From July 2024 the UK Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) regime has been mandatory for UK-authorised funds for UK retail investors.

Since March 2021 the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) applies to any fund marketed to EU investors, including non‑EU funds. The SFDR regime is now being reviewed by the EU regulators - with the prospects of significant reforms: in particular, SFDR Article 6, 8 and 9 disclosure requirements being replaced by SFDR 2.0 product labels, expected to take effect in 2028 or onwards.

How should the managers strategically prepare for SDR and SFDR 2.0?

What are the key data and other expectations as well as, with SFDR 2.0, timelines?

How can compliance with the regulations, meeting investor expectations as well as other market drivers assist with:

• attracting capital;
• portfolio alignment and progressing with much needed transition “stranded to green” strategies; and
• achieving positive social impact associated with the built environment in addition to delivering on financial returns?

This session provides an overview of the key regulatory changes and explores what these mean in practice for real estate investors and owners. It will examine when heat networks are appropriate, how they can be integrated into new and existing developments, and the commercial, technical, legal and operational considerations that shape successful delivery.

This session explores how regional market dynamics shape retrofit strategies, from return-on-investment pressures to planning and compliance considerations. It will examine why decarbonisation measures particularly heat pumps can be essential but difficult to justify, depending on building typology and local conditions.

The panel brings together developers, asset owners, and building managers from across the UK to share candid perspectives and real-world examples. Gain practical insights into how retrofit and decarbonisation business cases are being tailored regionally, and how to make projects viable beyond a one-size-fits-all approach.

• respecting the existing material and the risks of downcycling, where certain 6000‑series alloys can never be upcycled 
• project successes and what has been learnt
• how to design for genuine takeback to maintain material quality

With legislation still not requiring low‑carbon or post‑consumer metals, the session also examines how future policy shifts will make circular aluminium essential, reinforcing the need close the loop and reduce waste across the construction sector.

The platform curates experienced organisations committed to circular and regenerative materials, ethical sourcing and measurable community benefit. This supports faster, more confident procurement decisions while maintaining robust standards for quality, sustainability and social value.

This session explores how procurement can shift from purely cost-driven transactions to value-led collaboration. ROOT to Market brings best practice principles to reality by drawing on real-world project experience to help clients contract for regenerative outcomes from the outset, rather than retrospectively. The session demonstrates how a marketplace approach can diversify supply chains, unlock innovation and embed environmental and social outcomes into project delivery.

Focusing on practical interventions, the discussion will examine how energy efficiency upgrades, fabric improvements, and smart building systems can be phased to remain accretive to a developer’s business plan enhancing income resilience, reducing operational risk, and supporting exit value in markets with limited depth.  

• What is the role of growing sustainability-linked loans? 

• How do credible retrofit pathways and measurable performance targets improve financing terms and strengthen lender confidence? 

With market-facing insight into investor and occupier expectations in shallow markets, we ask how whole-lifecycle carbon assessments and embodied and operational carbon analysis can inform retrofit decisions, prioritise spend, and evidence impact. The speakers will explore how a robust carbon-led strategy can support financing, de-risk assets, and deliver long-term value.  

This session explores how solar power can support the real estate sector in reducing operational carbon and energy costs while helping the wider economy transition to a low-carbon future. It will explore practical considerations for new and existing developments, including design integration, grid connections, ownership and funding models, and interactions with evolving policy and regulation.

In this session, James Goldsmith of Sibley Grove joins Nick Harrison of Design Foundry and Gerry Byrne of Castlebrook to challenge the status quo. The panel will argue that Design for Disassembly (D4D) and designing for longevity are not idealistic ambitions but essential, commercially proven strategies. They will explore how simple changes; bolts instead of glue, quality materials instead of cheap laminates, modular systems instead of fixed assemblies, can reduce refurbishment costs by up to 40%, cut carbon by up to 75% and transform how hotels maintain and refresh their spaces. With real examples and hard numbers, this session makes the case that the industry's biggest waste problem is also its biggest missed opportunity.

This session explores how developers, designers and contractors can bridge that gap and accelerate real-world delivery. Drawing on practical project experience, we will explore how guidance, carbon targets, collaborative risk-sharing and a strategic approach to innovation are helping to bring novel solutions into mainstream use.

This session explores how design teams can better support investors during underwriting by translating incomplete early-stage data into meaningful, robust analysis. It will examine how designers can align more closely with investment priorities, balancing speed, accuracy and flexibility to inform decision-making at a critical point in the acquisition process: 

• How are assumptions are formed, stress-tested and communicated? 

• How can design insight help quantify risk around capital expenditure, compliance and long-term asset performance?  

Drawing on real project experience, the panel will consider how collaboration between design and investment teams can improve confidence in underwriting models, even when information is constrained highlighting practical tools, workflows and mindsets that enable design teams to add maximum value, ensuring underwriting decisions are better informed, more resilient and aligned with long-term asset strategies. 

As the UK’s largest commercial scheme to utilise cross-laminated timber (CLT), and the world’s tallest hybrid steel–CLT structure, Timber Square demonstrates the scalability of mass timber in urban construction. The use of approximately 7,000m³ of CLT sequesters substantial embodied carbon while enabling a 30% reduction in embodied carbon and 15% reduction in structural weight compared to a typical new-build construction. Hybridisation with steel—over half of which is produced via recycled electric arc furnace methods—further optimises performance and carbon efficiency.

The project also pioneers circular economy principles, incorporating reclaimed steel, retained structural elements, and reused materials across the site. Intelligent engineering solutions, including transfer structures and future-proofed foundations, extend the life and adaptability of both new and existing buildings. Through a “retain, reclaim, build lean, build green” philosophy, Timber Square sets a new benchmark for sustainable commercial development, demonstrating how innovation, collaboration, and material efficiency can transform the built environment. 

A new piece of research, created in collaboration between the Behaviour and Building Performance (BBP) research group at the University of Cambridge, Hawkins\Brown Architects, and Max Fordham, examines these impacts and offers designers helpful questions and principles to consider when planning healthy communities. 

Focusing on the Eddington neighbourhood in North West Cambridge, the research investigated the impact of the green spaces that were created during the first phase of the development, and utilised an examination of emerging research to develop an evidence-based approach to a site-wide investigation of how urban environments influence an occupant’s experience, enjoyment, and long-term health and wellbeing.

By layering essential infrastructure and enabling future adaptability, the model reduces upfront capital expenditure while maintaining long-term performance. The result is a building that is lower in embodied carbon, more cost-effective to operate, and faster to deliver on site. Critically, it sets out to address the growing disconnect between high construction costs and affordability for occupiers.

What is the role of:

• full value chain certifications as a robust though imperfect starting point for managing risks and ensuring accountability 
• addressing transparency pragmatically as part of a risk-based approach that recognises absolute perfection as unrealistic
• traceability and digital tools as key enablers of visibility and control. 

The panel will also ask how evolving legislation and stakeholder expectations are raising new challenges for real-world practice within the built environment supply chain.

The project incorporates reused steelwork, cross-laminated timber slabs and reused internal finishes, reducing embodied carbon to a minimum. An all-electric services strategy targets net-zero carbon in operation, with 100% renewable energy, biodiversity gain, the project is on target for BREEAM Outstanding and Well Platinum ratings.

The architectural approach strengthens the building’s relationship to the ground through active frontages, improved accessibility and vibrant public spaces. Across 14 refurbished floors and a three-storey extension, the project introduces flexible, biophilic workplaces, market-leading amenities and enhanced end-of-trip facilities. Broadgate Tower demonstrates how refurbishment can deliver sustainability, connectivity and long-term value at scale.

The discussion will focus on how owners can future-proof assets when capital for major works is constrained. What signals matter most to buyers? How are sustainability risks and opportunities being measured today, and how consistent are those metrics across markets? We will also look at how core and core-plus investors view transition risk, stranded assets, and the credibility of forward plans. 

Finally, the session will explore whether mapping the next buyer’s ESG journey, even without immediate capex, can itself add value and improve exit outcomes. 

It will consider how contractual structures, value engineering and supply chain decisions can undermine performance targets, and how these risks can be better managed. The session will also address tracking and verifying outcomes through delivery, and the legal implications of supply chain due diligence, including sourcing decisions and embodied carbon claims, to ensure commitments are realised in practice. 

Delegates will gain insight into:

• how material passports are being implemented in live projects, including what a working material passport database looks like in practice
• challenges associated with creating and maintaining these systems
• key lessons emerging from projects currently in progress

Attendees will also hear perspectives from a range of project stakeholders, highlighting how different disciplines engage with material passports and where value is being realised. The session will feature a physical demonstration of material passports installed within a studio environment, offering a tangible example of how circular principles can be embedded into everyday practice.

This presentation explores how the project team approached the retrofit of Theatr Clwyd to future-proof the building, improve thermal comfort and significantly reduce operational costs. It will focus on the strategy and delivery of targeted thermal fabric upgrades alongside the electrification of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. Attendees will gain insight into working within an operational theatre environment, coordinating interventions across a complex estate, and delivering a low-carbon retrofit solution that supports both artistic ambition and long-term sustainability.

This panel brings together three perspectives on a different approach. Piercy & Company make the design case: that a mentality shift — from optimising for the first day towards designing for the project’s whole life — produces spaces that are more sustainable, more humane, and more genuinely expressive of the organisations that commission them. Derwent London offers the client view: their Savile Row headquarters, designed nearly a decade ago, remains their base today — long-life, loose-fit, and still working. Kinda Studios provide the scientific evidence: neuroaesthetics research shows that our material choices, and their design within a space have measurable effects not only on the brain and body but also on the planet we share. Detailing impacts across our human nervous system they explore the power of intentional design across individual and societal health.

The sustainable choice and the humane choice are the same choice. The most sustainable interior is the one worth keeping.

• the evolving legal landscape of ESG compliance 

• the risks associated with inaccurate disclosure, inadequate oversight and poorly defined transition plans 

• director-level liability for ESG and transition planning and expectation of the  

• board oversight of delivery rather than just intent 

• the extent to which greenwashing claims are being pursued, particularly where transition plans are overstated or unsupported 

• whether enforcement is driving meaningful change across the sector 

Bringing together legal, investment and ESG expertise, the discussion will provide practical insight into how robust governance, transparent disclosure and defensible transition plans can help manage risk, ensure compliance and maintain investor confidence in an increasingly regulated market. 

• How does thinking through the context of “place” support regenerative outcomes?
• How can communities, local councils and industry work together to realise interconnected benefits across health, wellbeing, economic vitality, and biodiversity?
• How do we create the enabling conditions that ensure every project fosters long-term, positive outcomes for people, planet, and place.

We unpack how robust pre-demolition audits can set realistic reuse targets, align site teams and engage supply chains early—ensuring progress over perfection. The discussion highlights manufacturing challenges and emerging solutions, from modular internal glazing and carpet tiles to take-back schemes and remanufactured furniture, all requiring a shift in entrenched industry behaviours.

Finally, we consider how installation methodologies must evolve, with designers and clients embedding demountability into briefs, specifications and leasing strategies. Better record-keeping and clearer fit-out intentions can significantly increase material recovery, reducing waste and unlocking long-term value across building lifecycles.

This initiative is called Glass Forever, illustrated in a six-step circular flow:

• Diagnosis – Classification of glass types prior to dismantling.
• Dismantling – Controlled breaking of glass to prevent contamination.
• Sorting – Identification of acceptable cullet types for recycling.
• Collection – Organizing glass flows to ensure compatibility with flat glass production.
• Melting – Integration of cullet into new glass batches, reducing CO₂ emissions.
• Projects – Reuse of recycled glass in new windows and facades for construction and renovation.

This real-world initiative illustrates how industrial innovation and collaboration can unlock material circularity, reduce CO₂ emissions, and strengthen climate resilience across the built environment.

Bamboo is a rapidly renewable, high-performance material with exceptional strength-to-weight qualities, which can be grown in large quantities and at a rapid rate in the UK. Its cultivation and use in structural systems provide construction and property companies with a practical solution for carbon offsetting while championing circular, regenerative design. Bamboo is a clear alternative to traditional timber for residential homes.

This collaborative project will showcase how Britain can utilise home-grown materials while measuring the environmental performance, embodied carbon, indoor air quality, and resident health outcomes. Above all, the demonstration house will become a proof of concept that can be scaled across the industry.

Originally constructed as luxury flats in the 1840s and later adapted for office use following World War II damage, the building is now being renewed to meet contemporary commercial and environmental demands. Up to 52% of the existing structure will be retained by volume, significantly reducing embodied carbon, while new extensions, high-performance façades, upgraded MEP services and reconfigured cores comply with modern regulations while reducing climate risk to the asset. The scheme introduces active retail at ground level, high-quality office space above, and biodiversity-rich green terraces at upper levels. Together, these interventions demonstrate how adaptive reuse can balance heritage, sustainability and long-term urban vitality.

In the early feasibility stages, multiple redevelopment routes were tested through whole life carbon modelling, using environmental impact as a decision-making tool rather than a reporting exercise. The selected strategy retains the substructure and most of the superstructure, dramatically reducing embodied emissions and, critically, de-risking planning in a highly constrained borough. In this context, retrofit really is the new prime.

From an investment and agency perspective, the ESG strategy isn’t about collecting labels. Certifications like BREEAM, NABERS and Fitwel matter because they respond to occupier demand, but they sit alongside practical circular economy thinking, designing for adaptability, embedding material passports, and planning for end-of-life value. Each building element is treated as a recoverable asset, not a future liability. The result is an office designed to perform - environmentally, commercially and beyond its first life.

Bringing together the developer, architect and engineering perspectives, the discussion examines how energy targets were defined early, embedded into design, and delivered in practice. From all-electric strategy and operational energy performance to embodied carbon reduction and occupier wellbeing, the panel focuses on the decisions that mattered  and the trade-offs that shaped the outcome.

The retrofit of the 8,400 sq ft office prioritises collaboration, wellbeing, and exemplary environmental performance while working within an existing base build. Sustainability informed every design decision including:

• Low-carbon and high-recycled-content materials
• Circular economy principles resulting in reuse of existing services, lighting, and finishes
• Inventive reuse of salvaged materials
• Specification of furniture to meet rigorous environmental, repair, and replacement criteria

Embodied carbon was measured and recorded to support The Portman Estate’s One Planet Action Plan, achieving carbon neutrality with minimal offsetting and setting a replicable benchmark for future workplace retrofits.

Regenerative design is increasingly discussed across the built environment sector, yet it is often unclear what it means and how it differs from other sustainability practices within construction. 

This session will provide a concise, accessible introduction to what regenerative design is, what it aims to do, and why it can’t be reduced to a checklist. 

Drawing on insights from the Regenerative Design Lab, a cross-sectional learning programme for built-environment professions, the speakers will share what emerges when people work with regenerative principles over time and what it means for practitioners trying to make change today. 

Chairperson

Marion Charlier, Central Engineering Lead - Arcelor Mittal

Speakers

Matthew Webster, Head of Sustainability - British Land

Ollie Wildman, Director - Buildings - Ramboll

Kathryn Castledine, Senior Sustainability Manager - Sir Robert McAlpine

Jonathan Davis, Technical Director - William Hare Group

David Chapman, UK Sustainability Lead - ArcelorMittal

The project delivers a substantial 11-storey, 7.5m extension above London Liverpool Street Station without foundation strengthening, avoiding the significant embodied carbon associated with new basements and deep piling. An exoskeletal transfer truss and hanger system redistributes loads back to the retained structure, enabling 94% structural retention by volume, prioritising flexibility and material efficiency. Preloading the structure and removing it as the facade was installed minimises movement of the cladding system.

The discussion will also tackle: 

•  Has political fatigue dampened sustainability momentum or simply reshaped it?  
• The sentiment divide differences across Europe, UK and US capital?  
•  How occupier demand, leasing behaviour, and willingness to pay influence investment decisions and long-term asset value? 

Buildings today are increasingly designed around mechanical systems rather than people. Comfort is routinely solved through equipment, driving complexity, cost and carbon. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems alone can account for over 15% of construction budgets, often exceeding the cost of the façade, while remaining energy-intensive to operate and carbon-hungry to manufacture and maintain.

• How far can design intelligence  go before mechanical systems are truly required? 
• What do people actually need to feel comfortable?

Challenging the practice of designing for rare climatic extremes that dictate system size for the entire year, and by understanding how temperature, air movement and adaptive comfort interact, NowtHaus explores buildings that perform naturally year-round. The outcome is a passive office building with no conventional heating or cooling. Peak heating loads remain below 5 W/m², allowing internal gains to maintain winter comfort, while natural ventilation and thermal mass regulate summer conditions. The team behind the concept will demonstrate how this approach simplifies construction and reduces cost.

In this keynote, Will will share a simple process he has developed to anchor all the amazing innovations, processes and mindsets that exist in industry today, and draw them together into a regenerative approach to building design and construction. 

Learning from examples taken from across the industry, see how his three pillars of systems thinking - place, time and influence - can be combined to create buildings that heal our planet. 

Panel members will discuss how EPC assessments are approached in practice, the transformative impact of Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), and recommended pathways for ongoing improvement. The discussion will cover practical measures to improve ratings, including the role of commercial heat pumps, and the differing levels of retrofit required to reach target ratings. Real-world case studies will demonstrate how office buildings can be upgraded from EPC ‘E’ to ‘A’ or ‘B’, contrasting deep retrofits in vacant buildings with the challenges of working in occupied spaces.

Using the example of a central London office retrofit this discussion will focus on the principles that shaped its low‑carbon strategy, the successes and learnings. The discussion explores why respecting materials is essential to credible circularity, and how current legislation fails to demand low‑carbon or post‑consumer metals; a gap expected to close as policy evolves. The panel will cover the challenges of downcycling, particularly where, once downcycled, aluminium alloys can never be upcycled again, and the need to maintain high material quality, highlighting the importance of closing the loop, reducing waste and treating metal as a resource we are all responsible for stewarding. 

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.

Matt will explore the group’s sustainability strategy and its ripple effect on creating impactful, future-ready workplaces. Juliet and Tim will share insights from award-winning projects such as The Waterman and Alchemy Asset Management—illustrating how recycling, refurbishment, and collaborative funding platforms like Action Funder and Q Flow can reshape our impact on the environment.

Learn how B Corp certification serves as a catalyst for aligning purpose with profit through initiatives like Correx Recycling, and partnerships with charities such as London Air Ambulance, and leave inspired and equipped to take your first or next step toward sustainable leadership in your own organisation.

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.

But it’s not just about steel. The project embraces material reuse beyond the frame, with its façade partially constructed from existing Portland stone, further reducing embodied carbon. 30 Duke Street St James’s is targeting BREEAM ‘Outstanding’, WELL Platinum and NABERS UK 5-star.

Join the project team panel discussion to explore:

• Unlocking the project’s opportunities and overcoming challenges
• Scaling steel reuse across the industry
• The future of low-carbon, circular construction

SKArating 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 SKArating can be used in. 

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

Since COP28, Built by Nature has collaborated with the Forest and Climate Leaders Partnership (FCLP), Bauhaus Earth, and other key partners to develop and refine these Principles. They have already been reviewed by governments, industry leaders, and NGOs, with initial feedback showing strong support. The Principles are now shaping the criteria for a new international buildings Prize. This panel will explore the Principles in more detail, examining how the industry can help apply them in real-world projects, and how broader endorsement can drive a just transition across the buildings value chain.

Data centres are also moving away from being an energy greedy neighbours and are poised to become net energy exporters to anticipated heat networks. A data centre can heat thousands of homes and their vertical forms can be a site for urban greening and the delivery of BNG. 

Our expert panel will reveal the opportunities presented by data centres. As this type of building proliferates how do we develop data centres to take advantage from their integration into our cities?

Learn about projects leading this market transformation and how to create opportunities for immediate, meaningful actions as we cover: 

• The enormity of the problem of pervasive chemicals and the impact to human health and wellness 

• The programs and processes available to verify healthy materials 

• How to set out key intervention points in the design and construction process to optimise for health outcomes

• Improve your own materials palette based on the resources and case studies shared 

However, despite there being a reuse potential for a typical building of anything from 10% - 80% (by weight), the reality for most projects is closer to less than 1%. This session will explore the evolving landscape of drivers in the UK and Europe – from new regulation, standards and planning regimes to the use of new digital technologies to drive reuse and the practical implementation of reuse onsite. It will show how collaboration, innovation and demonstration are starting to change the reuse and circularity landscape, but set a challenge to the industry to do more.

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.

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.

• Market readiness: How the supply chain is developing 
• How to move businesses over to heatpumps
• How government is supporting businesses to enable change
• What’s the state of play in skills for installation and maintenance

Targeting WELL Core Platinum, Thirty High will provide the amenity space desired by modern office occupiers. The design team have aimed at achieving maximum performance improvement with minimum embodied energy emissions by retaining and upgrading the facade and improving airtightness with the project on track to achieve

 BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ and NABERS 5*. This 60-year old building demonstrates that revitalising an existing asset can deliver top-quality space at a fraction of the carbon emissions of new build.

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. 

An expert panel from across the design, construction and supply chain will present discuss examples, projects, technologies and experiences including:

• Collaboration and trials to study and share performance for placing the concrete, striking times and finishes of in situ, post-tensioned and precast concrete structure.
• Use of remote digital sensors for real time data collection on site.
• Expanding the availability of local low carbon resources for manufacture through new labs and testing facilities
• SISK’s Demonstrator Project at Wembley Park Development aiming to accelerate the commercial viability of low carbon cement

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

What are the ingredients for success that will future proof your investments?

Large housebuilders are partnering with or investing in timber frame manufacturing capacity to develop their own supply chain. With larger numbers of timber-framed houses being built in England than ever before our expert panel will explore what we can expect to see in the sector:

• How quickly can we expect the proportion of timber-framed houses in England to increase?
• What parts of the supply chain will need to grow and develop to keep up with the pace?
• What are the technical drivers for the growth in timber-framed houses?
• How quickly are we seeing the technology and specification developing?

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.

General Demolition have been pioneering reuse at many sites, and using the Material Index platform have facilitated precise deconstruction and efficient storage methods, helping clients to meet their reuse targets. The team have also conducted deconstruction time trials, providing valuable cost-benefit insights to support informed decision-making.

British Land has been working with technology providers and sustainability focussed contractors such as Cast, implementing end-to-end reuse practices spanning from audits and material passports, to transferring material both internally and to the wider reclaim industry. 

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 program has reviewed strategies such as data collection & analysis, understandings set points, stakeholder behaviour and engagement, technology solutions and many more. By examining and discussing learnings, this session will present real insights into sustainable building operations, reducing energy use, and driving positive impact.

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.

• 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 client, plant and construction team will discuss key technologies such as:

• Flybrid flywheels – used on tower cranes, this innovative technology is adapted from F1, using a flywheel to store energy during “low” periods to use later, reducing fuel use by up to 50%.
• Electric plant was used on site, eliminating the risk of fuel spills, reducing noise and air pollution.
• The potential for electric tools and innovative battery storage to reduce fuel use.
• The use of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in place of diesel, delivering >90% reduction in emissions.

The panel will discuss the benefits as well as the challenges, and go on to consider how this market may evolve further.

• a review of the objectives of MEES and what they are intended to achieve
• feedback on the findings of the consultation and how stakeholders continue to shape the proposals
• what will take place next to enable the regulation to be determined

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.

Consultants Drees & Sommer will explain why circularity was viewed as a crucial component of the business proposition. Cast Interiors will describe how they delivered the circularity objectives outlined in the brief, while circularity platform Madaster will demonstrate how materials passports can both evidence the circularity of selected products and help achieve embodied carbon KPIs.

Building partnerships, funding and momentum: Our panellists will share valuable recent experience on building and keeping momentum for net zero, discussing partnerships and working across stakeholder groups, addressing the funding gap, and articulating local economic opportunities of net zero delivery.

• early engagement with contractor
• addressing information exchange with the insurance broker
• factors which will allow a more straightforward approach to fire design
• protection from moisture ingress

Multiplex and BHC, Heyne Tillett Steel worked collaboratively on the column designs to suit steel grade S460, which is 30% stronger than grade S355, enabling a reduction in the size and weight of the sections. With designs for columns at both S355 and S460, HTS and BHC engaged with EMR stocklists to match 87 tonnes of reclaimed steels to columns within the superstructure frame.  

The specification of ArcelorMittal electric arc furnace (EAF) over blast furnace steel plus the reclaimed sections have been used within the new frame, along with Xcarb Kingspan decking and fibre reinforcement in place of traditional mesh reinforcement where possible for the composite concrete floor slabs. This combination of innovative solutions has resulted in a reduction from 16,000 to 6,000tCO2.

Together with cement replacement options for the basement box and superstructure slab construction the combination of innovative steel procurement methods has resulted in an overall reduction of 143kgCO2e/m2.

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

Aiming to make the decision-making transparent and democratically sound, PACER has been tested 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 explored these digital tools and could this be a mechanism adopted by authorities around the UK?

The panel will feature Hrabrina Nikolova, Principal Sustainability Officer at Westminster City Council, alongside representatives from Preoptima and developers who have taken part in the pilot applications, who will discuss PACER’s potential as a nationwide mechanism for carbon assessment.

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 

Utilising Orms’ materials passports research, the team have developed a reuse methodology for the development which has led to immense success in recovering materials for reuse and high-grade recycling. This includes recovery of 15,000 ceiling tiles, 72t stone and over 8,500 lights, every element of the building has been considered for reuse.

Building on the learnings from earlier projects has enable and created:

• an onsite reuse warehouse
• onward use with other developments
• onsite refurbishment of existing windows
• deconstruction and reuse of stone
• manufacturer takeback schemes

Working closely with City of London Council and participating in the ROMULUS research project, the project has so far facilitated reuse of 702t of materials removed from the original building. This is a true retrofit led building.

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

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 

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?

There are currently numerous disincentives to retrofit such as VAT, lack of regulation of embodied carbon and/or tax on carbon emissions through. What mechanisms should be employed to remove these obstacles, and whose job is it to do so? How can we have a profitable net zero property industry?

Having received certification this February the building has yet to be in operation a full year but there have been significant learnings to share:

• how to reduce heating and cooling demand through the design of the building
• how the scheme is reliant on the behaviours of occupants and how urbanest is working to educate its customers
• what the team have learnt through the process of mobilising and operating the building that wasn’t anticipated

The Team will explore how they worked with the brief and the massing on site to embed sustainable principles from the early days of the project. They will deep dive into the systematic carbon reduction procedure used throughout the project's design stages, resulting in the structural upfront embodied carbon (A1-A5) being reduced by nearly 50%, achieving a SCORS rating of C, beating the project targets for a typical low-carbon lab and saving ~20,000 tCO2e. And they will share their innovative approach to the construction stages of the project, implementing technologies such as turning demolished concrete from site into recycled aggregate and bathing it in liquid CO2 to sequester carbon into the slabs.

The LARA initiative is a collaboration where 4 pilot local authorities are working towards Local Retrofit Action Plans setting a blueprint for bespoke retrofit strategies that address the unique challenges and opportunities of each region.

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

This project embodies circular economy principles by being designed explicitly for durability, future disassembly, and material repurposing, departing from the linear 'take-make-dispose' model. Unlike schemes relying on existing structures, it rigorously addressed embodied carbon in a new build context, prioritising sustainable, biogenic (carbon-storing) materials throughout to ensure a low-impact building designed for a long life and eventual reuse.

Join the client and design team to hear firsthand how this healthy, adaptable workspace supports the business's growth, champions staff wellbeing, and provides a blueprint for truly sustainable development.

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 — 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 and Plant, Basingstoke.

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. These include:

• Improving the thermal envelope
• Securing additional massing/floorspace within a sensitive conservation context
• Unlocking flexibility, efficiency and accessibility in a load-bearing masonry structure
• All-electric MEP installation
• Reusing existing materials

How can we upgrade valuable historic buildings to meet workspace tenant expectations while respecting the distinct characteristics of place?

This panel will explore how responsibilities for achieving net zero are likely to be shared across owners, landlords, tenants, and investors. Panelists bring a range of perspectives—from legal and capital markets to technology integration —to unpack what implementation could mean across the property lifecycle. Topics include:

• How the Standard might apply across different building types and uses
• Navigating uncertainty in early project stages
• What legal, financial, and technical communities can do to align and support adoption

Adam Whitfield and Emma-Jane Allen will explore role of ESG in mitigating the risks of exploitation within supply chains, emphasising the importance of transparency, due diligence, and responsible sourcing.

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.

By dealing directly with clients and upskilling the existing deconstruction supply chain to provide a ‘cost and time’ effective solution, the industry can guarantee that end of life glass is being recovered back into new building glass. With contributions from architects, commercial developers and the public sector, this session will cover:

• An update on Saint Gobain's recycling processes, capabilities, and the lessons that have been learnt
• The importance of closed loop recycling in relation to the decarbonisation of the glass industry and the production of lower-carbon glass
• Stewardship of natural resources, especially sand.
• How to tackle the obstacles to circularity
• Why early engagement and collaboration are vital to successful end of life glass recovery

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.

• 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.

• How to understand the link between project-level WLCAs and organisation-level emissions reporting
• How using WLCAs within Scope 3 reporting could improve the overall accuracy of emission reporting in accordance with GHG Protocol
• Why widespread WLCAs are necessary to focus industry’s emissions reduction efforts on the critical areas, the construction and operation of built assets

Hear from key stakeholders working to implement these procedures within their businesses and the effects that doing so is having for the wider construction industry.

Chairperson

Simon Joe Portal, Head of Engineering & Sustainability – UK - Drees & Sommer

With different approaches from three developers, this presentation will discuss both direct and tangential benefits of social value creation. Is social value the new philanthropy and could it signal a change to S106 contributions?

This session will  provide clarity on how to implement net zero retrofit, illustrate the opportunities available from transitioning less-efficient assets towards net zero and show both asset owners and occupiers how to benefit from the process in the short, medium and long-term.

Using Circular Economy principles has been key to minimising embodied carbon; there have been challenges and successes. A low-carbon timber extension would have significantly increased embodied emissions due to the fire protection measures necessary and over-cladding existing facades was unviable due to the poor structural condition. However, successes have included salvaging steel from the original building, enabling the addition of four storeys without any foundation strengthening and a thorough deconstruction process ensured 96% of the existing structure is retained along with other elements.

Uno also demonstrates the challenge to resolve the demands of NABERS accreditation alongside TM54 and TM65 within a heritage building.  Ultimately these analyses result in an improved building through:

• striking a balance with the thermal upgrade to the envelope
• reduced energy in-use
• increased user comfort 

In this session we demonstrate how measuring carbon emissions at each design stage ensures that decisions are taken in an informed manner for the lowest carbon project overall.

Higher Education is moving on from that model to give existing buildings and campuses a new lease of life. This approach retains and enhances the character of its campuses for generations to come making best use of existing buildings, saving demolition and the embodied carbon burden that entails.