
of the “footprint” we have in society.
The construction and maintenance
of buildings and other structures is
responsible for around 50% of UK carbon
dioxide emissions, so those companies
that can demonstrate innovation in this
area – not just in terms of new materials
and technologies, but also in techniques
which enable occupants to use their
buildings more effectively – will be at a
significant advantage. This is why we are
embracing technologies like Passivhaus –
one residential scheme we are building in
Camden is expected to save residents 75%
on their heating bills.
Willmott Dixon invests over £1m a year in
activities that support community cohesion
and wellbeing through key areas such as
skills development. Many others do the
same and it will not be long before there is
a common benchmark for all companies,
something driven by procurement criteria,
client sentiment and good business practice.
The 2020 and 2050 deadlines for reducing
the UK’s carbon emissions are fastapproaching. Some 80% of the homes that
will exist in 2050 are already built, so there
are big opportunities for our industry in lowcarbon retrofit. Whether those opportunities
are realised depends on the interventions
that the next government chooses to make
6
the future of the built environment
in terms of regulation and incentives. But
the government will need to act fast, as the
vital capacity and expertise required are in
danger of withering on the vine.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Our sector consumes more materials than
any other industry. The twin factors of rising
energy costs and depletion of finite natural
resources will lead to a mushrooming
market for recycled materials. That will
mean an increase in the value of materials
within a building – and a move to designing
buildings with deconstruction in mind from
the outset.
This circular economy offers our industry
tremendous opportunities, by helping us
better manage resources (and margins) and
by driving the development of new business
models. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation
has estimated that US$1 trillion a year could
be generated for the global economy by
2025 if companies focused on building
circular supply chains to increase the rate of
recycling, reuse and remanufacture.
The move to a circular economy model may
lead us to a rethink of what we do – from
the future of the built environment
We cannot ignore the rapid rise of the
collaborative economy. Enterprises like
Airbnb have revolutionised the hospitality
sector. We will see the same in construction
– for example, through collaborative selfbuild developments where people pick from
a selection of standard designs but are in
charge of their own build process. A CULTURE OF LEADERSHIP
Here at Willmott Dixon, creating a more
sustainable built environment is our headline
aim. But for some of our clients, perhaps
inevitably after the biggest global recession
in memory, sustainable development does
not sit at the top of their agenda. Instead,
they tell us they want better buildings
and added value. Does this represent an
incompatibility of aims and aspirations? We
don’t think so. We think, rather, that what is
needed is a change in narrative. We need
to dig deeper. What does “better buildings”
and “added value” mean to them? Lower
maintenance and running costs? Happier
customers? Higher-achieving students?
Stronger communities? These are all truly
sustainable outcomes.
These are challenging conversations for our
people. They require a fundamental re-think
in the types of skills we ask of them. Yes, we
need the technical knowledge. But we also
need to be able to listen, communicate and
inspire.
7
PHOTO: Trent McMinn
Beautiful buildings for life. That’s the
future of the built environment that I like to
imagine. A future that enables individuals,
groups and whole communities to benefit
from buildings throughout their lifecycle.
For many, using the word “beautiful” within
the context of buildings may not seem like
a good fit. But it’s undeniable that buildings
are the cornerstone of basic human
operation. We spend 90% of our time in
them, they provide us with a unifying place
where we rest, work and play. So it’s limiting
to think of buildings as purely “operational”.
I’d rather think of them as environments in
which we operate, and to operate to our
fullest potential, these environments need to
be, above all else, beautiful.
The future of the
built environment
is about beautiful
buildings
by Munish Datta
Head of Plan A & Facilities Management
Marks & Spencer
We spend 90% of our time in buildings so why shouldn’t
they be beautiful? We need a more holistic approach
8
the future of the built environment
So what makes a building beautiful? M&S’s
experience has shown us that a combination
of aesthetics, comfortable internal lighting
and temperature, access to natural light
and nature are some of the characteristics
of our most beautiful shops. We have found
that these environments enable our store
colleagues to operate at their best and
allow customers to better enjoy their visits.
These environments also tend to be our
most efficient buildings – not just in terms
of their use of precious resources, but also
their ability to be commercially successful.
However, we’ve had to work hard to
produce these buildings – creating unity
between developers, designers, builders,
commissioners and end users, all driven
towards a common goal.
The building industry is not naturally set up
to think about buildings in this harmonious
way; it is disjointed. Each stakeholder in
the process is interested in and rewarded
for a specific stage of the building lifecycle,
thereby preventing anyone to think about
it for its life duration. The industry needs to
better unify its thinking in order to create
beautiful buildings. We need an industry
in which every role, from developers to
facilities management, is incentivised to
design, build, operate and re-use buildings
for their life. This means that engineers,
the future of the built environment
The industry needs to
better unify its thinking. we need an industry
in which every role,
from developers to facilities
management, is incentivised
to design, build, operate and
re-use buildings for their life
for example, are remunerated not just for
designing the services, but also on the
way the building actually performs in a
consistent way and in line with their design
intent. Architects are rewarded for creating
buildings that are always adaptive and
fit for purpose. Builders will have to think
about meeting the design requirements in
such a way that the building can be easily
and efficiently re-formed when its initial
purpose is no longer relevant – making full
use of all the resources used in its creation.
Planners will make sure that buildings
remain beautiful within their changing local
context. Occupiers will operate buildings as
they were intended to be used in their many
incarnations.
Of course, there are some excellent
examples within the industry of companies
who do practise this holistic approach to
sustainability and the creation of beautiful
buildings. However, this way of thinking
should not be exceptional, it should be
standard.
In M&S’s 1,300 buildings across the world,
from shops to warehouses and offices, we
aspire to facilitate a beautiful and enriching
experience for users. An experience that
is comfortable, productive, efficient and
always relevant. Ultimately, we want our
buildings to bring benefits to the business,
to our customers, to the local communities
around them and to the wider environment
for their entire lives. We want to be known
for beautiful buildings.
9
Much effort and money
is lavished on dreaming
up new ideas in laboratories that never make it
out onto site. At ecobuild 2015
we’ll ask why this is happening
and how this situation can be
reversed
ecobuild – the
gathering of ideas
by Tom Lane
Editor, Building Design
Group Technical Editor Building and Ecobuild
Ecobuild 2015 promises to be a cauldron of sizzling
debate about the built environment. Here’s what to expect
With the next election on the horizon, the
main political parties are beginning to
shape up their green policies. Although
the more cynically inclined will say this is
about making politicians appear caring –
remember David Cameron’s husky-powered
trip to a melting Norwegian glacier? – it does
provide a sense of how the main parties
intend to address environmental issues if
they win power.
How each party is to tackle pressing
environmental issues will be tested at a
series of debates at Ecobuild 2015. Extreme
weather – flooding, high winds and drought
– is becoming commonplace. Last winter’s
floods demonstrated we are not prepared
for the consequences of a rapidly changing
climate. So should there be a national
environmental resilience plan to help cope
with this? How will the main parties tackle
the dual challenge of decarbonising the
electricity grid and keeping the lights on?
10
And how can any government balance the
costs of building zero carbon with sky high
house prices? We’ll debate all this.
Making a good business case for investing
in sustainable buildings is the most
compelling driver for change. This has
moved on from the simple invest now
to save later argument to more subtle
benefits. A recent report by the World
Green Building Council shows how design
features associated with sustainable
buildings – natural ventilation, generous
daylight and views of nature – improve
occupiers’ wellbeing and productivity
(see Jane Henley’s piece, page 4). The
challenge is quantifying these benefits
so they can be factored into investment
decisions. Developers are already latching
onto the potential benefits of designing
buildings that promote wellbeing as this is
an issue large corporates are taking more
seriously. Designing for wellbeing, and
the future of the built environment
how the benefits can be measured and the
impact on property values will be explored
at Ecobuild 2015.
Creating buildings that promote wellbeing
is a key part of building performance.
Interest in building performance will
continue as there is no point introducing
tough environmental performance if
buildings don’t perform as designed.
Delivering buildings that perform as
intended will again be a focus at Ecobuild
2015. Occupant behaviour is a big factor
in how much energy buildings use and this
subject will be covered too. Metrics range
from energy use through to wellbeing
indicators, and outcomes include hospitals
that promote healing and schools that
improve learning outcomes.
Innovative new materials and design
solutions can make delivering better
performing and more sustainable buildings
an easier task. The impact of the latest
technologies will be examined at Ecobuild.
This includes interconnected control
systems to smart cities, new materials and
the latest ideas from Europe. Much effort
and money is lavished on dreaming up new
ideas in laboratories that never make it out
the future of the built environment
onto site. We ask why this is happening and
how this situation can be reversed.
There are many issues that will continue to
be a challenge into the foreseeable future.
Retrofitting existing buildings, especially
homes, remains a major challenge as
initiatives including the Green Deal have
failed to deliver on the promise. Effective
retrofit will be an important theme at
Ecobuild 2015 but we will be asking how
this critical agenda can be re-energised. We
will look at ways of engaging homeowners
so they want to retrofit their properties.
Lessons from European retrofit incentive
schemes will be explored to see if these
could make a difference here and we will
also look at European retrofit systems to
see if these could make the job quicker and
less disruptive for UK residents.
For the first time Ecobuild 2015 contains a
dedicated BIM seminar stream in recognition
of the contribution this makes to efficient
building delivery. There is also a seminar
stream dedicated to water as extreme
weather events mean that understanding
how to conserve and manage wildly
fluctuating water supplies is essential for the
success of all new development.
11
like a pretty good return on investment to me.
What the next
government should
do to help deliver
a more sustainable
built environment
by Paul King
Chief Executive Officer
UK Green Building Council
Governments may speak with forked tongue but their role
as client and policy maker is vital for sustainability to thrive
As the late Simon Hoggart said, if you want
to know whether something a politician says
is meaningful or not, try translating it into
the negative and see how absurd it sounds.
So if a minister says: “This government
understands that what business needs
most is clarity, consistency and certainty to
give it the confidence to invest in energy
efficiency,” that would translate as: “This
government understands that what business
needs is confusion, inconsistency and
uncertainty...” Absurd certainly! Sadly, much
closer to the truth over recent years.
Energy efficiency isn’t the only thing a new
government should focus on to help create
a more sustainable built environment, but
it’s a pretty good place to start. Try this:
“We will reduce [voters’] energy bills by at
least £300 per year and create 130,000 new
12
jobs spread across every UK constituency.
Through cost-effective investment in all
forms of energy efficiency, we can remove
the need to build 22 new power stations
by 2020, increase the UK’s energy security
and channel investment into future-proofing
our homes and buildings. We can put an
end to fuel poverty and halt the scandal
of more than 10,000 deaths each winter
because those people can’t afford to heat
their homes.” Oh yes, and pick the biggest,
juiciest low hanging fruit in terms of carbon
emissions reductions too. If ever there was a
political no-brainer, surely this is it.
Should a new government commit to
spend public money on this agenda? I
think the answer has to be yes, but really
it’s a matter of paying the price of a legacy
of inconsistency. That is, industry will
the future of the built environment
So what else should a new government
do? Well, it should recognise that there are
some things that only governments can
and must do. Not all regulation is a burden
on business, and smart regulation can
correct market failures and create markets.
So follow through on zero carbon homes
from 2016, and zero carbon buildings from
2019 – industry has had nearly eight years
to prepare, and has invested millions in new
products and innovative solutions which,
along the way, have led to some remarkable
improvements in efficiency, the reduction of
waste and the creation of valuable exports.
Not all regulation is a
burden on business, and
smart regulation can
correct market failures
and create markets
now only return to this agenda and invest
seriously if it believes that government
is really committed to stay the course
in terms of policy direction. When Lord
Deighton, the infrastructure minister, said
he was “extremely attracted” to the idea
of reframing energy efficient retrofit as a
national infrastructure priority, he went on
to say that, like other such priorities, we
need a clearly articulated 30-year vision
and a 10-year plan of action and investment.
Only then will companies, large and small,
which bear the still fresh scars from the
slashing of ECO, stop-start incentives and
the underwhelming start of the Green Deal,
be prepared to reconsider and reinvest.
Let’s not forget the German experience:
every euro of public money spent leveraged
15 euros of private sector investment and
returned 4 euros to the Treasury. It sounds
the future of the built environment
A new government should also use the
power it has as the largest construction
client and property tenant, by far. It should
lead by example to close the performance
gap and cut energy waste, thereby saving
public money, and paving the way for
mainstream adoption by industry. As policy
maker, the government should streamline
its demands. Progressive companies would
like to cut more carbon and other waste,
but in ways which are less bureaucratic to
administer. The planned review of Energy
Saving Opportunity Scheme and the Carbon
Reduction Commitment in 2016 provides
the ideal opportunity to streamline policy
intended to drive energy efficiency in nondomestic buildings. It could also be a chance
to finally embed an industry-wide code
of practice for how we should measure,
report and benchmark energy performance,
enabling action to close the gulf between
intended and actual use.
There’s a great deal a new government,
of whatever hue, can do to create the
conditions in which a sustainable built
environment industry can thrive. It can save
more money than it needs to spend, it can
set clear and consistent policy direction,
and it can lead by example. Frankly, to
do anything else would be to squander
an opportunity for growth the UK simply
cannot afford.
13
drive to modernise
construction
construction – and
specifically the
contracting sector at its
heart – has so far been
one of the slowest to reflect
the changes taking place in the
wider economy and society in
the way that it works
by Sarah Richardson
Editor
Building
Much criticised for being stuck in the past, the sector now
appears to be on the cusp of a radical transformation
Few industries are so intertwined with both
the economy and society as construction.
The industry’s output accounted for more
than 6% of GDP even during recession, and
hundreds of schools, thousands of homes,
and billions of pounds worth of transport
and energy infrastructure need to be built
over the next three decades to service a
population predicted to grow by more than
10 million by 2050. The sector is in every
sense critical to the UK’s future.
As well as being one of the country’s most
integral industries, however, construction –
and specifically the contracting sector at its
heart – has so far been one of the slowest
to reflect the changes taking place in the
wider economy and society in the way that
it works.
Yes, the industry has made use of
advances in technology, digitalising
measurement processes and developing
offsite construction techniques. But
fundamentally, the way contractors work
and the techniques they use bears far more
similarity to the way they were working
30 years ago than is evident among their
peers in other large sectors of the economy.
Arguably, the modern sector, in a form we
would recognise today, has been evident for
more than two centuries, when the industrial
revolution made possible wide-scale
steel construction, and building work was
revolutionised with the advent of machine
14
tools and building codes.
The contracting sector, however, appears to
be on the cusp of a transformation. This is
being driven by two major forces.
The first of these is the business reality
of a market emerging from the deepest
recession in living memory. The recent
pressure for “more for less” from clients is
not going to disappear after recession –
particularly among public sector procurers,
who will be battling the UK’s deficit for
years after austerity-era “keep calm and …”
merchandise has once more vanished from
the shelves.
Secondly, but intrinsically linked to this
pressure, is a growing sense that new
technologies are not just an optional extra
for contractors that pride themselves on
taking a leadership position, but are actually
the only way to drive the efficiencies
necessary to make contracting financially
viable in the new economic reality.
Financial returns from contracting have
always been notoriously tight: the sector
is a low margin industry that is made more
attractive by the potential to generate
large amounts of cash. But it is starting
to look, post-recession, like this model is
fundamentally broken.
Margins at the largest main contractors are
now an average of 1.2%, according to KPMG
the future of the built environment
research. Meanwhile, growing governmental
pressure to pay suppliers more quickly – a
pressure that for the first time, seems to
have real impetus behind it – is reducing the
ability of contractors to profit from holding
onto their cash. This tight financial market is
exacerbated by the waste and inefficiency
inherent in a sector in which more than 90%
of companies employ fewer than 10 people.
As such, it seems inevitable that we will see
widespread consolidation in contracting.
This is likely to take three forms. First,
vertical consolidation, as players merge
to create more coherent supply chains.
Secondly, through diversification, as more
businesses look to bolster tough contracting
margins with other related services that
offer higher returns – support services,
consultancy, or sustainable technologies.
Thirdly, the increasing interest of overseas
investors in British infrastructure projects
could lead to Chinese firms, in particular,
forming long-term alliances with or even
taking ownership of UK contractors.
Alongside the emergence of a more efficient
the future of the built environment
industry structure, there is an urgent need
for individual contractors to create more
efficient working practices. This means
the industry will need to embed new
technologies far more in the way it works.
Standardisation and volumetric production
will have a role to play here, made
possible by increasing digitalisation of the
industry and by initiatives such as BIM.
But technologies are also likely to change
contracting in ways that no firm has yet
explored – through entirely replacing some
current processes, or carrying out more
work robotically.
There is a third major, and even more
fundamental, change needed to drive this
forward: a shift in the demographic of the
sector itself.
If construction is genuinely to reinvent
itself, it will need to attract a broad mix of
talent – including enquiring, technologynative young people who see the industry’s
heritage, and want to be a part of it, but can
also imagine a future for it that is free from
the constraint of over-familiarity with its past.
15
There’s no doubt that the past few years
have been hard for many in the construction
industry. Even now some are still just
emerging from recession and there is
a nagging worry that we could still go
backwards economically.
Yet despite these very difficult market
conditions, the industry has made some
noteworthy progress. The downturn
has driven some remarkable innovation;
the most noteworthy is the widespread
adoption of BIM methodologies. We have
seen the delivery of a world-class Olympics.
Unfortunately, however, there hasn’t been
much progress in the area of sustainability,
which I fear has instead regressed in many
people’s mind to that of a “nice to have addon” under pressure from the bottom line.
Progress in a risk-averse industry is a major
challenge. Unfortunately, there are as many
failures as successes; some will say failure
is more dominant. Hard won progress
should be celebrated. Ecobuild can be the
showcase for good practice, the launchpad
for a realistic debate where industry,
government, academia and other interested
parties can debate on neutral ground.
come together
by Peter Caplehorn
Deputy CEO
Construction Products Association
Ecobuild is a networking opportunity and a showcase for
good practice. It may also be the starting bell for progress
I hope this year and going forward we will
see progress at all levels, given the level
of optimism. We more than likely will move
on from the Code for Sustainable Homes
and look at the new world of multiple-level
national and international regulations. This
should be seen as an opportunity to fill any
gaps with solutions from industry.
Innovation is needed to address these
challenges, but for this to flourish a mature
and stable marketplace is needed. Several
parts of industry remain badly bruised from
the immediate past and will need greater
confidence and certainty in the marketplace
before such investment will take place. We
cannot make significant progress as an
industry until all these market participants
are joined up.
There is also a desperate need for a
16
the future of the built environment
the future of the built environment
there’s a desperate need
for a cohesive energy
policy. Business owners
in particular continue to
be confused by the constantly
changing energy landscape
and exclude themselves from
the debate or won’t engage
cohesive energy policy that works at
national and local levels and delivers
practical benefits to manufacturers and
consumers alike. Business owners in
particular continue to be confused by the
constantly changing energy landscape and
exclude themselves from the debate or
won’t engage completely.
Technically, the research into builtenvironment outcomes, such as those
championed by the Zero Carbon Hub, is
now demonstrating a reality on the ground
that many of us have believed for some
time. Namely, that we do not get out the
performance we try to design in. The
challenge for the industry will be to see this
is corrected. Whether our primary focus is
keeping our clients happy or preserving
the environment, we must break down
the silos that too often separate us in the
construction sector and instead work across
the entire supply chain, from designers to
manufacturers to contractors and facility
managers and even the building’s endusers to ensure we have the most efficient
production, the best quality products and
then the available skills on-site to make the
most of the materials and products.
This sounds simple expressed in a few
sentences, but to date for the most part
it has eluded us. Using this event as a
sounding board and networking opportunity
to rehearse and refine these objects is an
opportunity that surely cannot be missed.
17
get
ready for
growth
by Michael Dall
Economic Analyst
Barbour ABI
Construction is in a much stronger position than was
predicted a year ago – and next year should be even better
What a difference a year makes. This
time last year most commentators were
talking tentatively about signs of recovery
in the UK economy, and the construction
sector specifically. Having experienced
the worst recession since the thirties, and
construction performing the poorest out
of the three major sectors in the economy
during it, forecasts for future performance
were, at best, subdued. This time last year
the Office for Budget Responsibility was
predicting GDP growth in 2014 of 2.4%
and it now looks likely that it will be around
3.2% to 3.5%. Increasing levels of business
investment and an unexpectedly fast decline
in levels of unemployment are the main
reasons for the improving picture.
For the construction sector it is a similar
story. Forecasts from the Construction
18
Products Association last year predicted
growth in 2014 of 2.2% in the industry. The
current forecast is for growth of 4.7%, more
than double the predicted level 12 months
ago. The main factor for the significantly
improved outlook is the strength of growth
in the private housing sector, with increasing
levels of both new house construction
and repair and maintenance. This has
occurred in line with significant increases in
house price levels across the UK. This was
initially contained to the London area but
in recent months a number of other parts
of the country have witnessed increasing
house price inflation. Part of the increase
in private housing repair and maintenance
is residential solar panel installation,
indicating the key part sustainability plays
in the growth of this particular area of the
construction industry.
the future of the built environment
Although the majority of growth was in
private residential it was not the only sector
within construction that performed well
over the past year. The infrastructure sector
is forecast to grow by over 9% this year
after a 2.3% increase last year. A big reason
behind the rise in growth in this sector is
the larger prominence of major renewable
energy projects within the UK. A significant
number of offshore wind farm contracts
have been awarded over the last 18 months
which have resulted in the improving outlook
for infrastructure output this year. This has
been a boon in particular to the Yorkshire &
Humberside and the Scottish construction
markets with projects such as the Humber
Gateway contributing significantly to recent
growth. Major offshore energy projects are
valued in the region of £700m indicating
the important role sustainable projects
have in the improving outlook for the UK
infrastructure sector.
The commercial sector is also starting to
show signs of improvement after major
drops in the levels of output during the
recession. The sector is forecast to grow
by 3.8% in 2014 with a major increase in
commercial office projects a key contributor
to this figure. That 67% of commercial
projects awarded in the past year are
BREEAM “Excellent” or “Outstanding”
shows the increasing prominence of these
standards within the sector.
Looking forward to the next year, the
outlook for the construction industry is
bright with current forecasts for growth
the future of the built environment
Major offshore energy
projects are valued in
the region of £700m
indicating the important
role sustainable projects have
in the improving outlook for
the UK infrastructure sector
of 4.7%. The residential sector is forecast
to continue its strong growth with the
solar panels market in particular likely to
contribute to this. Infrastructure, although
subdued overall, is still set to grow next year
with a significant level of growth predicted
within the renewable energy market. There
is a major offshore wind farm project in
the pipeline in the Scottish Borders area
which, at a value of £675m, will provide a
substantial boost to the market over the
coming years. Finally, the commercial sector
looks likely to grow next year as business
investment picks up. Given the increasing
presence of BREEAM “Excellent” and
“Outstanding” schemes in the pipeline, this
is likely to be particularly relevant to those
firms involved in sustainable projects in the
sector in the future.
19
The future of cities
and architecture in
a sustainable built
environment
by Ike Ijeh
Architectural Critic
Building and Building Design
For architecture to go to the heart of what makes a city
sustainable, it has to be adaptable, innovative and bold
What makes cities work? For the past four
years the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)
has ranked Melbourne, Australia as the
world’s most liveable city. The EIU takes a
ruthlessly scientific approach to quantifying
urban quality and awards numerical scores
for categories such as stability, healthcare,
education, infrastructure, culture and
environment. By the same reckoning, in this
year’s survey, Damascus in Syria came last.
But is it really this easy to measure what
makes a city liveable? Can the attractiveness
of a city really be quantified with the cold
precision of a mathematical formula? Or are
there other more prosaic considerations at
play? London is the most visited city in the
world and according to the 2014 QS World
University Rankings, it contains two of the
world’s five best universities. Consequently
does this make London more successful and
by extension more “liveable” than cities with
20
the future of the built environment
fewer visitors or less renowned academic
institutions, such as EIU front-runners
Vancouver, Vienna, or for that matter
Melbourne?
In truth, measuring a quantity as diverse
and amorphous as a city is always a difficult
challenge and achieving consistency of
assessment between different cities is even
harder. Which is what makes the future of
cities so difficult to predict. But, amidst all the
unknowns there are immovable certainties.
Today around 3.5 billion people across the
globe live in urbanised areas, just under
half of the world’s population. In barely 15
years this is expected to balloon to 5 billion,
over two-thirds of the world’s population.
For the first time in human history cities will
no longer merely represent one end of an
economic or lifestyle choice between town
and country; they will become the majority,
defining factor in how we inhabit and
influence our planet.
In this new emerging world, ensuring that
our cities nurture a truly sustainable built
environment will no longer be a matter
of choice; it will become a matter of
survival. So what does a truly sustainable
environment mean and is it achievable?
Yes, it encompasses all the considerations
that preoccupy the EIU, such as low crime,
good healthcare, vibrant culture and
efficient transport. But it is more than just
satisfying these individual categories.
A sustainable environment is one which
has established a holistic vision for
integrated urban development where
every aspect of the city is specifically
planned and designed to maximise social,
economic and environmental benefits
for its inhabitants while at the same time
minimising its ecological footprint. The city
itself no longer relies on an ecosystem, it
becomes one.
So how can this vision for a sustainable
future be realised? Identifying goals is
always easier then achieving them but there
the future of the built environment
For the first time in
history cities will
become the defining
factor in how we inhabit
our planet. Ensuring that our
cities nurture a truly sustainable built environment will no
longer be a matter of choice
are already clearly defined principles from
which sustainable cities can grow: improved
communications, connectivity, information
and collaboration are just some of them. But
only one element encompasses them all:
architecture.
Architecture creates the fabric from which
cities are formed and is therefore woven into
every sinew of our built environment and
urban fabric. Cities evolve but buildings do
not, every macro and micro aspect of city life,
from urban regeneration to catching a bus, is
regulated by a specific architectural decision.
So these decisions are crucial to any kind
of city we create. Brownfield or green belt,
glass or stone, newbuild or refurbishment,
demolish or repair, high-rise or low-rise,
public or private; these are just some of the
infinite array of architectural decisions on
which the future of our cities will depend.
Being informed enough to make the
right decisions is critical. Which is why
sustainable architecture must be flexible,
adaptable, innovative and bold. But perhaps
most importantly, it must be empathetic.
It must understand the human condition
and react instinctively to it. Cities are a
collective concentration of citizenship and
community. They are about the spaces
between buildings as well as the buildings
themselves. The city that understands these
core relationships and moulds a sustainable
architectural approach that allows these
interactions to flourish is the city best placed
to take on the challenges and opportunities
of the future.
21
The sustainable design, construction and energy marketplace for new build, commercial and domestic buildings
45K
ATTENDEES
Discover the future
of construction
and energy
Join over 125 energy brands and 150 sustainable design and construction
brands already signed up for Ecobuild 2015
Meet senior buyers from across the entire supply chain – from architects
and designers, to contractors, housebuilders and local authorities
Delivering more professionals with an interest in renewable energy
and energy efficiency than any other event in the UK
LEAD PARTNER
Research &
Innovation Partner
LEAD SUPPORTERS
800+
EXHIBITORS
100+
CONFERENCE &
SEMINAR SESSIONS
85%
OF THE TOP 100
ARCHITECTS*
*AJ100 2014
92%
OF THE TOP 50
CONTRACTORS*
*Building’s Top 150 2014
ORGANISED BY
Co-located with