Constrained pipeline expected to support rental growth The UK industrial and logistics market continued to demonstrate resilience during Q3 2026, with occupier demand remaining ahead of long-term averages despite ongoing economic uncertainty and extended decision-making timelines. According to Colliers’ latest data, take-up of units over 100,000 sq ft reached 6.7 million sq ft during Q3, taking year-to-date (YTD) volumes to 21.8 million sq ft, slightly ahead of the pre-pandemic 10-year average. Activity remains concentrated among a core group of occupiers and locations and continues to be driven by retail, e-commerce and fulfilment businesses, which collectively account for 78% of YTD take-up. The Midlands remains the dominant logistics market, accounting for 63% of all space transacted so far this year. Several major deals completed during the quarter, including Super Smart Service expanding its Midlands footprint through a number of 15-year lease commitments, DIRKS Consumer Logistics pre-letting 306,000 sq ft at SEGRO Park Coventry, DHL pre-letting 450,000 sq ft at Westworks Corby, and TikTok committing to the recently completed Rugby 251 for its ecommerce platform. However, the defining trend in the market continues to be on the supply side, where development activity has fallen sharply. Although availability edged up slightly during the quarter, the UK vacancy rate held steady at 8.6%. Crucially, the quarterly increase has not been driven by new speculative development. Q3 speculative completions totalled less than 500,000 sq ft, marking the lowest quarterly delivery volume in nearly 10 years. Over the past 12 months, the amount of newly built space available across the UK has fallen by 10.3%, while second-hand availability has increased by 20%. New Grade A stock now accounts for just 36% of available space, down from 43% a year ago. Looking ahead, only 7.3 million sq ft of speculative space is currently expected to complete in 2026, representing a 45% shortfall against the five-year average, and the lowest annual delivery volume since 2018. Deirdre O’Reilly, Head of Industrial Research UK at Colliers, said: “The UK logistics occupier market continues to prove more resilient than the wider economic backdrop might suggest. While occupiers are taking a little longer to press the button, demand remains healthy and is well on track to deliver take-up of around 30 million sq ft this year. “Development activity has slowed considerably, resulting in a shrinking pipeline of new Grade A logistics space coming forward. Although vacancy has risen modestly again, the proportion of new and modern space available is falling, which means occupiers are facing a more competitive environment for the highest-quality space in the right locations.” The slowdown in development reflects a trend being seen across Europe, where industrial and logistics space under construction has declined significantly over the past year. At the same time, vacancy rates across many European markets are beginning to stabilise, supporting a more balanced outlook for the sector. Average rental growth remains positive across the UK, with rents increasing by 4.3% year-on-year in August, while prime big-box rents rose 2.7% annually to September. However, net effective rental growth continues to be moderated by increasing incentive packages, with average rent-free periods rising from 14.8 months last year to 15.8 months in 2026. Len Rosso, Co-Head of Industrial & Logistics at Colliers, added: “Retailers, e-commerce businesses and fulfilment operators continue to drive demand across the logistics sector, with Chinese occupiers remaining a particularly important source of activity. These businesses remain focused on core Golden Triangle locations that offer access to the majority of the UK’s consumer population. “With around 15 million sq ft currently under offer and the development pipeline becoming increasingly constrained, well-located logistics assets should remain well-positioned, not only supporting landlord confidence but reinforcing the importance of early decision-making for occupiers. The availability of new, high-quality space is becoming more and more limited, and that is likely to support rental growth prospects in the coming year.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Pre-engineered steel is taking share in low-rise commercial development because it moves structural engineering, fabrication and quality control off the site and into a factory, which shortens the critical path and puts a code-ready, stamped drawing set in the developer’s hands earlier than conventional construction usually manages. Metal building systems account for a substantial share of new low-rise, nonresidential floor area in the United States, a position the Metal Building Manufacturers Association follows through its industry trends reporting, and that share was built up over decades on warehouses, light industrial units, retail shells, offices and mixed-use blocks of two or three storeys. The model is less familiar to UK developers, but the reasoning behind it travels, and so does the main procurement trap inside it. Most published comparisons of pre-engineered steel lead with cost. That framing is the least useful one for a developer, because price is the output of a specification that has not been written yet. The four things worth examining before that point are schedule sequencing, the engineering documents, how expansion gets designed in, and who you are actually buying from. The schedule argument is a sequencing argument The schedule gain in a pre-engineered steel building comes from parallel work, not from fast erection. While the primary frames, secondary framing and cladding are being fabricated in a plant, the site is doing groundworks, drainage and foundations, so two long-lead activities run side by side instead of end to end. Erection is quick once the steel lands, but erection was never the part of the programme that hurt. That parallel sequence only holds if the design is frozen early. A pre-engineered system prices and fabricates against a fixed geometry, load case and opening schedule, so a decision to move a roller door or add a mezzanine after release to fabrication costs far more programme time than the same change would in a steel-frame build detailed on site. Developers who do well out of the format tend to be the ones who run their tenant conversations before release, not after. Weather exposure is the other schedule variable that changes shape. Factory fabrication in controlled conditions removes a large block of field labour from the programme, which matters more in a wet winter than any theoretical erection rate does. The site crew is bolting together finished members rather than cutting, fitting and welding in the open. Stamped drawings are the part developers underestimate Engineering documentation is the quiet reason pre-engineered systems clear approvals faster. A genuine manufacturer produces the anchor bolt plan, reactions, frame cross-sections and erection drawings as part of the order, sealed by a professional engineer licensed in the project’s jurisdiction, so the building official and the developer’s own structural consultant are reviewing a coordinated set rather than assembling one. The practical value shows up at two moments. The first is permitting, where a complete stamped package tends to attract fewer requests for information. The second is foundation design, because the manufacturer’s reaction data is what the geotechnical and foundation engineers need before anyone pours anything, and late reactions stall the site while the steel sits in a plant yard. Ask at tender stage when the stamped drawings arrive, who seals them, and whether design changes after approval trigger a re-seal. The answers differentiate suppliers more sharply than any brochure claim about steel grade. Expansion has to be engineered before the first bolt goes in Expansion in a pre-engineered steel building is cheap if it was planned and awkward if it was not. A frame ordered as expandable gets a rigid endwall rather than a bearing endwall, with the foundations, bracing and reactions sized for the future bays, so adding 60 or 80 feet later means unbolting the sheeting and continuing the line. A frame ordered without that provision needs the endwall rebuilt and the foundations reworked, which is a different project. Developers holding land for phased delivery, or letting to tenants with growth clauses, should specify the expansion case in the original enquiry even if they never use it. The design cost of an expandable endwall is modest at order stage and effectively unrecoverable afterwards. Bolted steel frames also come apart, which matters for exit strategy and for planning arguments about circularity. UK guidance on recycling and reuse of structural steel records recovery rates for structural sections at the top end of construction materials, and a bolted, documented frame is considerably easier to demount and reuse than a welded or composite one. Manufacturer or broker is the question that decides the rest Much of the pre-engineered steel market is sold by brokers, dealers and kit resellers who do not own a plant, do not employ engineers and pass the order to whichever fabricator quotes best that month. The distinction is invisible in marketing and very visible in a dispute, because a reseller cannot reseal a drawing, cannot reschedule a fabrication slot and cannot answer a technical query without relaying it. Developers who buy on schedule certainty should be establishing, in writing, whether the counterparty manufactures. Buying manufacturer-direct compresses the chain to one accountable party for engineering, fabrication and delivery. Universal Steel of America, a Peachtree Corners company founded in 1995 that manufactures pre-engineered systems for low-rise projects only, runs that model across its commercial steel buildings work, with in-house engineering, PE-stamped drawings, and a stated plant network covering every region of the United States that ships directly to site from the closest plant. The point for a developer is not the brand but the structure of the relationship: when the engineer, the fabricator and the shipper answer to the same company, a mid-project change has one owner rather than three. Third-party accreditation helps test the claim. IAS AC472 accredits a metal building manufacturer’s design, fabrication and inspection programme, and a building official may accept that accreditation as evidence that the manufacturer qualifies as an approved fabricator under Chapter 17 of the International Building Code, which can remove duplicate in-shop inspections. One detail gets misread often: AC472

New research from Oscar Acoustics has revealed a disconnect between industry confidence in meeting people’s acoustic needs and the point at which acoustics are actually considered in the design and construction process. Seven in ten (70.4%) UK architects and construction professionals say they are confident they meet the acoustic requirements of everyone who uses a building, including neurodivergent people and those with hearing challenges. Yet the research suggests acoustics are often not given proper consideration until key decisions affecting how a space will sound have already been made. Acoustics comes too late in the process The research, commissioned by Oscar Acoustics and conducted among 500 UK construction professionals and 250 UK architects, shows how late acoustics can enter the process. Among architects, nearly six in ten (57.2%) say acoustics do not get proper attention until RIBA Stage 4, Technical Design, or Stage 5, Construction.By this point, decisions around layout and materials are largely settled, limiting the opportunity to design for sound from the outset and making problems harder to address later. Construction professionals describe a similar pattern. Fewer than one in 25 (3.6%) say acoustics is considered at the initial client briefing stage, when there is still an opportunity to shape the fundamentals of a scheme. Meanwhile, around a third (33.8%) leave it until construction or fit-out, once the building’s shell is already up. The consequences of getting acoustics wrong Poor acoustic environments are estimated to cost UK businesses more than £40 billion a year* through lost productivity, staff turnover and customer dissatisfaction. The impact is also felt by the people using these spaces. When acoustics are addressed late in the process, the needs and experiences of occupants risk being considered after many of the critical decisions affecting their environment have already been made. Designing for people, not averages Gillian Burgis Smith, founder of inclusive design consultancy Strawberry Leopard Limited and co-creator of the “Joyful Journey” methodology, has experienced this disconnect first hand. Following two strokes and a brain tumour diagnosis in 2019, her own experience of the built environment changed profoundly, highlighting why environments must be shaped by lived and living experience, not assumptions about an “average” user. She said: “The disconnect comes from confidence being mistaken for competence at implementation and that is where the gap opens up.” “The profession is becoming more confident about the language of neuro-inclusive and sensory design, but less consistent in the systems needed to deliver it. You have to bring in people with lived and living experience, and design must adapt to the needs of the user, not the other way around. “In practice, that means testing designs with diverse users early and often, then iterating so spaces work for real people, not averages. A building is a dynamic ecosystem for a dynamic ecosystem of people.” Where confidence and practice diverge Ben Hancock, Managing Director of Oscar Acoustics, said: “While architects and construction professionals feel confident about meeting people’s acoustic needs, our research suggests there is a gap between that confidence and the point at which acoustics are considered in practice.” “When acoustic design is considered as a late-stage addition, rather than a core element of the building strategy, it can have a severe impact on the people who use a space. “This is particularly the case for the 60% of UK adults who are noise-sensitive, including neurodivergent individuals and those with hearing challenges. “But poor acoustics also cost businesses directly, through lower productivity, higher staff turnover and reduced office attendance. The industry is taking a risk not only with people’s wellbeing but also with its own clients’ bottom line.” Calls for greater industry support The findings also suggest architects and construction professionals want more formal support around acoustic design. Around one in six (15.8%) construction professionals and one in five (19.2%) architects back a recognised certification for acoustically inclusive buildings. Meanwhile, around one in five (19.4%) construction professionals and more than one in five (22.0%) architects want mandatory acoustic standards written into building regulations. A framework for acoustic inclusion Sownd Certification, developed by Sownd Affects, with independent testing carried out by the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research at the University of Southampton, is the world’s first framework recognising spaces with proven acoustic performance as audio-inclusive. It assesses spaces across three tiers, from Bronze foundations through to Silver and Gold, based on measures including reverberation time, background noise and speech clarity. Oscar Acoustics’ Innovation Centre in Halling, Kent, is the world’s first Sownd Certified building, providing architects and specifiers with a working example of acoustically inclusive design in practice. To find out more about Sownd Certification or to arrange a visit to Oscar Acoustics’ Innovation Centre in Halling, Kent, visit https://www.oscar-acoustics.com/. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Every time a torch lights on a British site, paperwork starts. A Hot Work Permit, a safety briefing, a marked-out zone, and at least an hour of continuous fire watch after the work stops. None of this is box-ticking: insurance cover for most large contractors is tied directly to compliance. The trade has spent the last decade moving away from open flame wherever it can, and press-fit technology is one of the clearest drivers of the shift. Understanding ‘Hot Works’ and Their Inherent Risks Hot work covers any task that involves open flame, heat or sparks. Welding, cutting, soldering, grinding and torch-applied roofing all fall under that heading. On site, any such activity normally needs a Hot Work Permit. It’s issued by an authorised person before the shift begins and sets out the location, the cleared zone, the extinguishers on hand and the named fire watch. The regulatory backdrop has several layers. HSE’s HSG168 (third edition) expects designers to consider flameless alternatives at the planning stage, alongside CDM 2015. The Joint Code of Practice (JCoP, tenth edition), drawn up by the FPA and RISCAuthority with insurer backing, applies to projects valued at £2.5m and up. It requires at least an hour of continuous fire watch after work stops, with checks every twenty minutes for the next hour and up to three hours on higher-risk jobs. The numbers explain the strictness. CE Safety, drawing on ONS data, recorded 381 hot-work fires in England across 2023/24 and 2024/25, with welding and cutting accounting for 85%. The most damaging recent case struck Selsey Academy in West Sussex in 2016: losses near £20m, ignition traced to a gas torch during roof repairs. Figures like these underpin the case for flame-free systems such as press fit fittings, where joints go together without a torch or a permit. The Industry Shift Toward Flameless Construction Technologies HSG168 puts it plainly: design hot work out wherever you can. If you can’t, look at flameless alternatives first. NFRC carries the same principle into roofing through its Safe2Torch initiative. The reasoning is practical. Every job done without an open flame saves a permit, a fire watch, an insurance exposure and downtime on site. Flameless covers a family of methods, not one technology: For internal plumbing and heating, press-fit is now the de facto standard on commercial sites and is spreading fast into residential work. How Press Fit Fittings Revolutionised Pipe Installations The story begins in 1963. Swedish engineer Gunnar Larsson introduced the first range of pressfittings for copper, steel and stainless tubing, alongside the hydraulic press tool. Mannesmann AG ran the system until 2004 when the business passed to Geberit. The contour seal, brought in around the turn of the millennium, was the turning point. It took press-fit into the mainstream British market and bedded it into the trade. Large commercial contractors took it up first, but the picture has shifted sharply over the last ten to fifteen years. Sole traders and small crews are investing in press tools because the payback on two or three big jobs is obvious. Today’s choice is broad: Geberit Mapress, Viega Profipress, Conex B Press, alongside M-Profile own-label ranges from UK distributors. Sourcing for a specific job (potable water, gas, heating) goes through specialist trade suppliers, and on most tasks M-Profile covers the full 15mm to 108mm range. Time and Cost Efficiency in Modern Projects Speed comes up first in nearly every conversation. Manufacturers and trade publications cite 50 to 80% time savings against soldered joints. Viega quotes a single connection in “under twenty seconds” and an 80% cut in installation time across a full system. On site the gap is often wider. On the Trade Legends podcast, Rothenberger UK’s spokesperson described jobs that used to take two or three days wrapping up in three hours. Speed isn’t the only saving. A pressed joint takes pressure immediately, with no cooling-down period eating minutes off every connection. Consumables drop out too: flux, solder, cleaner and tape are no longer needed. Assemblies can be prefabricated on or off site, and pressure tests can run with water already in the lines, which suits retrofit work. The biggest operational shift comes back to fire safety. No open flame, no permit, no fire watch, no breach of insurance terms, no stoppages while a fire officer inspects the job. The evolution of safer construction comes down to more than one technology. But the move from soldering to pressing is one of its clearest chapters. Less paperwork, less risk, more output per shift.

Communal areas have become one of the most closely watched categories in commercial design. As organizations rethink how much space they need and what that space should do, shared lounges, break rooms and collaboration zones are being asked to work harder than ever. You’re no longer just planning a lunchroom or a lobby. You’re shaping the spaces that determine whether employees actually want to come into the office. For architects, designers and builders, this shift creates an opportunity to move past generic, one-size-fits-all layouts. Clients are asking harder questions about how a shared space will actually be used, who it needs to accommodate and how it will hold up over years of daily traffic. Below are seven trends currently shaping how communal areas are conceived, specified and built. 1. Biophilic Design and Natural Materials Natural light, greenery and organic textures continue to dominate communal area briefs. Designers are specifying white oak millwork, stone accents and living walls to soften the hard edges of commercial interiors and create a stronger sense of calm. This isn’t just an aesthetic preference. A systematic review of workplace stress research found that access to outdoor views and nature-based break areas measurably reduces employees’ stress response. Practically, this means larger glazing packages near shared spaces, operable skylights where structure allows and planting strategies that account for maintenance access. Teams should coordinate early with mechanical engineers, since additional glass and interior plantings can shift HVAC and humidity requirements across the entire zone. 2. Flexible, Multi-Functional Layouts The single-purpose break room is giving way to layered, adaptable spaces that can shift between quiet focus work, informal meetings and social gatherings throughout the day. Movable partitions, modular seating and furniture on casters let a communal area be reconfigured without a renovation. Building professionals should design the shell to support this flexibility from the outset. That means flush flooring transitions, ceiling grids that accommodate reconfigurable lighting and power and data distribution that isn’t tied to a fixed furniture plan. A space that can only function in one way will quickly age out of usefulness. 3. Elevated Break Rooms and Coffee Bars Workplace kitchens and pantries are being redesigned with the same intentionality as residential kitchens. Homeowners are increasingly carving out separate prep kitchens and sculleries to keep food prep and clutter out of the main gathering space, and that same logic is now shaping commercial break room layouts. For commercial teams, this means budgeting for higher-grade finishes and the plumbing and electrical capacity to support espresso equipment, filtered water systems and induction cooktops. 4. Smart Technology Integration Communal areas are increasingly wired for convenience, with technology built into the space rather than bolted on afterward. This trend places new demands on infrastructure planning. Low-voltage cabling, dedicated network drops and coordination with IT teams need to happen at the design stage, not as a retrofit once furniture is already selected. 5. Wellness-Focused Amenities Wellness has moved from an amenity add-on to a core design driver, and communal areas are where that shift shows up first. Communal areas now regularly include quiet rooms, meditation nooks and improved air filtration alongside the more familiar café and lounge functions. A Harvard-led study on office air quality linked low ventilation rates and elevated particulate matter to measurably reduced cognitive performance among office workers. Designers should treat air quality and acoustic privacy as measurable performance targets rather than vague goals, and document them the same way lighting levels or fire ratings would be documented in a project spec. 6. Acoustic Comfort and Zoning Open, social communal areas create an obvious tension. The same buzz that makes a space feel lively can also make it hard to concentrate or hold a private conversation. Noise-related dissatisfaction affects over half of open-plan office workers, making it the leading source of workplace complaints. This requires early collaboration between interior designers and acoustic consultants, particularly in buildings with hard, reflective surfaces like exposed concrete or large expanses of glass. 7. Sustainable and Low-Maintenance Finishes Durability and sustainability are converging in communal area material choices. Recycled quartz surfacing, responsibly sourced wood and low-VOC finishes are being specified not just for their environmental credentials but because they hold up better under heavy daily use than trend-driven alternatives that need frequent replacement. Building teams should weigh life cycle cost alongside up front price when selecting these materials, since a communal area with dozens of daily users will show wear far faster than a private office. Specifying finishes built for longevity now can prevent a costly refresh in just a few years. Designing Communal Areas That Last Communal area design has grown far more sophisticated than it was even a few years ago, drawing influence from hospitality, wellness and residential design in equal measure. The strongest projects treat these spaces as flexible, well-engineered environments rather than an afterthought tacked onto the end of a floor plan. Building design and construction professionals who plan for flexibility, air quality, acoustics and durable materials from the earliest stages will be best positioned to deliver communal areas that hold up to daily use and continue to serve occupants well past the initial move-in.

The sheer volume of waste the construction industry generates raises critical questions about efficient management practices. In response, building design and construction professionals are shifting away from reactive disposal toward digital waste management solutions that protect profit margins while improving operational efficiency. As companies evaluate how different waste management software options compare, understanding the total cost of this transition and the programs available remains essential for informed decision-making. The True Cost of Construction Waste Poor material management silently drains profits across the construction sector. Reliance on manual tracking and paper tickets results in significant financial losses that compound over time. The EPA estimates that construction and demolition debris accounts for over twice the amount of municipal solid waste generated in the United States. The financial impact extends beyond volume. Research indicates that 95% of delivery tickets and 75% of waste records contain incomplete or inaccurate information. These data gaps lead to billions in lost revenue across the industry. Manual processes fail to capture critical information about material flows, disposal costs and operational inefficiencies that erode project budgets. Proactive Management Boosts the Bottom Line Embracing operational excellence and digital tracking transforms waste management from a compliance burden into a profit-generating function. When companies reduce waste directly, associated costs drop proportionally. Rising hauling and landfill fees make this approach increasingly valuable for maintaining project profitability. Landfill costs continue climbing, with tipping fees rising about 4% year-on-year, based on the 2025 national average. Zero-waste approaches and digitally tracked operations help contractors preserve substantial portions of project budgets. Digital systems provide real-time visibility into waste streams, enabling companies to identify cost-saving opportunities and optimize disposal routes. The shift toward proactive management represents a strategic investment in long-term operational efficiency. How Do Different Waste Management Software Options Compare? Specialized software helps companies gain complete visibility over waste operations, streamline routing and ensure compliance. The following solutions offer distinct approaches to automated waste management for building design and construction professionals. 1. Paradigm Software L.L.C.® Paradigm Software L.L.C.®has been providing automated weighing and routing software solutions to recycling and roll-off businesses for more than three decades. Its WeighStation® solution offers a centralized system with flexible customization that enables efficient, fully unattended operations. The platform has processed 40 million transactions per year across 986 customer sites. Key features include: 2. ISB Global ISB Global offers solutions for companies seeking intelligent logistics automation on a global scale. Its Waste and Recycling One software adheres to digital waste tracking regulations in the United Kingdom. The platform delivers comprehensive control and ranks among the most advanced environmental waste management and recycling software available. Key features include: 3. Eco Software Solutions Eco Software Solutions presents a continuous-flow solution designed to eliminate duplicate data entry through EcoSoft. The platform adapts to existing work processes for smoother integration, aiming to reduce administrative overhead while enhancing waste management capabilities. Key features include: 4. The Access Group The Access Group has developed business management software for over 160,000 small and midsized organizations. Access Weighsoft Evo represents its modular solution tailored for construction aggregate and commercial waste management. The platform emphasizes seamless implementation and migration to minimize operational disruptions. Key features include: 5. Evreka Evreka delivers cloud-based waste management technology focused on smart city applications and sustainable operations. The platform combines Internet of Things sensors with artificial intelligence to optimize collection routes and reduce operational costs. Evreka serves municipalities and private waste operators seeking data-driven decision-making capabilities. Key features include: Frequently Asked Questions Building professionals often have questions about implementing efficient waste management systems. The following addresses common concerns. Q: What are the true costs of construction waste? A: The costs extend beyond disposal fees. Incomplete waste records and inaccurate tracking lead to billions in lost revenue across the industry. Manual systems fail to capture critical data about material flows, resulting in missed opportunities for cost reduction. Rising tipping fees compound these losses, with national averages increasing approximately 4% annually. Q: How does proactive management improve the bottom line? A: Digital tracking and operational excellence reduce expenses across multiple categories. Real-time visibility into waste streams enables companies to identify inefficiencies and optimize disposal routes. Reduced hauling costs, lower landfill fees and improved material recovery contribute directly to project profitability. These systems transform waste management from a cost center into a value-generating operation. Q: What features should building professionals look for in different waste management software options? A: Essential features include weighbridge integration for accurate transaction recording, route optimization to reduce transportation costs, and automated compliance tracking to ensure regulatory adherence. Robust reporting capabilities provide the insights needed for continuous improvement. End-to-end integration from weighing through invoicing eliminates manual data entry and associated errors. Strong technical support ensures operational continuity during implementation and daily use. Final Thoughts on Efficient Waste Management Transitioning to proactive waste tracking and leveraging specialized software makes waste management substantially more efficient. These practices and programs support circular economy principles while protecting profit margins. Building design and construction professionals who adopt digital solutions position their operations for sustainable growth and improved financial performance in an increasingly competitive market.