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Episodes
We bring the smartest minds in the property carbon-reduction world to FOOTPRINT+, so we think it’s only right for us to disseminate all this experience and knowledge freely. Most of what you hear here won’t have been spoken about before; it’s all hot-off-the-press! If you were at FOOTPRINT+ 2026, you can hear all the talks you couldn’t get to while you were in another of our 6 theatres; and if you weren’t, now is your chance to learn why you need to be at FOOTPRINT+ 2027.
Episodes
2 hours ago
2 hours ago
45 min
Timber Square is redefining how sustainable workplaces can be designed, delivered, and adapted for the future. Driven by a commitment to minimise whole-life carbon, the project integrates innovative structural solutions, material reuse strategies, and forward-thinking design principles to achieve significant environmental gains whilst delivering best-in-class facilities for a global headquarters occupier.
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.
3 days ago
3 days ago
40 min
How does the environment impact our physical and mental health? Over the past two decades, our understanding of health and wellbeing has deepened, driven by scientific breakthroughs and a growing awareness of how the built environment shapes our bodies and minds. The global pandemic further underscored the urgency of better understanding the role that the design of neighbourhoods and cities plays in supporting healthy living, social cohesion, and mental health.
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.
Aug 13, 2026
Aug 13, 2026
42 min
FUSE (Flexible Upgradeable Sustainable Ecosystem) reframes science space as a platform: a high‑performing workplace that can be upgraded when needed. By avoiding day‑one overspecification, it reduces embodied and operational carbon, shortens delivery, and stays cost‑accessible. Structure, services and fabric are aligned around a lean baseline that can be enhanced through clear pathways - whether airflow, services or vibration performance - without preloading cost or carbon.
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.
Aug 11, 2026
Aug 11, 2026
43 min
Ensuring supply chain solidity requires a continual focus on upstream activities, whose environmental and social impacts are often underestimated. For most companies, Scope 3 emissions account for over 90% of their footprint, making supplier selection a critical strategic decision. Through practical cases, this session explores how solidity is embedded across primary value chains and extended to secondary inputs such as alloying elements and hardware.
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.
Aug 7, 2026
Aug 7, 2026
46 min
The retrofit of Broadgate Tower reimagines a key building in one of London’s iconic office estates. Originally completed in 2008, the project aims to deliver a best-in-class, sustainable workplace that responds to its unique location between Shoreditch and the City, while retaining the tower’s architectural prominence. Central to the scheme is a strong sustainability philosophy rooted in retention and reuse.
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.
Jul 31, 2026
Jul 31, 2026
48 min
Beginning with the IoD PBE’s usual 'Quarterly Economic Update', this panel session will explore how our push toward net zero creates opportunities across the value chain, not only for businesses, but also for communities and society. As noted in a recent report by the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit and the Confederation of British Industry, The Future is Green, the net zero economy is growing at more than three times the overall UK economy and is "now supporting almost a million livelihoods, with a disproportionate number of those jobs outside London and the South East". What businesses and citizens need now is for the government to create the platform for long-term, demand-driven structural economic growth by baking in policy clarity, as well as financial and tax incentives, as noted in the recent 2025 UK Net Zero Business Census.
Jul 31, 2026
Jul 31, 2026
44 min
As market conditions tighten and buyer scrutiny increases, preparing a real estate asset for exit has become more complex than timing alone. This session explores how liquidity is now shaped not just by location and income, but by sustainability credentials and future readiness. We will examine whether ESG performance is a decisive factor in pricing and deal velocity, or simply a threshold requirement to access core capital.
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.
Jul 31, 2026
Jul 31, 2026
45 min
From target to delivery, the greatest risks to carbon, energy and resilience performance often emerge not in design, but in contracts, procurement and execution. This session explores the persistent gap between design intent and operational reality, examining why projects so often fail to deliver what was promised.
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.
