FOOTPRINT 2025

Brutalist buildings should be recognised for their potential. Aesthetically and structurally challenging to some, the key to unlocking this potential has common threads. Whitby Wood invite you to a breakfast briefing where we will explore the successful adaptation and revival of two distinct building typologies.

Plant — the ‘hanging gardens of Basingstoke’

Formerly Mountbatten House, the original 1970s vast-stepped modernist complex comprises six levels of commercial workspace with tiered roof gardens in Basingstoke, Hampshire. Fundamental to the revamped scheme are the celebrated cascading green garden terraces. The design team sought the sensitive restoration to improve biodiversity and urban greening and maximise the potential for adaptation within the existing structural fabric. Plant is an exemplar development for the evolution of a pioneering design intent to promote wellbeing and connection.

Zodiac Court — repurpose for social housing and community spaces

This ambitious re-use project transforms a neglected 1960s concrete complex in West Croydon into 73 thoughtfully designed, low-carbon homes for emergency housing. Rather than demolish, the developer sought to repurpose the abandoned buildings. The scheme integrates local amenity, courtyards, and social spaces and reimagines the derelict forecourt as a vibrant community garden. Zodiac’s revival sets a precedent for adaptation of underused assets — and for the provision of new housing from office space.

Come and hear from the teams at Zodiac Court and Plant, Basingstoke.

With the ever increasing choice of sustainability accreditations and verifications that exist, how should I know which are most appropriate for my development and which are most aligned with our aspirations.
At this workshop we'll discuss the positives, negatives, opportunities and challenges of methods including NABERS, Passivhaus, the UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard, BREEAM, LEED, WELL, SmartScore, WiredScore and many others.
The workshop will be hosted by leaders at Max Fordham. Come along to join in the discussion, hear from the Max Fordham experts, and share your insights.

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Reimagining the future of stone as a utilitarian material; this talk will put stone centre stage and consider the concept that a brick can be a stone - and visa versa - and a stone can be an ashlar, with all of them a humble piece of rubble walling for the next century. 

As ideas of circular economy and materials reuse become established in the lexicon of architectural language, the ancient practice of Spolia is rightly back in the spotlight. Reusing components from existing, soon-to-be-demolished, or already deconstructed structures significantly reduces the need for manufacturing new components, in turn reducing the carbon cost of the building.

Shifting the status quo is vital to building more sustainably. The UK produces around 2 billion bricks a year which require high temperature kiln firing, considerably adding to CO2 emissions. Bricks are a familiar part of the UK landscape and often the go-to response by planners keen on replicating ‘context’ but a straightforward switch to natural stone bricks could be a game-changer for the future of sustainable construction.

SKA rating is a sustainability assessment methodology that measures the environmental impact of commercial fit-outs and refurbishments. The methodology integrates good practice into daily project delivery, and moves the whole interior fit-out industry forward in a synchronised way. The approach provides a consistent system of measurement and benchmarking against good industry practice.

SKA rating was originally established in 2008, and has been undergoing a quiet metamorphosis - with new ownership, updated schemes and new offerings in the pipeline. The proposed changes are intended to reshape sustainability in the interior fit-out world to respond to an increasingly climate-aware fit-out industry with alignment to Net Zero, to be inclusive of full life-cycle thinking that delivers against client needs and to expand the sectors and countries that SKA rating can be used in. 

This panel discussion includes clients, designers, board members, who use SKA rating for a broad, honest and honest discussion, of the need and potential for such ratings in the interior fit-out industry.

The UK has some of the highest use of flame retardants, many of which are toxic to health, in the world. Many of these chemicals show up in building materials that you are specifying today. Some manufacturers are taking steps to design out toxic chemicals of concern, but how do you find identify and specify building materials that fundamentally protect, restore, and enhance the health of humans and highly functioning ecosystem?   

Learn about projects leading this market transformation and how to create opportunities for immediate, meaningful action.

The growth of the UK's research and innovation sector continues to be a key contributor to the economy. Increased investment in life sciences real estate has led to a growing pipeline of speculative laboratories under construction in cities like London, Cambridge, and Oxford. As these projects come to market, the ability to attract occupiers by achieving the right fit for the space becomes crucial. One avenue for meaningful differentiation is understanding what decarbonisation efforts in laboratories mean for the lab occupier and users' operations. 

In this panel, Oxford Properties, The Institute of Cancer Research, 3PM and GXN will debate how science occupiers move towards net zero. You will hear directly from scientists about how building owners can support behaviours that contribute to credible decarbonisation pathways. The panel is part of the Transforming To Zero initiative, which has engaged with key players in the UK science ecosystem through interviews, workshops, and ongoing conversations since 2022. 

The transition to a circular economy in construction is gaining momentum, but how do we turn ambition into reality? This session explores the process behind material reuse – how it works, what data is needed, and how risk is managed. With insights from industry pioneers, we will unpack the key challenges around passporting materials, transparency, and the role of insurance in facilitating transactions.

Our expert panel will discuss the barriers and opportunities in tracking and verifying materials, ensuring trust in reused products, and mitigating perceived risks. We’ll explore how new digital tools, data-driven decision-making, and innovative insurance models are helping to de-risk material exchanges and support a more circular approach. The session will also highlight real-world examples of collaboration across the supply chain – bringing together clients, contractors, and technology platforms to make reuse work at scale.

Attendees will gain practical insights into the evolving circular economy landscape, hearing firsthand about the challenges faced and the solutions emerging to embed reuse as a standard practice in the built environment.

Designing for a just transition involves ensuring that the creation and transformation of built environments prioritize equity, accessibility, and community involvement. In the context of sustainable development, the built assets we design and deliver must serve the needs of local communities while fostering social, economic, and environmental resilience. A key principle of this approach is involving the community in every phase of design and implementation to understand their needs, aspirations, and challenges. 

The process of community-centered design fosters a sense of ownership and belonging, which is crucial in ensuring the long-term success and sustainability of these spaces. Ultimately, a just transition is one where everyone—regardless of background, income, or ability—has equal access to the opportunities and benefits that the built environment provides.

Speakers include:

Mark McKenna, CEO - Down to Earth

Building a resilient and sustainable construction supply chain is essential for the UK’s economic security and long-term infrastructure goals. However, ensuring that this resilience does not come at the expense of workers, communities, and vulnerable groups is crucial for a just and equitable transition.

What are the strategies and frameworks needed to create a construction supply chain that leaves no one behind, while addressing the challenges of sustainability, skills development, and inclusivity in the industry?

The session will delve into key case studies, best practices, and policy initiatives that show  how creating a resilient, fair, and future-proof construction sector can drive both economic growth and social justice.

Place-based impact investing directs financial resources towards local initiatives that foster sustainable development, create jobs, and support community resilience. By investing in projects that are rooted in the unique needs and potential of specific regions, this approach ensures that communities are empowered to fully participate in change.

Meaningful participation involves engaging local communities, workers, and stakeholders in decision-making processes, ensuring their voices are heard in shaping policies and investments. This participatory approach enhances social equity and strengthens the long-term sustainability plans by aligning them with local priorities.

District East is an ambitious, nature-led life sciences development in Cambridge. The mission is to attract world-class innovation by designing a masterplan that inspires researchers and entrepreneurs, while ensuring that it remains open to the surrounding community. This contaminated brownfield site will be healed using regenerative landscapes designed as places for human interaction. The vision is to allow science to be seen and celebrated and to inspire and benefit local communities. With no formal edges, all of the buildings – from labs to cafes – will be placed in a landscape that respects existing neighbourhood routes. 

The team will describe key goals of the project which include:

• how to bring a contaminated, brownfield site back into use within the city 
• delivering a unique workplace offer for the life-sciences industry in Cambridge
• working with potential occupiers on the balance between operational energy demand and efficiency goals
• refining the range of potential performance, dependent on use, management regime and tenancy

For communities to embrace net zero, they need to feel the direct benefits, and trust that the transition will have a positive impact on the places they live, work and play. UKGBC’s new Regenerative Places programme takes a place-based approach that explores how local stakeholders can co-create their own retrofit strategies, delivering broad 'regenerative' benefits to communities, strengthening climate resilience and improving people's health & wellbeing.

Hear from UKGBC, MCS Foundation and CIVIC SQUARE as they explore:

• What “regenerative places” are
• How these principles can be implemented within our communities to decarbonise homes, public spaces and lifestyles
• The important role that individual stakeholder groups play
• How local networks can develop their own capacity and local supply chains to respond to the challenges, building on existing strengths and knowledge

Hear from heritage and design experts as they share the story of the Brighton Dome Corn Exchange, a Grade I listed building transformed into a vibrant, sustainable cultural hub. Recognised with a prestigious 2024 Structural Award from the IStructE, this remarkable project showcases how innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to sustainability can add holistic value to historic buildings. Learn how the team navigated the complexities of modernising a 200-year-old venue while preserving its heritage, delivering a socially impactful and environmentally conscious space that sets a benchmark for future projects.

With the goal to achieve carbon neutrality across their UK portfolio of projects by 2045, Skanska have developed practical data driven tools that allow for timely interventions both in construction projects and within their facilities management activities.

The carbon impact of a building from design to operation relies heavily on the plant and equipment installed and maintained as part of a project. 

Recognising the urgency to provide comprehensive carbon and energy information for achieving sustainability aspirations and future-proofing assets, Skanska is leveraging digital technology using their own smart building platform and advanced carbon calculation methods for plant and equipment. An expert panel will discuss:

• how to facilitate scrutiny and discussions with all stakeholders about carbon and operational energy performance throughout a building's lifecycle
• how digital tools and services can be used to assess a building's carbon impact from design through to operation
• how to achieve improved efficiencies through data-driven maintenance 

Closed-loop recycling of end-of-life building glass remains a major challenge, with less than 1% of post-consumer content making it back into new glass production. Instead, most discarded glass follows a linear path—ending up in landfills or downgraded into low-value applications. Addressing this issue is crucial for reducing embodied emissions and advancing the circular economy in the built environment.

This session will explore practical solutions to integrate high-quality glass recycling into the construction sector. Industry leaders, including architects, commercial developers, and public sector representatives, will discuss how direct collaboration with clients and improvements in the deconstruction supply chain can enable efficient and cost-effective glass recovery.

 

Circular Economy in practice is about sequentially looking at what to retain, reuse on site, reuse within a portfolio or reuse elsewhere through trade partners, together with close collaboration between deconstruction and construction contractor and clients. Circularity requires a collaborative, can-do attitude supported by technology built around the industry’s workflows. 

Join our expert panel who will take you step-by-step through the process and show how digitisation allows parties to manage the process of deconstruction and onward material management leading to much higher levels of reuse.

The integration of a just transition into public procurement is a crucial step toward achieving both environmental sustainability and social equity. This session will present how Newham Council is embedding just transition principles into its procurement processes, with insights from Dan Hill of Dark Matter Labs on the role of design and innovation in this transformation. Newham Council has made significant strides in aligning its procurement policies with these principles, prioritising social value, equity, and sustainability in its purchasing decisions.

• How is the council is using procurement to drive positive outcomes, creating green jobs and supporting local businesses?
• How can evolving systems help public authorities to rethink procurement, addressing environmental targets but also social justice?
• What are the challenges and opportunities in embedding a just transition into public procurement?
• What are the actionable insights for local authorities and organisations committed to making a fairer, green economy?

The transition to a low-carbon energy system is one of the most pressing challenges facing the UK, with profound implications for both the environment and society. As the UK moves toward achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, a "just transition" in the energy sector is essential to ensure that no one is left behind. This session will explore the state of play in the UK’s energy transition, with insights from key stakeholders.

The widespread adoption of green technologies, including solar energy and other renewable solutions, raises important questions about labour rights and exploitation in global supply chains. This session will address the relation between net-zero technologies and ethical labour practices, revealing the hidden realities of labour exploitation in the renewable energy sector.

How can net-zero technologies can be developed and deployed without compromising human rights, holding industry players accountable? By examining real-world examples and regulatory frameworks, the speakers aim to shed light on the complexities of ensuring ethical labour practices in the race to achieve net-zero targets, offering practical guidance to those responsible for implementing in the built environment.

Designed by Sir Denys Lasdun and completed in 1983, the IBM Building is a bold presence in the buzzing cultural playground of the South Bank. Developer Stanhope is sensitively refurbishing and extending this Grade II listed Brutalist treasure to update it for contemporary office occupiers and give it a longterm,  energy-efficient future.

Retaining 80% of the original structure’s concrete has minimised the CO2 emissions generated by the retrofit works. Fabric improvements and improvements to services will reduce operational energy consumption by 50%. Targeting BREEAM outstanding, EPC A rating and a NABERS 5 star rating will bring the building right up to date without compromising its status as a key Listed building in the historic Southbank composition.

Indoor air quality has been proven to impact occupant health and well-being in a wide range of settings. In schools there has been increased attendance and achievement and in healthcare patient outcomes are improved. Within office and workplaces air quality monitoring can offer:

• the opportunity to refine building heating strategies and cut energy usage
• feedback on operating practices and how to monitor changes 
• reduction in claims from occupiers and reduced insurance premiums

Experts from the International WELL Building Institute and selected clients join Butterfly Air to discuss how monitoring air quality has benefitted asset managers and building users.

Developed as a platform for experimentation and industry collaboration, Hilson Moran's Living Lab in Hays Galleria has been testing new innovations in the industry for nearly a year, one of which is the Artus AR75 unit. 
Find the balance between carbon efficiency and performance in this interactive discussion based on test results and real experiences in a live environment.   

The expert panel share insights into the operational performance and user experience of: 

• Tried and tested low carbon heating and cooling innovations  
• Exciting new ways Hilson Moran are using data for decision making and impact 

Join Workplace Futures Group (WFG) as we delve into the transformative journey towards sustainability and social responsibility, anchored by the principles of B Corp certification. This engaging session will feature actionable insights and real-world case studies that highlight the challenges, triumphs, and innovative approaches driving meaningful change in workplace design and operations.

The concept of a "just transition" in the UK Built Environment is crucial to ensuring that the shift towards sustainability and net-zero carbon emissions is equitable, inclusive, and fair. As the UK government accelerates its efforts to address climate change, the built environment—comprising housing, infrastructure, and commercial properties—must undergo significant transformations to reduce energy consumption, carbon emissions, and waste. However, this transition presents both opportunities and challenges. While green technologies, sustainable design, and energy-efficient practices are critical to achieving climate goals, the workforce and communities involved in these sectors must be supported to ensure that no one is left behind.

Our expert panel asks what does this mean for the divers stakeholders in the property industry?

Explore how the Building Safety Act offers an unparalleled opportunity to deliver value and enhance social housing, particularly across the country’s 12,500 higher-risk buildings. Our expert speakers will delve into leveraging the Act to ensure best-practice fire and structural, while in parallel retrofitting to enable sustainable living standards that meet modern housing needs. Attendees will gain insights into adapting existing buildings for housing while aligning with sustainability goals and long-term maintenance strategies.

The heat network sector is undergoing a major transformation. The Government has ambitious plans to grow the sector as a low carbon form of heating and wants to introduce zoning in England where new and existing buildings within zones will be required to connect to heat networks.

Our expert panel will share their experiences of delivering heat networks, and explore the impact of zoning and of new regulations on real estate and what this will mean for developers, investors and the wider property sector.

Balancing heritage conservation with carbon reduction is a challenge; one that was met with a pragmatic and intelligent response in the retrofit of The Waterman. One of the largest heritage retrofits in Clerkenwell, The Waterman combines four industrial warehouses over 70,000 sqft into a single, modern-day workspace with distinct character. The buildings have been extensively retrofitted, resulting in an EPC A rated, market-ready space that aligns with modern occupier expectations.

In this panel the client, architect and contractor will explore the vision and execution of this complex project, and discuss the design and engineering strategies employed to create a high-quality, future-proofed workspace while enhancing the buildings' heritage identity.

Pierre Bidaud of the Stonemasonry Company will discuss how new ways of thinking aligned to new technologies are changing the way we build in stone. From augmented stone, to using stone structurally, stone is set to play an increasingly important part in building a low carbon future. 

Amin Taha’s Groupwork have designed a 10-storey block of flats in Finchley Road, north London, built with load-bearing larvikite stone from Lundhs quarry in Norway. Taha describes the project as 'the first 10-storey, loadbearing self-finished stone structure without steel reinforcement/secondary structure since the last stone cathedrals'. The Norwegian larvikite stone requires significantly less extraction, transportation, and on-site erection compared to typical concrete construction methods, resulting in reduced costs and lower embodied carbon.

The panel will be joined by industry leading engineer Steve Webb of Webb Yates who will talk about the practices sustainability led approach and their work on Finchley Road.

The Finchley Road project is set to be completed in 2025 and represents a significant step forward in sustainable urban architecture. 

Learn how the team behind Britain’s first skyscraper lab is working towards achieving ambitious embodied carbon budgets. Currently under construction, One North Quay is 76,500m2 , >130m tower, which is set to become Europe’s largest commercial laboratory. Join the Client and the Design Team as they reflect on the project’s embodied carbon sustainability ambitions; how they have been realised to date; and the lessons learnt from this process that can be applied to future projects.

The UK built environment has a high proportion of buildings on the verge of becoming stranded assets as environmental targets tighten. The scale of the challenge to upgrade buildings of this type is huge. How can a project balance both a retrofit led investment and deliver the potential for increased rental values? At 300 Gray’s Inn Road the team have embedded carbon analysis whilst interrogating different options to provide the client with detailed guidance, facilitating an accurate design-making process and a route map to an environmentally and commercially viable scheme.

When awarding the PACER initiative funding the UKRI declared that ’the majority of the UK’s national emissions budget will be used in the Built Environment’. Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) are increasingly the only gatekeepers to lower whole life carbon in the built environment with the ability to set targets and decide which projects are permitted. PACER is a software tool designed to be operated by LPAs to assess the carbon documentation submitted with applications and to guide officers in the analysis of those proposals.

Aiming to make the decision-making transparent and democratically sound, PACER will have been used since its launch early 2025 during the assessment of a range of proposed projects. The panel will discuss how it works, the characteristics of the submission requirements and early outcomes found by its development partner Westminster City Council. In aiming to implement Retrofit First policies, how have the planning authority adopted these digital tools? Could this be a mechanism adopted by authorities around the UK?

How can the much-heralded UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard be used as a tool to transform your existing buildings and retrofit schemes? This panel features technical team members behind the Standard, as well as industry leaders applying it to real-world retrofit projects during its pilot phase.

Discover practical insights, challenges, and successes as we prepare for the Standard’s Version 1 launch in late 2025, and inspire your journey toward net-zero retrofits.

Thirty High sets an example for the retrofit of office buildings found in city centre locations across the UK and further afield. By retaining the primary structure and core and refurbishing the existing facades, the team have sought to maximise the building's energy efficiency, achieving a target operational energy use that is comparable to that of modern commercial buildings.

What will the UK NZCBS mean for you? 

Defining how buildings can align with the built environment’s share of our national and planetary carbon budgets, the Standard will provide accreditation for buildings and entire property portfolios. The panel will debate where the responsibility for different elements of a truly Net Zero Carbon Aligned building lie, be that with owners, landlords or tenants covering: 

• Dynamics in different building sectors can vary widely, so how will the Standard address these distinctions?
• How to address the stages of a project where final outcomes may not yet be known?

True to the collaborative spirit in which the Standard is being developed, delegates are welcome to bring their thoughts to an extensive Q&A session to follow the panel’s discussions.

75 London Wall aims to foster a new typology within the City of London: a retrofit led Global Headquarters building shaped by the challenges of a contemporary city. The project retains 88.5% of the existing built fabric; 100% of the structure below ground and 77% of the building above ground, including the existing façades on the lower levels.

When we’re thinking about emissions in the construction sector, it’s important to address not just what you build, but also how you build it. The drive towards emission-free sites is delivering operational efficiency across the industry, while simultaneously reducing air and noise pollution on construction sites. At 25 Baker Street, a mixed-use development for Derwent London, a combination of diesel elimination, lower carbon plant and smart site management reduced site emissions by >80% versus baseline.

Flexible workspace is an effective solution for growing businesses as their needs evolve, but frequent tenant turnover can lead to increased construction waste. The koba @ 100 Barbirolli Square team tackled this challenge directly by pioneering sustainable, circular materials, ensuring business growth aligns with environmental priorities.

Circularity was embedded at every stage, from establishing the organisation's strategy through to completion. This approach has resulted in a high-quality space showcasing circular solutions, all documented in a material passport.

Explore how vertical extensions can unlock new potential in existing buildings through real-world case studies such as HYLO, the Mary Ward Centre, and 1 Appold Street. Learn from IStructE's expert panel, who will discuss the benefits and complexities of building upward, including the importance of establishing the right vision for the project brief, assembling the right team, and engaging the engineers at the right time. You will leave with actionable insights and strategies to confidently pursue vertical extensions that maximise asset value and sustainability.

Implementing material reuse requires the construction industry to learn new ways of collaborating, pushing boundaries of the traditional project structures. Effective collaboration, following practical steps, is essential to identify and implement reuse opportunities.

Resolving onsite reuse strategies should be the first objective for project teams, but when reuse on-site isn’t feasible, how do we work across projects to enable the circular economy? Can competitors become collaborators to deliver greater value for all and improve efficiencies beyond the project scope?