One Big Idea shortlist revealed as sector’s boldest thinkers spotlighted ahead of UKREIIF 2026
The three shortlisted ideas include focuses on the reduction of carbon, supporting the next generation and solving viability gaps for projects WORKING together to uncover the sector’s brightest and boldest ideas, UKREiiF and strategic marketing agency Cartwright have revealed the shortlist for the ‘One Big Idea’ initiative. Nearly 100 entries were received from across the built environment, with submissions showcasing exciting new ideas, concepts and ways of thinking. The ‘One Big Idea’ initiative aims to give property and construction specialists the opportunity to make their mark and push the sector forward. It was open to entries from any level of seniority or experience. Making the final shortlist are ideas from Kuram Gwakyaa, head of sustainability for Home Office and MOJ accounts at Mitie; Sally Grindrod-Smith, director of planning regeneration and communities at West Lindsey District Council and Matt Drewitt, architect at the Government Property Agency. The three shortlisted ideas include focuses on the reduction of carbon, supporting the next generation and solving viability gaps for projects. Further insight into the ideas will be shared at the Big Idea Breakfast at UKREiiF on Wednesday 20 May Liz Cartwright, managing director at Cartwright and shortlist judge, said: “Our One Big Idea initiative was created to champion new and purposeful thinking from those in the industry. Across all submissions received there is no doubt that this kind of thinking was showcased in abundance. “Our shortlisted ideas demonstrate not only originality but a true potential to move the industry forward. Each one is not a concept for its own sake but is grounded in real challenges and real opportunities. Offering space for these ideas to flourish is exactly what we here at Cartwright, in partnership with UKREiiF, have set out to do.” The wider judging panel that took on the task of reviewing the ideas submitted and creating a shortlist, included James Bywood, marketing director at UKREiiF; Renee Preston, chief executive officer at Gallaway Construction; Shahi Islam, director of affordable housing at Homes England; and Rory Bates, built environment sector lead at SLR Consulting. The judging criteria was chosen to help highlight the most powerful submissions. This included marking ideas on their creativity and originality, impact and value, and clarity of the idea. Following the Big Idea Breakfast event, Cartwright will also be releasing a ‘One Big Idea’ report for the wider market, telling the stories of the winning entrants and sharing a wider selection of One Big Idea suggestions – including additional insights gathered from its on-site presence at the event. James Bywood, marketing director at UKREiiF said: “UKREiiF has always been a place where ideas on how to grow and better the industry have the space to flourish. One Big Idea is allowing us to take this to the next level and there is no doubt that the results so far have been incredible. All the ideas submitted showcase vital thinking from different levels and experience on how the industry can grow to new heights and it’s safe to say that shortlisting to just three was no easy job. “As the countdown to UKREiiF ticks down, seeing the three shortlisted ideas come to life at the One Big Idea breakfast is one of many parts of those three days in Leeds that our team here are looking forward to most – alongside generating those important conversations that will foster even more ideas for what’s next for the industry.” The initiative forms the newest era of the partnership, as Cartwright takes on the role of official storytelling partner for UKREiiF 2026, as part of a year-round agreement. For more information about Cartwright visit www.cartwrightagency.com or to register for UKREiiF 2026 go to www.ukreiif.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Muse announces senior promotion to operations director
Muse, the nationwide placemaker, has announced the promotion of Stuart Rogers to the position of Operations Director, a national role within the business Rogers first joined the North West team in April 2022, with nearly 20 years’ project management experience across the built environment sector. Since his appointment, he played an integral role leading on the delivery of major projects across the region, including the ongoing plans for St Helens, Prestwich, Wythenshawe and Oldham town centres. Stuart has also been part of Muse’s nationwide ESG and sustainability team, and has driven Muse’s strategic approach with the Building Safety Regulator Following his contribution, Rogers was promoted to the position of Director of Project Management for the North West region. After two successful years in post supporting significant growth in the regional business, he will now move into the newly created national senior leadership role. Within his position he will be responsible for driving high-quality standards for delivery across the whole business – with a focus on overseeing and optimising the day-to-day operational activities of the company. This includes a strengthening of Muse’s partnership approach, with robust national strategic relationships with supply chain, contractors and consultants integral to the business as it looks to convert its strong pipeline to delivery. Over the last 12 months Muse has been preparing sites across the country as part of a strategic expansion of its development pipeline to £6.3 billion (including preferred bidder positions). In the last year this has increased by 29%, from £4.9billion. As regional teams in London, the Midlands, North West and Yorkshire & the North East work with local partners to translate visions into great places, Stuart will be focused on ensuring that robust delivery systems and structures are in place to ensure Muse retains and enhances its high standards. Phil Mayall, Managing Director at Muse, said: “We’re delighted to announce Stuart’s promotion to the newly created position of Operations Director.Since joining us he has brought insight, strategic vision, and drive to Muse – helping play a leading role in driving forward transformative placemaking projects with our partners in the North West region. “As we look to deliver against our significant pipeline nationwide and drive forward positive, meaningful, growth, we want to ensure that we are not only maintaining our high standards but enhancing our reputation for excellence and innovation. In his new role, Stuart will allow us to achieve this, ensuring we have aligned, streamlined, delivery structures in place that will enable us to create high-quality, sustainable, places where people can live, work and thrive.” Stuart Rogers, Operations Director at Muse, said: “Since joining Muse I have had the privilege to work with a fantastic team and committed partners to deliver impactful regeneration projects in the North West. What we do at Muse is not easy, but our determination to deliver and resilience is something I’m deeply proud of “As our significant development pipeline continues to grow nationally, I am delighted to be promoted to the position of Operations Director. Our business priority has always been about delivery, and I am looking forward to not only continuing to support the excellent team in the North West, but those across the country, who have been working hard with our national and local partners to progress visions. “It is important that as we look to deliver against these ambitions, and that we are genuinely meeting the needs of the communities and enabling long-term social and economic growth.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Development Director Ulrike Maccariello to retire from Hastoe after 20-year career at the rural housing specialist
Regional Development Manager Chris Meadows to take reins as new Development Director Ulrike Maccariello will be retiring from Hastoe Housing Association at the end of July, following a distinguished 20-year career at the rural housing specialist that has included serving as Development Director for the last seven years. Chris Meadows, Hastoe’s Regional Development Manager for the West and Sales Manager, will become Development Director at the start of May, to ensure a smooth transition. In other changes to the team, Mike Cramp, currently Regional Development Manager for the East, will become Head of Development, with responsibility for development across all regions; Emily Moss will become Sales Manager; Neil Salisbury, Technical Manager, will now head up Hastoe’s technical quality control team; and a new Development Manager post is being created to cover the South-East, including Hampshire and Sussex. Andrew Potter, Hastoe CEO, says: “Ulrike has been an integral part of our development team for over 20 years, and for the past seven, she has led as director with unwavering dedication. During her time here, Ulrike has spearheaded our move to high-quality and sustainable rural developments, creating homes for those who need them most and championing rural affordable housing across the sector. Her leadership has left an indelible mark on Hastoe and the communities we serve. “We are fortunate Ulrike has created a skilled and talented development team, and I wish Chris and the rest of his team all the very best as they step into their new challenges.” Ulrike says: “The network of fantastic people I have had the privilege to work with are part of the reason I have stayed at Hastoe for so long. I am enormously grateful for all the opportunities I have had and the partnerships and friendships I have made. Rural housing is a topic that will always remain close to my heart, and I am delighted to see Chris become Development Director, as he has a real passion and enthusiasm for Hastoe and our values. I wish him and the rest of the team lots of success in their new roles.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Why Waste Planning Should Start Before Your Project Gets Complicated
If you want a project to run smoothly, you need to think beyond materials, labour, and deadlines. One of the easiest things to underestimate is waste. It sounds minor at first. A few broken materials. Some packaging. A growing pile of offcuts. But once site activity picks up, poor waste planning can start affecting access, productivity, safety, and even the pace of the programme. On projects of almost any size, that becomes a real operational issue, not just a housekeeping one. So, let’s take a look at why waste problems have a habit of becoming much bigger than expected. Waste Problems Rarely Stay Small You’ve probably seen it happen. A site begins in a controlled way, then clutter starts building in corners, near entrances, beside storage areas, and around working zones. Suddenly, trades are navigating around the mess instead of moving freely through the site. Deliveries become more awkward. Sorting waste becomes reactive. Time gets lost in tiny pockets all day long. That’s why it helps to treat waste like part of your site logistics plan, not something separate from it. When you think ahead about where waste will be created, how quickly it will accumulate, and how often it needs to be removed, you protect the workflow before problems develop. It is less about tidiness for appearance’s sake and more about keeping your site usable. The Right Setup Makes Daily Work Easier Choosing the right waste solution isn’t just about volume. It’s also about access, project type, and the kind of debris you expect to generate. The Waste Group’s Bournemouth service page outlines a range of options from smaller skips to larger containers and roll-on roll-off units, showing how different projects need different approaches. It also notes next-day delivery for orders placed before midday on working days, which can be useful when timelines are tight. Used properly, skip hire can do more than remove rubbish. It can help you create a cleaner working rhythm on-site. Trades spend less time shifting waste out of the way. Storage zones stay clearer. Access points remain usable. That sort of consistency makes a difference over the life of a project. Access Rules Need Attention Early You also need to think about where waste containers will go. If they are placed on private land, the process is usually simpler. If they need to sit on a public road or pavement, permits may be required. The Waste Group states that skips placed on public land in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area need council permission, and that approval can take several working days. That delay may not sound serious on paper, but on a live project, a few missed days can trigger unnecessary disruption. If demolition starts before disposal is properly arranged, you create pressure where there didn’t need to be any. Good Waste Planning Supports the Whole Project You don’t need to be running a huge development for waste planning to matter. Refurbishments, extensions, fit-outs, and commercial upgrades all benefit from early coordination. When you plan disposal as carefully as deliveries and labour, the whole site tends to operate better. And that’s really the point. Waste isn’t a side issue. If you manage it well, you make the rest of the job easier too.
Winvic shortlisted for Contractor of the Year at Construction News Awards 2026
Winvic Construction is proud to announce that it has been shortlisted for the prestigious Contractor of the Year (turnover over £500M) category at the Construction News Awards 2026 as it celebrates its 25th year in business. Recognised as one of the construction industry’s most respected and competitive accolades, the Construction News Awards celebrate the organisations, projects and people that are driving excellence, innovation and impact across the built environment. Also marking the 30th anniversary of the awards – a rigorous judging process is led by an independent panel of over 100 senior industry figures, being shortlisted is a significant achievement and testament to Winvic’s Doing It Right ethos and values-led approach, The Winvic Way, delivering outstanding results for clients and the communities in which it operates. The Contractor of the Year category highlights organisations that demonstrate exceptional performance across a range of criteria, including project delivery, sustainability, innovation and workforce development. Winvic’s shortlisting, on the 25th year anniversary of the business, reflects the strength of its diverse portfolio and its ability to deliver complex, high-quality projects across multiple sectors, alongside recognising the company’s ongoing investment in its people and innovative construction methods, such as the use of a unitised brick façade system enabling the rapid installation of 2,768 prefabricated panels without scaffolding, HP SitePrint Robot and the UK’s first deployment of Skyline Cockpit for remote tower crane operation at Crown Place, Birmingham. Operationally, Winvic expanded delivery and community outcomes across its three core sectors in 2025, completing 20 Industrial & Logistics, 34 Civils & Infrastructure, and five Multi-Room projects, while launching a fourth sector, Data Centres in 2026. It also announced the early completion of a £14m infrastructure scheme in Milton Keynes, delivered three months ahead of programme, helping to minimise disruption and improve efficiency. The contractor showcased its leading ESG credentials achieving Achilles Net CarbonZero Certification, reducing overall carbon footprint by 71% in compliance with the Achilles Climate Impact Programme Part 3 requirements, and innovated an industry-first water pollution solution at SEGRO Park, Coventry. During the year, Winvic completed its 91st Net Zero/ Low Carbon facility and hosted its 10th workshop with 80 partners from its Green Supply Chain to collaboratively embed best practice and accelerate progress towards a Net Zero future. Danny Nelson, Managing Director of Industrial, Logistics and Data Centres at Winvic, said: “Winvic’s shortlisting for Contractor of the Year is a commendable achievement and a reflection of the hard work, commitment and expertise of teams across our entire business. “We pride ourselves on consistently delivering best-in-class projects while continuing to invest in our people, innovation and sustainable practices. I’d like to thank our teams, clients, supply chain and partners for their continued commitment and collaboration, which has made both this shortlisting and the last 25 years possible. Congratulations to everyone who has been shortlisted.” Join Winvic on social media – LinkedIn, and Instagram. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Mountpark – What Occupiers Wanting 2026: Insights Shaping the Next Era of Logistics Real Estate
As Europe settles into 2026, the logistics and industrial real estate landscape is undergoing a decisive shift. Occupiers facing supply chain recalibration, cost inflation and labour market constraints, are sharpening their logistics requirements. As Europe settles into 2026, the logistics and industrial real estate landscape is undergoing a decisive shift. Occupiers facing supply‑chain recalibration, cost inflation and labour market constraints, are sharpening their logistics requirements. Insights from the December 2025 Affinius Capital Sponsor Report illustrate how occupier preferences are evolving and what this means for big box developers. Its findings reveal much about occupier sentiment and have enabled Mountpark to pinpoint the Top Five Occupier Trends defining logistics in 2026: 1. Next generation design Affinius’ findings reveal occupiers continue to prioritise modern, high‑specification logistics facilities, widening the gap between demand for grade A space and the obsolescence of older stock. The report highlights that tenant preferences strongly favour modern, quality space, especially as older, functionally outdated buildings no longer support operational needs. This trend reflects: For Mountpark, which is already delivering next‑generation design, this reinforces the importance of continuing to lead on high-quality, future-proofed assets. One strong example is Mountpark Ferrybridge in Yorkshire, a former power-generation site now transforming into a next-generation logistics campus, and one that puts sustainable innovation at its core, targeting BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ and EPC A+ ratings. The first unit was pre-let to Warburtons, demonstrating just how strong the demand is for Grade A properties. 2. Fight to quality While demand remains resilient, new supply is tightening sharply. European logistics completions are projected to decline by a staggering 40% from 2022 to 2026, driven by elevated borrowing costs and construction inflation that is reducing the feasibility of projects. This creates conditions where occupiers will increasingly compete for the best‑located, best‑specified space and where developers bold enough to continue delivering logistics assets will gain market advantage. Build-to-suit may also become more attractive to occupiers struggling to speculatively completed properties. At Mountpark, we want every business to have the choice to occupy or build a facility that genuinely fits its future. In an environment defined by scarcity, our goal is to deliver certainty, quality and room to grow. View our portfolio of live projects across Europe here. 3. ESG and Power Requirements Across Europe, occupiers are raising expectations around sustainability, energy performance, and regulatory compliance. The Affinius report notes that Europe’s regulatory environment places a strong focus on sustainability, data security and privacy, particularly in sectors such as data centres. Key ESG requirements include: Occupiers do not simply favour ESG‑aligned buildings they increasingly avoid non-compliant stock, accelerating the obsolescence of older facilities. Build‑to‑suit delivery is an increasingly powerful tool in this environment, enabling occupiers to align property specifications precisely with their operational priorities, ensuring they fully reflect and support ESG commitments. And it’s not just data centres where power requirements are rising. Occupiers across logistics, manufacturing and 3PL operations are requiring greater grid capacity to support their increased use of automation, robotics and AI‑enabled systems. Occupiers in 2026 will be seeking locations with the ability to scale energy use over time. Developers who can deliver these power‑robust sites will win disproportionate market share. Our focus at Mountpark for 2026 is therefore on identifying and accelerating sites with excellent power requirements while prioritising locations with undersupply, ensuring occupiers can secure future‑ready facilities even as market competition intensifies. 4. Location Strategy Affinius’ report emphasises the regionalisation of higher‑value manufacturing, growth in ecommerce and on/near‑shoring initiatives as key forces shaping logistics demand. Occupiers are reassessing their network footprints to prioritise proximity to labour pools, access to multimodal transport infrastructure and locations supporting resilient, diversified supply chains. With market conditions fluid and supply chains still adapting, occupiers also want flexible buildings that allow them to upscale or relocate quickly. The report shows latent demand delayed by macro uncertainty, with leasing momentum expected to rebound once conditions stabilise. Mountpark’s strategic landbank and presence across major European hubs positions it strongly to support occupiers recalibrating their networks. In the UK, Mountpark Hinckley is an excellent example, situated in the heart of the Golden Triangle, the UK’s premier logistics location, with unrivalled connectivity to national transport routes and major parcel hubs. The scheme has the ability to deliver up to 1.46 million sq ft of space, with Unit 1 (492,000 sq ft) already pre-let and Units 2 and 3 capable of delivery in Q2 2027, providing the certainty and speed to market that today’s occupiers increasingly demand. 5. Cost Predictability and Operational Efficiency Rising costs including energy, labour and transport are pushing occupiers to focus on buildings that make operations cheaper and more efficient. Key requirements include: Given stabilising valuations and easing borrowing costs highlighted in the Affinius report, occupiers may increasingly adopt long-term strategic leases to lock in the operational efficiencies. The leasing of all seven units at Mountpark Baldonnell in Ireland, prior to practical completion, reflects our ability to deliver complex, high-value developments that align with occupiers’ long term strategies. These five trends underline the decisive shifts defining logistics in 2026. Today’s savvy occupiers understand precisely what is required to support performance, resilience and long‑term growth and they are increasingly unwilling to compromise. Mountpark’s dedication to best‑in‑class design, forward‑thinking innovation and strategic development across Europe ensures we remain ideally positioned to meet and exceed the expectations of the modern occupier. Take an even deeper dive by viewing our live portfolio of projects across Europe offering a range of both speculative and build-to-suit opportunities. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals