Barratt London has announced a new housing concept, Lo-E Homes, which aims to deliver climate-resilient, ultra-sustainable homes across the capital that exceed Passivhaus standards. The developer will initially submit plans for 728 Lo-E Homes across two major developments at High Barnet and Bollo Lane, in partnership with Places for London, in what is believed to be one of the UK’s largest rollouts of certified Passivhaus homes to date. The initiative comes as London faces rising summer temperatures, with the capital hitting a record 40.2°C in July 2022 – a level expected to become increasingly common. Designed in collaboration with sustainability specialists Beyond Carbon, the Lo-E Homes concept offers a scalable model for high-density, low-energy housing that goes beyond current building regulations. Craig Carson, Managing Director at Barratt West London, said: “Our Lo-E Homes concept is an opportunity to think differently and deliver a new approach to high-density, sustainable housing in London. This is a significant milestone for the business, as we look to the future and consider the unique challenges faced in the capital, such as more heatwave conditions every few years. Feedback from local councils and the GLA has been supportive, so we look forward to securing planning approval and moving ahead with our first homes, before rolling out on all future London schemes, subject to relevant approvals. “I am particularly pleased that we are planning to unveil the first Lo-E Homes across two significant partnership sites – High Barnet and Bollo Lane, as part of the West London Partnership we have with Places for London. Partnership working is vital in addressing London’s acute housing crisis, and through collaboration and a shared vision, we can achieve greater outcomes for our residents and the surrounding communities.” Lo-E Homes will feature carefully engineered façades to manage solar gain, triple-glazed Passivhaus windows for superior thermal comfort, and climate-resilient air tempering systems to improve indoor air quality. The design promises significant energy savings for residents—up to 75% less energy needed for heating and a 90% reduction in carbon emissions—making them resilient to future energy price shocks. The High Barnet site, located next to the Tube station, will deliver around 300 homes, 40% of which will be affordable, along with small-scale commercial spaces. Meanwhile, the Bollo Lane development in Acton will see 455 Passivhaus-certified homes built in its second phase, forming part of a wider 900-home community complete with green spaces, improved cycling and pedestrian routes, and new commercial units. The West London Partnership – a £1.9 billion collaboration between Barratt London and Places for London – aims to deliver over 4,000 new homes in the capital over the next decade. The Lo-E Homes initiative places sustainability, comfort, and resilience at the heart of its strategy, setting a new benchmark for future urban housing. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Top 10 UK housebuilder, Keepmoat, is investing more than £80m into a regeneration scheme that will help transform disused and neglected industrial buildings near Leicester’s waterways.  Now named Waterside, in honour of its picturesque proximity to the Grand Union Canal and River Soar, the scheme is being delivered in partnership with Leicester City Council to create new, energy-efficient homes that will replace 17 acres of brownfield land. Previously home to abandoned textile factories, the housebuilder’s investment has transformed the waterways from Wolsey Island to the city centre. The wider regeneration project has also delivered flood protection measures, enhancements to biodiversity and improved access to the canal and river for local people. The transformation is set to be complete by the end of 2026, when Waterside will offer a thriving community of 350 homes nestled on the banks of the canal. Keepmoat has also worked with the local authority to improve the walking and cycling routes to Leicester city centre. As the development approaches the final phases of the regeneration, Keepmoat has shifted its focus to deliver a well-designed neighbourhood in Frog Island to meet the needs of the local community. Adam Sharpe, Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat, East Midlands, said: “We’re thrilled to be continuing delivery under our strategic partnership model to unlock this vibrant brownfield site.  “At Keepmoat we’re proud to transform and breathe new life into areas in need of regeneration. By delivering quality, sustainable homes in Leicester, we’re able to support a vibrant new community in an area people want to live – close to employment hubs and amenities.” City Mayor Peter Soulsby added: “Leicester’s Waterside has for a long time had immense potential for regeneration. Bringing that redevelopment forward for the benefit of the city has been a long-held ambition of mine. “These new homes are a key part of that and have been a vital catalyst for the surrounding Waterside developments. We’ve worked closely with Keepmoat as our development partners to help transform Waterside into a vibrant, attractive neighbourhood in which to live and work.” Keepmoat is a top 10 UK partnership homebuilder with a track-record of delivering quality new homes across the UK at prices people can afford. To date, almost 70 percent of its current developments are on brownfield sites. To find out more, please visit: www.keepmoat.com/waterside-leicester Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Bellway has launched a new learning hub to give a behind-the-scenes insight into how our homes will work in the future. The Future Hub at Barton Quarter in Horwich, near Bolton, is a collection of four houses, each showcasing different low-carbon technologies. The all-electric homes demonstrate how heating, power, energy conservation, ventilation and the building materials themselves are expected to perform when the Government’s Future Homes Standard is introduced. They are built in the style of Bellway’s House to Home plots, with elements left uncovered to show the workings of the different systems. The Future Hub will serve as a training centre for teams from Bellway, its subcontractors and the wider industry. The innovations on show include air source heat pumps, solar PV panels, enhanced insulation and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, in addition to wider doorways and lower windows which are required to meet accessibility standards. The project is part of the Better with Bellway strategy, which was created by the housebuilder to put people and the planet at the centre of all its operations. Reductions in carbon emissions and employee diversity schemes are among the initiatives that have been driven forward since the strategy was launched two years ago. Bellway will host an open day for small to medium housebuilders and subcontractors in June to showcase The Future Hub and share knowledge gained during the project. Mathew McAdam, Managing Director for Bellway’s Manchester division, said: “The Future Hub is an industry-leading training tool, which has already been recognised with a national award. “These four homes not only show the different technologies at work, but also provide an insight into how they can be installed and maintained – and how each of the systems interacts with the rest of the home. “From first-fix through to a finished showhome, The Future Hub gives a practical introduction to how we will build all-electric accessible homes that will meet the needs of our customers and their families.” The Future Hub was named as winner of the NextGeneration Initiative’s 2024 Innovation Award in September and since then it has opened to Bellway employees. Industry contacts will now be invited to make use of the facility. Another key Better with Bellway project is The Future Home @ Energy House 2.0. Bellway has partnered with The University of Salford to build a home to future standards within a climate-controlled chamber at the university’s Frederick Road campus. Early test results have indicated that air source heat pumps can be used to heat a home for less than £2 per day. Jamie Bursnell, Head of Technical and Innovation for Bellway, said: “Through projects like The Future Hub and Energy House 2.0, Bellway has made huge leaps forward in understanding the requirements of homes for the future. Comparing the theory with the practical application of each of the new technologies has been an invaluable learning curve. “As we scale up our delivery of Future Homes through pilot projects across the UK, we are committed to sharing our knowledge more widely. The industry and its supply chain will need to work together to be able to deliver the required volume of low-carbon, energy-efficient homes.” For more information about Bellway’s pilot projects and commitment to sustainability, visit  https://sustainability.bellwayplc.co.uk/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Property giant Landsec has confirmed a strategic pivot from office-led developments to a more residential-focused future, signalling a new direction for one of the UK’s largest real estate players. The company, which is currently delivering two London office schemes in Victoria and Southwark, announced that no new speculative office projects will begin until a substantial portion of expected rental income—estimated at £61 million—has been secured. “We are seeing encouraging customer interest in this space emerge and although it will take time to lease-up as these are multi-let buildings, they should add £7m to earnings once fully let,” the company stated. “We will not start any new speculative office-led projects until the expected income on these projects is substantially de-risked.” Landsec cited inflation in construction costs, continued supply chain disruptions, and increased exit yields as key reasons for tightening margins in office development. While demand remains steady, the financial environment has made office projects less attractive compared to residential ventures. “This impacts office development more than residential,” the company said. “We continue to carefully weigh risks and returns on any new schemes, but in any case, we do not plan to commit to any new speculative London office projects until we have secured the majority of the £61m ERV on our existing projects.” Instead, Landsec is turning its attention to building a major residential platform and scaling up its retail investment. Chief executive Mark Allan said: “We have set out a clear plan to increase investment in major retail by a further £1bn and establish a £2bn+ residential platform by 2030, to be funded by rotating £3bn of capital out of offices, non-core investments and low or non-yielding pre-development assets. Delivering on this strategy, whilst continuing to drive sustainable income and EPS growth, is our priority and we are firmly under way.” The strategy update comes as Landsec reported a pre-tax profit of £393 million for the year ending 31st March 2025—a sharp rebound from last year’s £341 million loss. Landsec has already made significant progress on its residential ambitions. Infrastructure works have begun on its Finchley Road site in London, where phase one of a 1,800-home scheme is taking shape. In Manchester, the renegotiation of a development agreement at Mayfield has unlocked potential for 1,700 homes, while a planning application has been submitted for a 2,800-home masterplan in Lewisham. With solid groundwork in place and capital reallocations in motion, Landsec appears poised to reshape its portfolio around the evolving demands of the UK’s property market. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Midgard has been appointed as the main contractor for a striking new residential development in the heart of Birmingham, as the city continues to attract major investment and architectural ambition. Developers Court Collaboration and Select Property have awarded Midgard a £145 million contract to deliver the much-anticipated Edition Birmingham scheme. The project will bring 581 new homes to the city centre, with construction expected to break ground in the coming months. Phase one is scheduled for completion in 2027. Located adjacent to Centenary Square and near the landmark £1.2 billion Paradise development, Edition Birmingham will feature one- and two-bedroom apartments split across two distinctive towers: the 46-storey Centenary Tower and the 15-storey Park Residence. The development is already seeing strong demand, having secured £85 million in off-plan sales. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) is acting as engineering consultant, while Weedon Architects is leading the interior design. Midgard, a subsidiary of JRL Group, brings proven high-rise expertise to the table, currently completing the 65-storey Consort Place in London’s Canary Wharf and Court Collaboration’s One Eastside in Birmingham. The contractor plans to use modular construction methods to accelerate the delivery of the Edition project, incorporating modern features such as floor-to-ceiling vent screens, mechanical ventilation systems, triple glazing, and air-source heat pumps. “Edition will be a major milestone in the redevelopment of the Birmingham skyline and we are excited to be involved in such a high-quality development,” said Kevin Keegan, Director at Midgard. Alex Neale, Chief Executive at Court Collaboration, added: “Edition Birmingham is visually stunning and will be built to the very highest standards of safety and quality. We’re very pleased to have Midgard on board and look forward to breaking ground and bringing this world-class development to Birmingham.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals