BE News asked leaders from across the built environment industry to share their hopes, fears and expectations for 2025. More than 125 of you responded in the end, so to make this year’s mega forecast more digestible, we have broken it down into parts and will publish a fresh selection of ‘25 for ’25’ every day this week. Enjoy part five, which includes a few bonus pieces – thanks so much to all who contributed!
Mark Swetman
Chief executive officer, LS Estates
In 2025, LS Estates will remain focused on three core investment areas: London offices, urban science hubs and logistics. Each sector is facing distinct opportunities and challenges. In the office market, the tug-of-war between remote work and returning to shared spaces persists. Employers are striving to attract staff back with high-quality, sustainable offices that foster collaboration and culture. However, rising employer costs, including NIC tax changes, may prompt businesses to reassess workforce strategies and office needs. Secondary office stock faces pressure, with retrofitting and decarbonisation critical to avoiding obsolescence.
Urban science hubs, including life sciences and R&D spaces, are poised for growth as innovation funding fuels demand. Yet, planning hurdles and site shortages could slow progress. Government collaboration and planning reform are essential to unlocking this sector’s potential.
Logistics remains strong, driven by demand for sustainable hubs and automation. However, development hinges on balancing environmental regulations with green infrastructure support.
Across all sectors, sustainability dominates. Stricter ESG standards demand reductions in embodied and operational carbon, with green assets commanding premiums. As capital markets stabilise, central London offices and logistics investments could attract renewed confidence. Clear, consistent government policies will be pivotal in realising these trends.
Alexander Morris
Managing director, BGO
There is a renewed sense of optimism surrounding the property market. The government’s enthusiasm for promoting investment in London will hopefully go some way to unlock planning challenges, while the approval of the City of London Corporation and Westminster City Council’s new 2040 City plans will help drive growth and investment in Central London real estate.
2024 saw strong occupier demand for prime London offices, tightening vacancy rates, and limited new supply. Buildings like 105 Victoria Street are among the few prime workplace assets under construction that meet evolving occupier needs in the years ahead.
Neil Sinclair,
Executive chairman, Pristine Capital plc
As I write, the yield on the 10-year UK gilt is up to 4.8%, the highest since the GFC.
I have said many times before that the misfortunes of a Labour government always create opportunities.
In the 19th century, Baron Rothschild said: “The time to buy is when there’s blood in the streets.” He made a fortune in the panic that followed the Battle of Waterloo. This is counter cyclical investing: the worse things seem in the market, the better the opportunities for profit.
Together with two colleagues, I control a Main Market cash shell, Pristine Capital, and we are looking to do a £30m reverse takeover. Many UK funds are too short term in their thinking, while many offshore are not.
In addition, most funds want scale, notwithstanding that many of our larger property companies have produced poor returns over last 10 years, while some of their market capitalisations have hardly changed in 25 years. Compare that with Workspace, which was worth £60m in 1997 and is now worth £950m and St Modwen, which was worth £85m in 1997 and sold to Blackstone for £1.2bn in 2021.
Will the UK funds see the value in smaller companies that work on a total return basis? They tell me it is all about liquidity, but I never had that problem in my previous company, Palace Capital, which I co-founded.
Alternative sources for raising monies in the public markets are now appearing, some from overseas, who see a gap in our market. I believe they will come to the fore in 2025; three months ago, I had never heard of some of them.
I am confident that we will achieve our objective in 2025, but not necessarily by the usual route.
Justin Sullivan
President, RICS
It is an absolute honour to serve as president of RICS and my focus is firmly on the future. As we face significant challenges in the built environment, I’m determined to ensure RICS continues to lead the way in shaping a sustainable profession.
My presidency will focus on two key priorities. First, tackling the skills shortage. The RICS construction monitor data for 2024, highlights skills shortages as once again being a top barrier in preventing the industry from moving forward, but by working with accredited universities, exploring alternative routes into the profession, and inspiring a diverse next generation, I believe we can turn this round. We also need to engage with young people much earlier in education and make surveying a career of choice for people from all backgrounds.
Secondly, I want to champion the recognition of surveyors’ contributions. Whether through delivering critical infrastructure or advancing sustainability, the work of our members must be valued and celebrated.
Over the next year, I’ll engage with members worldwide to ensure RICS remains a global leader, driving positive change and creating a legacy for the future.
Fons van Dorst
Executive managing director UK, Edge
The office market in 2025 is ready for a rebound. It’s presenting strong opportunities for investors that are targeting the right assets in prime locations, or those capable of being upgraded to meet modern demands. With a tight supply driven by reduced investment in 2024, well-positioned office buildings are likely to benefit significantly.
We’re also anticipating more momentum in large office transactions, as global political and economic shifts – caused by events such as the US elections and the UK Budget – begin to settle. Once a few key deals take place, we’re likely to see a surge of activity as investors will want to capitalise on opportunities and avoid missing out. Ultimately, 2025 could mark a turning point for the sector, with increased investment volumes and renewed confidence.
Adriana Paice Kent
Founder, Woven Spaces
One of the key challenges facing our industry in the year ahead is that many office assets will be facing obsolescence due to their ESG credentials – and with the nation’s 2030 carbon emission targets looming ever closer, the pressure to drive forward sustainability and retain high-level occupiers will be keenly felt.
However, these circumstances present an opportunity for commercial investors and developers to engage with the circular economy in a more impactful way and recognise its potential to deliver assets that command a premium. From reimagining existing structures, aligning with subcontractors to use recycled materials to integrating reclaimed elements and vintage furniture into fit outs, the built world must take a creative approach to sustainability if we are to meet the needs of both the environment and our occupiers for the long term.
Robert Schogger,
Joint chief executive and co-founder, MetSpace
Sustainability will remain a critical priority for commercial landlords in 2025 as the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard deadline nears, with a minimum EPC rating of C required by 2028, rising to B by 2030. According to Knight Frank, 47% of office spaces in England and Wales has an EPC of D or below. Landlords cannot afford to bury their head in the sand, as not meeting these requirements could result in assets becoming unfundable and floors becoming unlettable. The good news is that the changes that need to be made aren’t always as expensive or daunting as many might first think.
Depending on the building, at MetSpace we have seen first-hand how relatively simple improvements such as better floor insulation and upgrading the lighting can be effective implementations alongside other steps, to improve a space’s EPC rating.
The expectation from occupiers for ESG-compliant spaces will also likely continue in 2025. In the first half of 2024, Savill’s reported that 81% of new leases were Prime or Grade A ranked properties. Landlords shouldn’t therefore view retrofitting their spaces as simply meeting compliance but boosting their appeal to potential occupiers.
Sanjeev Patel
Managing director, PPP Capital
The year 2025 is expected to be challenging, but still an improvement over 2024, though the bar set is quite low! We anticipate interest rate cuts, but local and US macroeconomic factors will introduce uncertainty and slow economic progress.
Residential sales are projected to rise, though supply will remain limited. High construction costs will render some developments financially unfeasible, particularly in more affordable areas, making it difficult for the government to meet its housebuilding targets during this term.
In the residential rental sector, demand both from occupiers and investors will remain strong, with rents expected to rise modestly. Both multi-family and single-family properties should perform well.
Meanwhile, in the commercial sector, retail will experience a stronger year, boosted by higher real incomes, which will support increased consumption. Retail parks and well-situated high streets are poised to benefit the most. Landlords will need to focus on providing more experiential offerings to attract consumers.
Zac Goodman,
Director, TSP
My hope for 2025 is that office sector rises from its multi-year stupor. The occupational market has been strong for more than a year while the investment market has remained subdued since 2022. Whether it’s interest rates, inflation or simply needing time for investors to fall back in love – let’s hope we’ve hit the bottom and are on our way back up.
My fear is that the government continues to deflate confidence and enthusiasm. To unleash growth, we need incentive, vision and self-confidence. So far, we have had self-loathing, own goal tax policy and the spectre of new employment legislation that is leaving the entrepreneurial and corporate classes feeling dry mouthed.
My expectation is that business will be business, and we will collectively ‘find a way’ through the obstacle course that is the UK economy. Conversely, the government will be the government and continue to be tone deaf on business, and eventually take credit for the ingenuity we bring to this fantastic country. In life there are those that create and those that constrain – neither will ever let you down. Best of British to everyone for 2025.
Paul Singh
CFO, EEDN
As we enter 2025, the built environment sector has a real opportunity to align with the new Labour government’s ambitious agenda for infrastructure, sustainability and housing reform. My hope is that we embrace this momentum to innovate boldly, whether through deploying AI and digital twins to deliver smarter projects or accelerating the shift to net-zero practices. The government’s push for greener construction offers a golden chance to future-proof our industry while addressing the climate crisis.
SMEs will be key to this drive. Their agility and innovation make them uniquely positioned to lead in adopting sustainable practices and delivering impactful solutions. However, their potential can only be unlocked if they are supported with fair access to funding, clear policy direction and opportunities to collaborate on major projects.
And let’s not ignore the cracks in our foundations. My fear is that without decisive action, the skills gap will deepen, leaving critical government targets unmet. The sector must wake up to the urgent need for investment in skills development and championing diversity. This isn’t just a moral imperative, it’s a business one.
2025 must be the year we get serious about aligning ambition with action. By building smarter, greener and fairer, with SMEs at the forefront, the sector can lead the charge in creating a better future – not just for buildings, but for the people who use them.
Mark O’Mullane
Principal, Henshin Capital Partners
Those that ‘stayed alive till 25’ are finding that their improving confidence and liquidity have been tempered by the Budget, resulting in a more sluggish start to the year. Let’s hope the MPC and Spring Statement restore some optimism. Investor focus on “beds, meds, and sheds” has created opportunities for those exploring less crowded areas. Henshin’s focus remains on the key megatrends shaping 2025 (and beyond): the carbon transition, AI, real estate’s operational shift and the impact of pension reform on capital markets.
London’s cultural offering sustains its status as a global city. However, the decline in FTSE listings, non-dom changes, and the new government provide headroom to rebalance the structure and geography of the economy towards liveable, walkable regional cities. Retrofitting offices and data centres in these locations remains our focus, working with buildings that have an interesting backstory that cannot be easily replicated in a new build.
Patrick Hickey
Director, Make NW
There is a real human need to increase the delivery of new homes as well as commercial property, infrastructure, and education facilities to meet the demands of a growing population.
We believe the proposed planning reforms will create more collaboration between the public and private sector. This will be particularly important in areas where viability is difficult but delivering new homes is important for meeting new housing targets. The government has focused on planning reform to streamline the delivery of housing. However, at the same time the sector is also having to adapt to new regulations.
One of the challenges the sector faces is the need to resource and upskill the workforce to make sure new development is compliant with the Building Safety Act, as it rightly should be. We need to ensure planning and development is compliant with the new Building Safety Act and works in a coordinated and joined up fashion so it does not stymie development.
Dr Ana McMillin
Director of architecture, Broadway Malyan
The publication of the updated NPPF has certainly been interesting and I welcome the focus on sustainable development and affordable housing. I fully support our new government’s shift to facilitate more development by removing some of the common blockages often encountered in our planning system, and reinstating the housing targets. I hope more can be done to unlock the delivery of sites that already have planning permission too.
Looking ahead, I’m optimistic that through reinstatement of strategic planning, local housing targets, and having a more nuanced take on green belt, we can as an industry support the delivery of housing in more sustainable locations. Instead of being led by wherever landowners can promote a site, I look forward to having local plan direction on where we can best establish sustainable growth locations with gentle density, more vibrant places for community life, and where, through new development, we can nudge human behaviour to reduce car use and live healthier lives.
Callum Hassall
Partner, McGuire Woods
In 2025, I expect that the UK commercial real estate market to see a marked shift in focus towards the secondary office sector. As demand for office space continues to rise and with limited new supply on the horizon, there will be increasing pressure on existing stockpile, particularly in regional markets. A key challenge will be addressing substandard office buildings that no longer meet modern standards. Bringing these assets up to a viable, attractive standard will require innovative and cost-effective refurbishment strategies. Investors, developers and lenders will need to adopt a more collaborative, creative approach to revitalise these properties, balancing financial feasibility with tenant demand. In many regions, especially outside London, this secondary stock will become critical in meeting the growing need for office space. The market will have to recognise this potential and take proactive steps to unlock the value of these buildings, ensuring they remain relevant and attractive to occupiers.
Hollie Hanrahan
Investment and operations director, Octopus Real Estate
Heading into 2025, we can look forward to settling into a period of greater economic certainty now that the UK and US elections are behind us, and the first Labour budget in 14 years has been delivered. As we move past the nadir on asset price correction, we should see lower interest rates drive market liquidity and support higher transaction volumes across both commercial and residential asset classes.
We expect to see debt playing an increasingly important role in impact and sustainability as we move towards the UK’s net zero targets: repurposing depreciated assets and creating additionality on brownfield sites. In the housing sector, For Profit Registered Providers will continue to provide much-needed investment into delivering high-quality affordable homes for those who are most in need.
Matthew Poplett
Director, Hellier Langston
The South Coast/M27 corridor industrial and logistics sector is still experiencing an overall lack of supply of good quality stock and demand from occupiers remains steady, with the resultant upward pressure on rents. One of the major factors helping the region to combat macro and meso-economic headwinds is the broad range of industries that are located here, from those associated with the ports to defence, automotive, aerospace, contact lens manufacture and laser technology industries.
This diverse and high-tech economy, supported by world leading higher education facilities such as the University of Southampton, helps make the region more resilient to external shocks and has provided developers with confidence to continue building new industrial and logistics facilities with excellent ESG credentials.
The same factors that are encouraging new build are also leading to the high quality refurbishment of existing stock. Comprehensively refurbished units that have strong underlying fundamentals such as being located close to a motorway with good high eaves height and large yard areas often achieve a similar rent to new build stock. The outlook for the warehouse and industrial markets for 2025 certainly looks positive.
Andy Jones
Group director of corporate & BTR, Leaders Romans Group
Fortunately for property investment, the government’s political ambition – and self-imposed, non-negotiable target – of delivering 1.5 million new homes this Parliament – requires that investment in residential property is supported.
However, I am concerned about the 2% increase in stamp duty for second homes and the slower-than-expected fall in interest rates, which makes UK plc less attractive to Europe – and without institutional investment from elsewhere, the government may fail to achieve its target.
Further change is necessary. The Spring Statement must provide incentives to meet new net zero targets, review stamp duty for target groups such as downsizers and first-time buyers and introduce additional incentives for first time buyers.
The sector likely to prosper most in 2025 is BTR, which is emerging as the key solution to the PRS’s supply-and-demand crisis. BTR now includes over 120,000 homes, with 273,700 in the pipeline. Regional growth of 31% has outpaced London’s 13%, which demonstrates the sector’s broad appeal and potential.
Colin Brown
Head of planning & development, Carter Jonas
In addition to the recent changes to the NPPF, further measures to improve the planning system are vital. We expect a Planning and Infrastructure Bill to be introduced into Parliament early in 2025, to streamline the planning system, simplify and speed up the local planning process and deliver more affordable housing.
Despite understandable concerns, we are likely to see more residential development on lower quality green belt land. Carter Jonas research has demonstrated that green belt land offers strong potential for edge-of-town development within close proximity to transport connections and amenities while preserving high-quality, biodiverse and environmentally sensitive land.
The most ambitious proposal is new towns, which are highly challenging to deliver and a long-term solution that requires a strategic approach to planning policy and innovative mechanisms to forward-fund the necessary infrastructure and harness the private sector. Choosing the right locations and having the right governance structures in place will also be vital.
Debra Yudolph
Founder and CEO, SAY Property Consultants
In a year where it is almost impossible to predict anything related to the economy, these are my predictions for trends in 2025.
- We will continue to see an increase in proptech adoption: smart homes, AI agents and automation for streamlining design and operational management.
- Wellness will continue to expand to meet the demand for wellness-orientated living.
- Mixed-use developments will continue to grow in the market. Urban spaces will increasingly integrate tri-tenure residential, commercial, hospitality and experience/wellness-focused spaces, prioritising community building and work-life balance.
- Sustainability will continue to be a market driver for innovation and the use of technology. .
- BTR will gain traction as household names develop recognisable brands increasing awareness.
- Business will struggle to move from a hybrid model, and offices will continue to shift to flexible layouts with collaboration spaces to accommodate hybrid working models while residents will want more work from home space.
- As affordability pressures persist, the government, developers and investors will focus more on affordable and intermediate housing projects where partnership and collaboration will be key to unlocking delivery.
- The termination of stamp duty relief for first-time buyers in April 2025 may lead to a temporary surge in market activity as buyers rush to complete purchases before the deadline.
Scott Lydon
Director, Clancy Consulting
Decarbonising buildings will remain high on the agenda in 2025. We expect to see continued market demand for expert M&E services, especially in the commercial retrofit market. Owners and occupiers will be looking to make existing structures fit-for-purpose to compete with the raft of best-in-class, sustainable new build developments in the pipeline.
The buoyant commercial fit-out market is being driven by a shift in occupier requirements – to compete with new build, existing structures must be brought up to standard to meet stringent ESG aims as we collectively strive for net zero.And it’s not just about sustainability: occupiers also want healthier and smarter buildings that improve employee wellbeing and foster greater productivity.
As ever, the complexity of the M&E process depends on the risk of the retrofit project. Riskier projects require more detailed evaluation. The market will require good-quality M&E consultants that can help them navigate these complex projects, galvanising demand in the sector.
Petra Blazkova
Europe head of core and core-plus research and strategy, LaSalle Investment Management
Despite a mixed macroeconomic picture, we believe that the underlying foundations of European real estate still remain strong across different sectors, including logistics. Over the past few years, we’ve seen that European logistics real estate has earned a significant place within investor portfolios. The rise in e-commerce and the need for good quality warehouses has meant that logistic assets have had the highest returns of any European property type in eight of the last 10 years.
While we expect to see further opportunities in 2025, it will be more difficult for logistics to outperform. We believe, however, that those industrial buildings that are well located, meet occupier demand and are better able to distribute goods to consumers at the lowest costs will win out. Overall, the outlook for both favoured and overlooked sectors is converging, with logistics remaining a strong category for investment.
Darren Williamson
Partner, Freeths
After a gloomy 2023 we had an uptick in transactions in 2024, saw larger deals (which evaporated in 2023) come back and breach the £100m mark once again and markets return for certain sectors (eg industrial, which had been dry over 2022/3). Then news of the election was unsettling, but a summer election was much preferred to a November election. The run up to the Autumn Statement then led to a spike in activity for us which has continued through to the end of the year, so our outlook for 2025 is optimistic.
We have greater vision on pipeline than in 2023/4 and, with SDLT reliefs that are not forecast to extend, it should lead to activity in housebuilding this quarter as people try to lock those in. Labour has set its stall out for growth and this should be possible if further regulation does not cause the machine to grind to a halt.
Simon Elmer
Spokesperson, The Bloomsbury London Partnership
The outlook for us reflects both optimism and caution, emblematic of London’s wider property market. It has been a year of resilience and growth in Bloomsbury, with major investments materialising – such as new hotel developments, refurbished workspaces, and a strengthened hospitality sector. These milestones, coupled with the area’s enduring appeal – its green spaces, cultural heritage, and connectivity – position it as a rising star in London’s property market.
Yet, as promising as the local successes are, external uncertainties cast some shadows. Continued global unrest has the potential to deter tourists and visitors from international travel and politically driven changes might make the UK less attractive for living, working, studying, investing and employing. While there is much to anticipate, vigilance is key. Balancing innovation and addressing broader market concerns will deliver another thriving year.
Guy Sackett
Head of real estate, Irwin Mitchell
We are keen to learn how the consultations on the future of part two of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, proposed changes to the Energy Performance Certificate regime and how the mandatory auctions of vacant high street premise will all pan out in 2025.
Arguably, the most impactful changes will stem from the government’s ambitious commitment to deliver 1.5 million new homes in England over the next five years and to reform the planning system.
We welcome the accelerated and more certain routes to development of urban brownfield and also proposals to support greater investment in renewable energy, such as onshore wind development. However, the government must navigate concerns about what will constitute ‘grey land’ and possible encroachments into the green belt.
Balancing the push for increased housing with the crucial natural capital agenda – aiming for biodiversity net gain and nutrient neutrality – will be essential. My hope is that all these interests can be successfully reconciled, stimulating development and deliver much needed housing – while enhancing nature’s recovery.
Laura Kurt
Commercial director, Fusion Group
My hope and expectation for 2025 is that we’re going to see the UK’s living sectors become much more sophisticated. That will be in direct response to increasing customer savviness when it comes to identifying what they want amid many more choices. This should translate into a proper structuring of the PBSA market, in a similar way to hotels and hospitality, where students can better identify the brand that best suits them.
That will also resolve the fears of those in the PBSA sector around BTR and co-living snapping up their customers. The wants and needs of students differ from those of young professionals, and they need a distinct service offering. That’s why Fusion relaunched our operating platform: our capital partners recognise that if we provide an exceptional branded experience that understands student communities and supports them, as opposed to a one-size-fits-all approach, then they benefit and the asset will increase in value.
Ed Blackburn
Head of resilient & sustainable places, ESG consultancy, CBRE
2024 was the warmest year on record, bringing with it a host of extreme weather including floods, storms, heatwaves and wildfires. As we head into the new year, these events will serve as a stark realisation that climate change is not a future phenomenon, but something that is increasingly affecting the here and now.
As an asset class, real estate is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and those who own, fund, occupy and develop buildings need to understand both their exposure to physical climate risks and the associated costs of constructing new assets and effectively adapting existing ones to make them more resilient.
Regulatory reporting and disclosure requirements are increasing the scrutiny on physical climate risk exposure and achieving resilience is necessary to help maintain insurance cover, minimise disruption to business operations, maintain the wellbeing of site users and protect asset value.
Tom Pike
Director of planning, Lanpro
We welcome the revised NPPF but are concerned about the implementation of the changes if transitional arrangements are not effective. We anticipate an increase in positive decisions by government, but how local politics reacts to the change will be fundamental. The government must focus on accelerating local plans and local plan reviews, also widening and standardising the situations under which ‘very special circumstances’ can allow green belt development.
The lack of investment in social and affordable housing is likely to continue in early 2025, with developers experiencing difficulty securing bids from registered providers for affordable housing secured in S106 agreements – impacting on the delivery of both market and affordable housing. This will remain a blockage until significant investment is provided. Change will take concerted effort from government, local planning authorities, developers, landowners and investors and is fraught with risk and uncertainty, but the need is widely accepted. We look forward to further clarity in 2025.
Mark Chick
Director of ALEP and partner at Bishop & Sewell
In November last year, we welcomed clarification on the implementation of aspects of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, along with the government’s acknowledgement that there are serious flaws within the legislation that must be resolved, such as amendments to the valuation mechanism, to the threshold for the right to manage (RTM) and to the 990-year lease extension in relation to shared ownership.
ALEP welcomes the government following through on the pledge to bring forward a draft Leasehold & Commonhold Reform Bill, along with a white paper on reforms to commonhold in the early part of 2025. The widespread introduction of commonhold will be complex, with a wide-ranging and extensive impact across the property market. As such, it is correct that the government has not rushed into introducing commonhold in the early days of its administration – as the 2024 Act has shown, leasehold reform is not easily achieved.
Adrian Plant
Director, SOWN
One of the greatest omissions in October’s Budget was support for first time buyers – in fact we saw the reverse: 5% more stamp duty on properties priced between £300,001 and £500,000 and a freezing of Lifetime ISAs. And while the government has pledged to invest considerably in affordable housing, every indication to date is that this will be used for social housing for rent, rather than for sale.
Shared ownership is one of the most effective means of first time buyers getting onto the housing ladder and demand has never been greater. In 2025, we believe it is imperative that the government supports first time buyers and others to get onto the property ladder by allocating to shared ownership providers some of the resources that had previously been invested in Help to Buy. By increasing awareness, trust and desirability, the shared ownership sector can continue to grow to the benefit of thousands of would be first time buyers.
Alex Taylor
Head of Telford Living
2025 should be a vintage year for the UK’s living sector. Purpose-built student accommodation will remain a cornerstone, but other asset classes including build to rent and co-living will increasingly look attractive as a result of brightening economic conditions and sustained consumer demand.
My hope in 2025 is that the trend towards partnerships between investors and developers, where risk and rewards are more evenly distributed, will continue. Very few traditional forward funds are progressing, and we need to explore more innovative joint ventures and hybrid forward funding models to enable developers to unlock some of the countless sites that are in stasis. Mixed-use, larger regeneration schemes remain an opportunity for developers in 2025, especially for those with the balance sheet and technical expertise to navigate through the regulatory complexity and pursuit cost of delivering multi-tenure projects.
Sarah McDonnell
Director of project management, TFT Dublin
My hope for 2025 is that more building owners and their advisors will ditch the outdated practice of speculative Cat A fit outs. Simply put, they are wasteful. We know that tenants want to put their own stamp on a space, so why go to the trouble of installing a generic, temporary look. It’s an expensive marketing strategy from a carbon point of view: in an office building of around 100,000 sq ft, Cat A fit outs can carry 750 tonnes of embodied carbon.
This doesn’t have to be repeated time and time again. Let’s start by educating clients that bare space is often easier – and takes only slightly longer – to fit out for their needs than a Cat A-ready space. And there are plenty of tools to help agents bring spaces to life without the need for such significant expense and waste of materials. Many advisers feel just as strongly as I do about this. At a time when occupiers, owners and investors have clear ESG policies and carbon reduction ambitions, 2025 should be the year when we resist the pressures of ‘business as usual’ and halt this cycle.
Sam Cotton
Head of asset management, Battersea Power Station Development Company
In 2025, employers will remain focused on how they can draw workers back into the office. Key to offering a compelling alternative to remote working is a high quality workspace in an amenity-rich, well-connected area that fosters a sense of community, encourages development and offers lifestyle benefits that cannot be replicated in a work from home environment.
Access to shops, bars, restaurants, gyms, green spaces, leisure and entertainment venues are all now high on tenants’ wish lists, displacing the long-held preference for mono-culture work districts. Battersea Power Station is a large-scale mixed-use estate that is home to more than 150 British and international brands, with a flourishing community of more than 3,500 office workers. These include occupants of Apple’s UK headquarters located inside the London landmark and SharkNinja and TEAM LEWIS at 50 Electric Boulevard, our latest sustainable 200,000 sq ft workspace.
Ondřej Chybík
Co-founder, CHYBIK+KRISTOF
As we enter the midpoint of this decade, millennials are firmly taking the lead as architects and decision-makers, particularly in addressing the housing crisis. My hope is that we will see more reimagining of cities through better housing models, as well as more adaptive reuse and environmentally conscious designs that prioritise affordability and community well-being. However, concerns remain over whether these efforts can overcome systemic challenges and deliver equitable housing for all – and quickly enough.
City architects are emerging as key figures amid debates over urban expansion and transformation. Their challenge will be preserving authenticity and fostering a sense of belonging while driving innovation in the rapidly evolving social landscapes of many cities. Communities are also stepping into the spotlight, becoming increasingly crucial stakeholders in the design process. From vibrant public squares to intergenerational districts, architecture is evolving into a platform for collective expression. This collaborative ethos, highlighted in themes of many upcoming festivals, fuels optimism for a future where shared creativity redefines how we live, work and connect.
Anja Schellenbauer
Associate director, John Robertson Architects
Last year proved to be a watershed year for sustainability, with a surge of innovative thought leadership focused on carbon neutrality, re-use and nature-based solutions. Among the most exciting developments was the introduction of the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, which creates a much-needed unified methodology and metric for net zero carbon aligned buildings in line with national climate targets.
However, I feel the launches of ‘Don’t Waste Buildings’, ‘The Engineers Re-use Collective’, ‘Circular Do Tank’ and the ‘Romulus Re-use Initiative’ will be the real game changers. Breaking down the last barriers to a viable circular economy, each of these initiatives is already starting to play a pivotal role in re-imagining the use cycle of structures and materials by advocating for practical alternatives to the end-of-life default and premature obsolescence.
While 2024 was undeniably a year of incredible progress, I am optimistic that 2025 will be the year in which we consolidate these isolated pockets of collaborative change and weave together the fragmented pieces of the sustainability puzzle into a symbiotic systems-based approach.
Sam Martin
Executive director, Exterior Architecture
The landscape architecture industry in the UK is poised to maximise opportunities in 2025, driven by key trends and policy shifts. Sustainability remains at the forefront, with increasing emphasis on designing resilient urban spaces that mitigate climate change impacts. The push for net zero carbon emissions has sparked demand for green infrastructure, such as urban forests, biodiverse habitats, and rain gardens, aligning with government initiatives like the Environmental Land Management schemes and the updated NPFF.
Technological advancements are reshaping the profession, with tools like GIS, BIM, and AI enabling more efficient, data-driven design processes. Smart cities and digital twin technologies are gaining traction, integrating landscape architecture into broader urban planning efforts.
The housing sector continues to be a significant market, fuelled by the government’s commitment to building affordable and sustainable homes. Meanwhile, public realm projects are expanding, prioritising health and wellbeing through inclusive, accessible outdoor spaces.
Challenges include economic uncertainties and resource constraints, but collaboration between public and private sectors promises innovative solutions. In 2025, landscape architects will play a pivotal role in creating greener, more sustainable environments across the UK.
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