NORR Partners with Qflow to Deliver Workplace Project Targeting Zero Carbon Certification
Global A&E firm teams with construction data platform to track real-time materials and carbon data for flagship workplace pilot NORR, a global architecture and engineering firm with 750 professionals across 12 market sectors, announces its collaboration with Qflow, a leading construction data capture and analysis tool focused on real-time tracking of materials, waste, and carbon data. The Toronto-based workplace project is pursuing the Living Future Institute’s Zero Carbon Certification, demonstrating NORR’s commitment to data-driven sustainability strategies. The collaboration addresses a critical challenge in sustainable construction: the gap between design-phase carbon assumptions and as-built reality. While traditional lifecycle assessment (LCA) tools provide essential design-phase carbon estimates, Qflow complements these tools by capturing comprehensive, real-time data on materials arriving on site. This approach delivers more detailed information that is easier to collect, providing accurate as-built carbon tracking essential for rigorous certifications. Bridging design intent and construction reality Real-time visibility will enable NORR’s sustainability team to identify supply chain risks, verify Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), and make informed decisions about material substitutions during construction rather than relying solely on design-phase estimates. Enabling faster, carbon-informed decisions NORR identified three key benefits that Qflow’s platform will deliver for the firm’s sustainability-focused projects: A foundation for future collaboration Beyond the Toronto pilot project, NORR plans to leverage this partnership as a framework for future sustainability-focused projects. As the firm recognises that construction industry standards are evolving toward requiring as-built carbon data rather than design-phase estimates, this partnership places NORR at the forefront of accurate carbon accounting practices. The collaboration also supports NORR’s broader ethos of integrated thinking and inspired design, providing the data infrastructure needed to educate clients on sustainable design value propositions and demonstrate the long-term return on investment of high-performance buildings. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Mears sharpens housing focus with £18m FM disposal
Mears has sold its education and health facilities management division for £18m as it accelerates its strategic shift towards core housing services. The contractor confirmed the sale of Morrison Facilities Services Limited following a competitive sales process, marking another step in its plan to streamline operations and concentrate exclusively on the housing sector. The transaction was completed on a debt and cash-free basis with a normalised level of working capital. Morrison Facilities Services, which primarily delivered facilities management contracts across education and healthcare settings, generated revenue of £32m and pre-tax profit of £2.8m in the year to 31 December 2025. The business had previously been reported within Mears’ maintenance-led segment. Mears originally acquired the business in 2011 from Anglian Water Group for £24m. The latest disposal reflects a decisive repositioning of the group’s portfolio in response to evolving market conditions and long-term demand dynamics. Chief executive Lucas Critchley said the move represented further progress in simplifying the group’s structure and aligning it with its strategic priorities. He added that the disposal reinforces Mears’ focus on delivering housing services, a market underpinned by strong regulatory drivers and sustained investment requirements. The decision comes at a time when social housing providers and local authorities are facing increasing pressure around compliance, building safety and decarbonisation. These factors are driving significant, long-term demand for maintenance, refurbishment and asset management services across the housing estate. By narrowing its operational focus, Mears is positioning itself to capitalise on these structural growth drivers while reducing exposure to non-core activities. The sale is expected to provide greater clarity to investors regarding the group’s direction and strengthen its ability to allocate capital and management resource towards its core housing operations. The disposal signals a more concentrated and disciplined strategy as Mears seeks to build scale and resilience within the UK housing services market. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
UK’s first Circular Construction Hub launches in the Royal Docks, supporting Mayor’s ambition for London to be zero carbon by 2030
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has welcomed the launch of the UK’s first Circular Construction Hub in the Royal Docks, which will ensure construction waste is recycled and re-used instead of going to landfill. The new hub is set to become the largest in Europe and will support the Mayor’s ambition for the capital to be a zero carbon city by 2030. It is the first phase of a wider Circular Economy Village that will be unlocked over the coming years in London Borough of Newham.* A circular economy is a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated. The Hub will see products and materials kept in circulation through refurbishment and recycling – a vital step in helping to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. The new hub in the Royal Docks, which is being delivered in collaboration with charity Tipping Point East and Newham Council, is supported by the Mayor of London and Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE. It will position London as a global leader in low carbon construction and drive green jobs across East London..** Hosted on GLA land, the hub will also support the sustainable delivery of thousands of new homes in the Royal Docks by promoting innovative construction techniques that accelerate the transition to low carbon construction. This includes the Lendlease led Silvertown development, supported by the Crown Estate and Newham Council, now approved for 7,000 new homes, with a target of at least 30% delivered as affordable housing. [1] These homes are part of the Mayor’s of London’s ambition to build more than 36,000 new homes and create 55,000 new jobs across this historic part of East London, through his Royal Docks Enterprise Zone partnership with the Mayor of Newham and Newham Council. [2] By enabling large scale material reuse and capturing resources from construction and demolition that typically go to waste – the hub will help significantly reduce the embodied carbon in new developments and is estimated to divert at least 950 tonnes of materials from landfill over 5 years. The construction industry produces 62 per cent of the UK’s waste and construction waste is highly detrimental to the environment as it breaks down ecosystems, uses up natural resources and creates significant landfill pollution. In the UK, the construction, demolition, and excavation (CDE) sector generates over 100 million tonnes of waste annually, with more than five million tonnes still reaching landfill, despite high recycling rates. [3] As part of his pledge to make London greener and achieve net-zero carbon by 2030, the Mayor has placed circular economy principles at the heart of planning policy to ensure London is leading the way in the green transition of the construction sector. The Royal Docks is uniquely positioned to become a hub of circular construction due to its excellent and robust infrastructure, close proximity to Central London, existing industrial land and major development pipelines. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I am delighted to see the launch of the UK’s first Circular Construction Hub in the Royal Docks, which will help support our ambition to make the capital a zero carbon city by 2030. “London is leading the way in the green transition of the construction sector and that this new hub is part of a wider plan to create a Circular Economy Village in the area – with the hub set to become the largest in Europe when fully activated. “We are not only cutting carbon emissions, but are also creating new jobs and homes for Londoners as we build a greener and fairer city for everyone.” Policies implemented by Sadiq since he took office in 2016 mean that all major developments in the capital must now design out waste, retain existing structures where possible, reuse materials and significantly reduce embodied carbon – setting out how the London Plan energy policies will be met within the development. [4] In addition, the Mayor’s Green Skills Academy provides a skilled workforce able to retrofit environmentally friendly energy systems to reduce emissions, address the longstanding skill shortage in the construction sector, and target emerging green occupations. [5] The Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, said: “The launch of the UK’s first Circular Construction Hub right here in our Royal Docks is another defining moment for Newham as we marshal our efforts to deliver on our Just Transition Action Plan to address the impact of Climate change. “By transforming how we build, we aren’t just reducing waste, we are also pioneering our ‘just transition’ impact through the creation of green jobs and delivery of high-quality, sustainable homes our residents deserve and can afford. “In partnership with the Mayor of London and Tipping Point East, we are proving that world-class innovation is happening in Newham and is being driven by a Council that is safeguarding the earth,. Newham is showing that we can embed inclusive growth with the foundation of a fairer, greener economy, with opportunities for all and without costing the earth.” George Massoud, Trustee at Tipping Point East and Founding Director of Material Cultures, said: “Tipping Point East will be a radical new Climate Futures centre and crucial piece of infrastructure for the circular economy in London, accelerating the transition towards net-zero and developing the construction sector’s Green Skill capacity. “By embedding circular economy processes directly into London’s material flows, TPE will practically demonstrate how we move towards a just transition.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Scottish Water sets out £13.4bn investment drive for 2027–2033
Scottish Water has unveiled a £13.4bn investment programme aimed at protecting and modernising the nation’s water and wastewater infrastructure over the six-year period from 2027 to 2033. The publicly owned utility said the plan is designed to future-proof ageing assets, respond to climate change pressures and sustain service standards, while maintaining some of the lowest customer charges in the UK. Of the total investment, £8bn will be directed towards maintaining and upgrading core infrastructure, including pipes, treatment works and associated assets. The remaining funding will cover essential operating expenditure to ensure services continue to run safely, reliably and efficiently. The programme will be delivered across Scotland, with the utility highlighting its potential to support employment, skills development and regional supply chains. Scottish Water said the plan reflects extensive engagement, with more than 25,000 people contributing feedback during its preparation. Chief executive Alex Plant said the blueprint balances long-term resilience with affordability. He noted that customers had made clear the need to safeguard essential services while ensuring investment remains fair and proportionate. As a publicly owned body, Scottish Water reinvests all income into its network and services. The organisation said its charges remain among the lowest of any UK water utility and emphasised that financial support schemes will continue for households requiring assistance. Currently, more than 53 per cent of customers receive some form of support. To fund the proposed programme, Scottish Water has put forward annual increases in customer charges of 3.3 per cent above CPI. The utility argues that this approach will provide the financial stability needed to address infrastructure resilience, environmental compliance and climate adaptation over the coming decade. The proposals have now been submitted to the Water Industry Commission for Scotland for regulatory scrutiny. A draft determination is expected in June, with a final determination scheduled for October 2026. This will confirm investment levels and customer charges for the 2027–2033 regulatory period, ahead of a detailed Delivery Plan being published in advance of the new cycle. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Fleete opens UK’s largest dedicated commercial vehicle electric charging hub at Port of Tilbury
Marking a major milestone in the electrification of the country’s freight and logistics sector, Fleete has officially opened the UK’s largest dedicated commercial vehicle electric charging hub at the Port of Tilbury. The 5MW facility features 16 ultra-rapid chargers enabling up to 16 electric HGVs to charge simultaneously. This site is the first of a network of shared commercial vehicle charging hubs, designed to accelerate fleet electrification across the UK by providing high-powered charging at strategic logistics locations without the need for costly, time-consuming depot upgrades. Delivering high-capacity charging at scale Fleete’s new hub, delivered in partnership with the Port of Tilbury and Thames Freeport, is supported by £1 million from the UK government’s Thames Freeport Seed Capital Programme, with further funding provided by the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) Programme, funded by the Department for Transport in partnership with Innovate UK. The investment marks an important step in the Port of Tilbury’s green energy transition, supporting cleaner air for local communities, enabling businesses to capitalise on new opportunities in sustainable transport and contributing to economic growth and job creation. Strategically located at one of the UK’s busiest multimodal freight hubs, Fleete’s facility serves the growing number of zero emission HGVs operating in and through the Port of Tilbury and along the A13 corridor into London. It also supports national infrastructure programmes including the Lower Thames Crossing, where major contractors are switching to electric vehicles to reduce emissions on one of the country’s largest infrastructure construction projects. The official opening was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by representatives from Fleete, project partners and fleet customers, with the hub formally opened by Madam Mayor Sue Shinnick, Mayor of Thurrock. “Today is an important moment for Thurrock and for the wider move towards cleaner freight. The opening of Fleete’s electric HGV charging hub here at the Port of Tilbury, the largest dedicated hub of its kind in the UK, highlights what can be achieved through strong partnership between industry, government and Thames Freeport. This investment supports cleaner transport, improves air quality for our communities, and reinforces Thurrock’s role in adopting practical, forward looking low carbon solutions,” said Madam Mayor Sue Shinnick, Mayor of Thurrock. State-of-the-art eHGV charging Fleete’s shared-user model provides fleet operators with access to reliable, high-quality charging without the need for dedicated facilities, addressing common barriers to electrification including grid capacity, land constraints and upfront infrastructure cost. The new 5 megawatt (MW) site includes: The hub was delivered with design and construction support from industry partners including Envevo, bringing high-voltage charging infrastructure into operation within a live port environment. The site has been designed to accommodate additional fleet operators as demand grows. Speaking at the opening event, Chris Morrison, CEO at Fleete, said: “Today marks a major milestone for Fleete and for the wider logistics sector. From announcing the project last year, to now opening the site, our focus has been on proving that shared, high-capacity charging infrastructure can remove one of the biggest barriers to fleet electrification. “The Port of Tilbury hub shows what’s possible when industry and government work together to deliver infrastructure at scale. By supporting customers and collaborating with partners across the supply chain, we’re helping accelerate the transition to zero-emission commercial transport where it’s needed most.” Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation Minister Keir Mather said: ”This is a significant milestone in our drive to decarbonise road freight, helped by £1million Government investment at the Port of Tilbury site to install EV chargers for HGVs. “Road freight is the backbone of our economy, keeping goods moving and businesses growing. By supporting the sector to go electric, we’re cutting emissions and backing the industry to thrive long into the future.” Strengthening partnerships at Port of Tilbury The new hub forms part of a wider effort to support cleaner freight movement and future-proof one of the UK’s most important logistics gateways. David Webster, Regional Director – Tilbury and Thames Freeport board member, said: “The opening of Fleete’s EV charging hub is a significant step forward for the Port of Tilbury as we work to support the decarbonisation of freight and logistics at one of the UK’s busiest ports. “With thousands of HGV movements through the port every day, access to high-capacity, reliable charging infrastructure is critical. This shared facility will play an important role in helping our customers reduce emissions while maintaining efficient operations.” Stuart Rimmer, CEO (Interim), Thames Freeport added: “This is exactly the kind of project Thames Freeport was established to support. By using targeted seed capital funding to unlock private investment, we are helping to deliver infrastructure that strengthens the Port of Tilbury and supports its long-term competitiveness. For Thurrock and the wider Thames Freeport region, this means cleaner freight operations, modern infrastructure and continued confidence that the area is well placed to attract further investment in sustainable logistics.” Logistics UK Chief Executive Ben Fletcher said: “Public charging infrastructure on this scale, and in such a key strategic location, is precisely what is needed to encourage more operators to use electric vehicles. “The charging hub is vast, and with 16 ultra rapid chargers it will help operators make the switch to electric fleets – especially smaller operators who can struggle to install chargers at their depots.” 1) eFREIGHT 2030 is part of the UK Government’s Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstration programme – funded by the Department for Transport and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
CBRE appointed to sell investment on “the best UK office building outside of London”
The Birmingham capital markets team at leading commercial real estate services firm, CBRE, has been appointed to sell the investment for 3 Chamberlain Square, a landmark office building that has been labelled “the best outside of London.” Managed by Federated Hermes, the 191,000 sq ft building is considered best-in-class with purposeful design features that exemplify a modern workplace. Located in Birmingham’s central business district, 3 Chamberlain Square is part of the £1.2 billion Paradise development, expanding the area’s business, residential and leisure offering. Completed in May 2025, the building’s innovative design has achieved a host of certifications. This list includes EPC A, BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ and NABERS UK 5*, acknowledging its exemplary sustainability credentials, as well as ActiveScore ‘Platinum’ and WiredScore ‘Platinum’, recognising how its design supports active travel and its advanced use of technology respectively. All nine office floors were placed under offer ahead of practical completion, with the final letting achieving a rent of £52 per square foot, the highest of the UK’s big six cities. Tenants include global law firm, Eversheds, international accounting and advisory firm, Forvis Mazars and ‘big four’ accounting firm, EY. The building has also become home to CBRE’s Birmingham office. The asset boasts a Weighted Average Unexpired Lease Term (WAULT) of over 10 years to breaks and 14 years to expiries. Nick Woodward, Head of CBRE’s Birmingham Investment team, said: “3 Chamberlain Square is a unique investment opportunity. The building itself achieves excellence in every category, from sustainability credentials to design, making it arguably the best office building outside of London. This is further demonstrated through the extremely high calibre of occupiers that the building has attracted, offering a stable and already reversionary rental income. “Birmingham as a city is brimming with opportunity, which is only going to get more attractive as HS2 continues to progress and the level of inward investment increases. 3 Chamberlain Square entering the market is the perfect opportunity for those looking to benefit early from Birmingham’s inevitable growth.” CBRE is quoting a price of £123.2m, which reflects a Net Initial Yield of 6.5% for the asset. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals