Thank you to all our Industry Insider Newsletter guest editors.
See below their Opinion Pieces on key and topical issues facing the built environment now. Register for the Industry Insider newsletter to see opinion pieces and news stories from our upcoming guest editors.
Opinion Piece Altruism, self-interest, and the future of sustainability reporting Adam Smith and Spinoza, two profound thinkers from different eras, explored the intricate relationship between altruism and self-interest. They posited that protecting others is often the smartest form of self-preservation. A baker, for example, improves his own success by ensuring his customers are satisfied with
Opinion Piece Information Management Initiative (IMI) The ‘Information Management Initiative’ (IMI) aims to transform information management practices across the built and natural environment sector. Led by hugely commendable volunteer efforts across the Construction Leadership Council and nima (formerly the UK BIM Alliance), the IMI: • sets out a sector-wide directive to industry, including some over-arching principles
Opinion Piece Delivering a legacy of quality net zero homes The government has committed to delivering the most ambitious housebuilding programme in two generations. This is a welcome and important initiative. However, in constructing 1.5 million new homes, we must ensure that this new generation of properties deliver homes which embed the necessary performance to
Opinion Piece Bridging the gap: advancing renewable heating in the UK By Stephen Bielby, Operations Manager, Ground Source Heat Pump Association (GSHPA) As the UK intensifies its commitment to a sustainable energy future, the focus on renewable heating solutions has never been more critical. Ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) and district heating networks stand at
Opinion Piece Building a Better World: How Biophilic Design Can Transform Lives and Sustain Our Planet Why is it important that we care about how we design our workplaces, our hospitals, our schools or our cities? Why should we care about what materials we source, and how we position them in the buildings we create?
Opinion Piece Overcoming retrofit challenges and enhancing sustainable design By Rachael Owens, Co-director at the National Retrofit Hub and Head of Sustainability at Buckley Gray Yeoman As the co-director of the National Retrofit Hub and head of sustainability at Buckley Gray Yeoman, I have been engaging with a wide number of stakeholders on the pressing
Opinion Piece Driving sustainable change in construction: A call to innovate and collaborate By Martin Townsend, Director for BSI’s Centre of Excellence for Sustainability The construction industry is facing mounting pressure to meet net-zero targets, meaning we must navigate the complex challenge of balancing sustainability with tight margins. The path to greener practices is filled
Opinion Piece Addressing the Ever Evolving Role of Specification By David Ing, Managing Director at Fabrick The role of specification has changed considerably over the past few years with a larger number of people having influence and decision-making powers. A number of different consultants and engineers now have increasing input into specifications, such as façade
Opinion Piece Don’t wait for change, lead it — diversity and sustainability in construction By Funmbi Adeagbo, keynote speaker at BE-ST Fest 2024 Driving change in construction and the built environment is not about waiting for others to take the lead – it’s about stepping up, being visible, and inspiring others to follow. That’s where
Opinion Piece Sustainability Impact in action 540 WORLD just won an LCA 2024 award. You might say, so what, and ask – how is this helpful for me? Well, if you are vaguely interested in building a better tomorrow or understanding materials that unlock residual financial value and circularity, or quantify low carbon, or other
Opinion Piece Mapping Climate Risk and Vulnerability in the West Midlands Climate change is here, and our urban areas are ill-prepared. In July 2022, the West Midlands experienced temperatures surpassing 38°C, leading to overheating in residences and care facilities, school shutdowns, travel disruptions, data server malfunctions, a rise in fire emergencies, and water safety issues,
Opinion Piece UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard In May 2022, a cross-industry group comprising leading organisations BBP, BRE, the Carbon Trust, CIBSE, IStructE, LETI, RIBA, RICS, and UKGBC, joined together to develop a Standard to define the requirements for buildings in the UK to be Net Zero Carbon (NZC). The UK Net Zero Carbon
Opinion Piece The challenge ahead: CIBSE’s role in leading industry innovation As we enter a transformative phase in the built environment, the stakes for our industry have never been higher. With the introduction of the Building Safety Act and the urgent push towards net zero, CIBSE is at the forefront, guiding and supporting its members
Opinion Piece Timber in Construction: Debunking Myths and Bridging the Gap between Construction and Forestry At the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP), we are leading a unique research initiative called IMPACTT (Innovative Mapping and Processes to Advance Construction Timber Transparency). The project aims to bridge the gap between forestry and construction and raise awareness
Opinion Piece Towards Regenerative Architecture Co-founder of UK Architects Declare, Michael Pawlyn explains the thinking behind the Regenerative Architecture Index and explains why why need a paradigm shift to move from conventional sustainability towards regenerative design. The idea for the Index emerged from discussions in the Architects Declare Steering Group. Our strategy for change has
Opinion Piece The Legacy of Triple Point Heat Networks Investment Management: Transforming the UK’s Heating Landscape As the Programme Director for two major heat network funding schemes over the past six years, I have had the unique privilege of witnessing firsthand how effective collaboration, sheer hard work, and innovative solutions can bring about transformational change.
Opinion Piece Why the construction industry needs to adopt radical transparency in environmental communications The construction industry is at a pivotal moment where sustainability has transitioned from being a buzzword to an imperative. With increasing scrutiny from regulators, clients, and the general public, the industry faces a unique challenge: how to communicate its environmental efforts
Opinion Piece The future of the built environment: embracing a purpose-driven, technological revolution I remember my first Futurebuild—then called Ecobuild—like it was yesterday. The lively conversations and visionary presentations back in 2009 set the trajectory for my career. Since then, the construction industry has made strides in ways we couldn’t have imagined, but we seem
Opinion Piece Five initiatives to achieve major change for people and the environment We have a new Government, with new beliefs, policies and plans, even if with an inherited and deeply constraining budget. Much ink has already been spent trying to predict what Labour will do in power given its focus on economic growth, building
Opinion Piece Becoming the change Opinion piece by Dr Olli Jones, Associate Director Sustainability & Innovation, Cundall. As the planet warms past 1.5 degrees for its 12th consecutive month, murmurings of change appear to be afoot. A new government is welcome, to slowly begin restoring the flow of public sector projects and private sector confidence that
Opinion Piece Liverpool Green Lanes: place shaping a new urban critical path Opinion piece by Dr Graham Kelly, Managing Director, Okana In many cities, large parts of the built environment are comprised of outdated urban assets and infrastructure that are not yet future ready. The challenge is to make these urban neighbourhoods more liveable, resilient,
Opinion Piece Making the built environment visible – how do we better connect with young people? Opinion piece by Mark Southgate, Chief Executive, MOBIE Crisis, crisis, crisis! We have housing, climate and biodiversity crises and the built environment has a labour crisis! One on its own is difficult, all at the same time is a
Opinion Piece No home left behind Opinion piece by Derek Horrocks, Chair of the National Home Decarbonisation Group The national housing crisis and worldwide sustainability mission are inextricably linked, but not how you may think at first. Much of the housing discussion is focused on new homes, but as anyone involved in retrofit will appreciate
Opinion Piece Harnessing digital innovation for landscape-led solutions Opinion piece by Carolin Göhler FLI, President-Elect, Landscape Institute Advances in digital technology are changing the way we operate across both the built and natural environment, and providing increasingly impactful landscape solutions to the challenges we as a sector face. Digital innovation in the landscape sector is
Opinion Piece Revolutionising the Construction Industry: Embracing an Iterative and Integrated Future Opinion piece by Mina Hasman ARB, RIBA, FRSA, LEED, BREEAM, WELL AP TIME 100 Climate Leader, Sustainability Director, SOM | Founder, Climate Framework The construction and buildings sector, a powerhouse of the global economy, is at a critical juncture. Despite its significant contributions
Opinion Piece It’s time to act now People’s Pavilion unpacked! by bureau SLA & Overtreders W with Arup ©Jeroen van der Wielen Opinion piece by Duncan Baker Brown, Architect, Academic & Environmental Activist, Founder at BakerBrown I want to thank Futurebuild for giving me the opportunity to write an opinion piece. I’ve been a big
