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171 Victoria Street is an iconic 412,000 ft² redevelopment and a good example of how sustainability has become core investment risk management, not an add-on. From day one, this project was aligned with Westminster’s strong retrofit-first policy, so the real question wasn’t whether to reuse the building, but how deep the retrofit needed to be to unlock planning certainty, future value and market appeal.

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.

Energy performance is where the net-zero retrofit challenge will be won  but only if ambition is matched by delivery. Using Tower Bridge Court (TBC.London) as a live case study, this panel explores how one of London’s first all-electric, net-zero carbon retrofit workplaces translated energy ambition into measurable operational performance through building systems.

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 Portman Estate’s relocation of its head office to One Great Cumberland Place presented an exciting opportunity to reimagine the workplace. The project aims to set a benchmark for sustainable commercial interiors across its 110-acre Marylebone estate.

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:

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.

So what is Regenerative Design?

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. 

Obsolescence in buildings is driven by far more than technical performance. In practice, much end-of-life concrete remains structurally sound, yet current waste management approaches are usually limited to downcycling, perpetuating high material demand and the embodied carbon associated with new concrete. 

In a ground-breaking trial the team at British Land, 3XN GXN and Arup have conducted a pilot project to challenge that paradigm. As part of the redevelopment of the Euston Tower in-situ concrete has been harvested for reuse as structural “precast” planks in a new application. A concrete slab was carefully extracted and tested in collaboration with the University of Surrey, demonstrating sufficient structural performance for reuse in a new floorplate. Initial analysis indicates carbon emissions approximately one-third of those associated with new precast elements, alongside clear benefits of waste reduction and raw materials use. This session will share the lessons learned to date, covering challenges such as fire safety, logistics, and regulatory acceptance. 

A truly innovative approach to the reuse of concrete, it demonstrates the potential to realise scalable reuse techniques and transform how concrete buildings are designed, constructed, deconstructed and reused.

The UK Green Building Council will present an update on the built environment sector’s progress on meeting their net zero trajectory. This panel will review the evolving UK regulatory landscape which aims to deliver decarbonisation of buildings. With the Future Homes and Buildings Standard now published but not coming into force until 2027, questions remain over delivery timelines and industry readiness, despite clear intent to mandate low-carbon heating and high energy efficiency in retrofitting existing buildings

Attention will also turn to the uncertain trajectory of Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) for non-domestic buildings, where tightening requirements have been signalled but lack firm policy clarity, creating investment ambiguity. 

The panel will examine progress on clean heat adoption, including electrification and heat pumps, and how policy continues to balance ambition with delivery challenges. We will also discuss the legislation & guidance that built environment professionals can follow to ensure that we can make more progress towards our Net Zero targets. This discussion will provide critical insight into regulatory progress, gaps, and the path to decarbonising buildings in the UK.

Despite its significance, the building presents a familiar challenge: an old building which has become unsuitable for modern use.

While upper floors had fallen out of use, they retain an extraordinary completeness, with original panelling and later historic fabric largely intact. This “frozen” character offers both an opportunity and a challenge—how to upgrade performance, accessibility, and services without eroding the building’s authenticity.

Demonstrating how careful, fabric-first interventions can significantly reduce carbon impact and secure a historic building’s long-term future, it also highlights the role of a determined and experienced client in navigating complex statutory approvals, where consent at the highest level is required. The panel will argue that even the most sensitive heritage assets can accommodate meaningful environmental and functional improvements. 

Version 1 of the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard (the Standard) was published in March. It lays the groundwork for formal, independent verification that will go live in Q2 2026, allowing buildings to undergo rigorous assessment and formally demonstrate Net Zero Carbon Alignment. 

Updates to the Standard include new Annexes covering landlord- and tenant-only routes to verification, and an optional verified check at Practical Completion to determine whether a building is on track. 

This session will cover:

2 Finsbury Avenue is a 38‑storey, 106,000 sq m development set to

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