James, a Principal in our London Studio, joined The Future Outlook for Housing in London and UK panel alongside Robyn Prince from Vistry London and Root and Erect’s Barbara Kaucky. The session, moderated by Lee Layton from Block Real Estate, focused primarily on the UK’s capital and touched upon several key areas, including the introduction of the Building Safety Act, value engineering, and the role of partnerships. Here are two further topics which became the focal point of the panel:

The growing importance of build to rent (BTR)

The panel kicked off by discussing BTR, which is increasingly being seen as a vital element of London’s future housing market. There are currently higher numbers of BTR schemes successfully navigating the planning process than previously seen, which comes at a crucial time given the stagnation facing the private sale market.

Describing the role architects can play in delivering successful BTR schemes, James likened it to a buffet. “A range of architectural services – from initial outline design all the way through to detailed and interior design – can be provided depending on the developer and its needs.”

Never lose sight of placemaking and long-term stewardship responsibilities

 “Housing is city building,” emphasised James when discussing placemaking and long-term stewardship for communities. “Decisions that are good for the city and good for communities are drivers of long-term value – this is what makes a place loved and lived in for generations.”

All the panellists agreed that providing high quality social, blue and green infrastructure alongside housing isn’t just an option, but essential. While acknowledging that cost savings will be required on almost any project, the panellists explained that these can be managed effectively in a way that doesn’t compromise on either placemaking or build quality.

When pressed on the top areas and services developers should invest in to deliver long-term value, James expressed that investing in great architects and designers who can deliver beautiful solutions to complex problems is crucial.

How digital tools can help meet the UK’s housing targets

Earlier in the day, Matteo, our London Studio’s Design Technology Leader, joined a panel at the event’s AI and Digital Construction stage. Chaired by Activeplan’s George Stevenson, he was joined by Robert Norton of PlanRadar, AECOM’s Lilian Ho and Edward Carpenter from the Riverside Group.

Matteo shared two key points during the session. Firstly, he stressed the importance of getting design right from day one by frontloading the design process through the adoption of digital tools. Successfully doing this can streamline the downstream process from planning through to construction.

His second insight was that design technologies can and should allow for more informed decision making. By pairing the correct tools with a solid dataset, all stakeholders involved in delivering housing in the UK can improve their decision making and be able to build more and build better.

“The biggest misconception about digital design is that it’s just about tools,” Matteo commented. “In reality, it’s primarily about people and processes. The increasingly complex digital ecosystem we operate in, combined with the wide range of stakeholders involved across every stage of a construction project, means we must select the right tools and establish meaningful processes each time.”

According to Matteo, digital design is about orchestrating multiple technologies to meet the needs of diverse stakeholders and end users at every specific project phase. “The UK needs to deliver at unprecedented speed and scale to meet the government’s bold housing targets. To achieve this, leveraging digital tools is not just an option – it is a prerequisite.”

Other topics the panel discussed included how digital systems have transformed the way we work, despite organisational practices struggling to keep up the pace of change.

Together, James and Matteo made clear through their discussions that the future of UK housing lies in pairing long-term stewardship with data-informed design – building places that work for people, and systems that work for the industry.

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