BE News asked leaders from across the built environment industry to summarise 2025 in one word and share their hopes, fears and expectations for 2026. A whopping number of you responded, so to make this year’s mega forecast more digestible, we have broken it down into parts and will publish a fresh selection of ‘26 for ’26’ every day this week. Enjoy part five, which includes a few bonus pieces – thanks so much to all who contributed!
Jon Di-Stefano
CEO, Greencore Homes
Sum up 2025 in one word: Stability
Do you feel more or less optimistic than you felt 12 months ago?
I’m relatively optimistic about the land market and the wider housing market in 2026, maybe slightly more so than 12 months ago.
What do you think will be the key watchwords/industry trends in 2026?
Delivery will be the key question in 2026, whether housing output genuinely increases and if meaningful progress is made towards the government’s high targets. The impact of planning reform will be closely watched following the changes to the NPPF, alongside whether we see more action on the promises made. I also expect we will see continued interest in single-family rental housing investment. Finally, I believe the market’s growing desire for energy efficient new homes, lower household running costs and a stronger focus on carbon emissions in the built environment will continue to shape our industry in 2026.
Sum up your hopes, fears and expectations for 2026: For the industry as a whole, my hope is that planning reforms begin to make a tangible difference, supported by practical engagement at a local level and across schemes of all sizes. Continued support for SME developers will be critical if we are to unlock delivery and maintain diversity in the sector.
I expect the housing market to see steady, gradual improvement over the course of the year, not dramatic growth, but a slow return of confidence among homebuyers. Further reductions in interest rates would help underpin that confidence and support both buyers and developers into 2026 and beyond.
Overall, 2026 should be about pragmatism and progress – translating policy into delivery, maintaining a focus on sustainability and creating the conditions for sustainable, long-term growth across the housing sector.
Tarry Depledge
Head of ESG, Moda
Sum up 2025 in one word: Resilient. A year of adaptability, while laying further groundwork for long term sustainability and net zero ambitions.
Do you feel more or less optimistic than you felt 12 months ago?
Definitely more optimistic. Despite the political headwinds, focus on energy infrastructure, efficiency and low carbon investment gives me confidence that both policy and the industry continue to move in the right direction.
What do you think will be the key watchwords/industry trends in 2026?
Next year, we expect sustainability to be about action, not just ambition; energy efficient homes, renewable technologies, greener streets and neighbourhoods that genuinely support people and the planet. Policy stability will be central to giving developers the confidence to invest long term and collaboration between government, industry and communities will continue to shape how we deliver net zero in practice.
At the same time, ‘greenhushing’ is something to watch – companies holding back on sharing their sustainability achievements for fear of criticism, particularly in light of global geoeconomic circumstances. This can slow progress, heathy competition and the spread of good ideas. The challenge will be to communicate impact confidently and honestly, to inspire each other and to ensure we keep building places and communities that make a real difference.
Omar Al-Hasso
CEO, SimplyPhi
Sum up 2025 in one word: Waiting-game
Do you feel more or less optimistic than you felt 12 months ago?
I feel much more optimistic going into 2026. Last year, political uncertainty was a huge blocker for affordable housing delivery, as local authorities and housing associations waited for significant scheduled funding programmes to kick off. In 2026, it is my hope that local authorities will be in a much clearer position to commit to housing plans.
What do you think will be the key watchwords/industry trends in 2026?
National Housing Bank (NHB) and B&B reduction.
Sum up your hopes, fears and expectations for 2026: My greatest fear going into 2026 is the risk that decision making at local government level will be derailed by the May elections. With so much hanging in the balance from a funding point of view, my concern is that local authorities will use the elections as an reason to wait instead of actioning plans. This could result in the start dates for housing delivery programmes being delayed into the summer and beyond, which would be a huge waste of time.
I hope that the MHCLG will enable local government decision making, actioned through the separate arms of the National Housing Bank, Homes England and the GLA. If we can get working in partnership right, we can begin to end the homelessness crisis, and end the use of B&Bs and expensive nightly let accommodation. Local government is a vital partner to making this happen, so it needs to feel confident enough to engage with the right partners and be proactive in making decisions to progress housing delivery.
Alex Pearsall
President of the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors, associate director, Turner & Townsend
Sum up 2025 in one word: Interesting
Do you feel more or less optimistic than you felt 12 months ago?
The same.
What do you think will be the key watchwords/industry trends in 2026?
Skills gap, AI, power/electrification.
Sum up your hopes, fears and expectations for 2026: My hopes for 2026 are that more people become curious about and engaged with careers in our industry, and that we see greater collaboration across sectors to make that happen. Education outreach and engaging with schools, colleges and universities will be essential to this. At the end of 2025, we saw encouraging signs of young people choosing apprenticeships over university, but the industry currently lacks the capacity to absorb this growing interest.
The word “accelerate” appears frequently in the 10-year infrastructure strategy, but without closing the talent gap and creating pathways to support new entrants, delivery will remain a challenge. I expect 2026 to test us, but I’m excited to contribute to another year of progress. Finally, as society navigates uncertainty, I’m optimistic that our sector will continue to lead by example, championing inclusion, equity, and collaboration. These values have strengthened our industry and will remain the foundation for innovation and resilience in the year ahead.
Simon Vernon-Harcourt
Design & planning director, City & Country
Sum up 2025 in one word: Interesting!
Do you feel more or less optimistic than you felt 12 months ago?
I feel much more optimistic compared to a year ago. The positive impact of the 2023 NPPF changes have begun to take effect which is a very positive sign, however the final months of last year were affected by the confusion and rumour linked to the Autumn Budget which caused a slump in the housing market.
What will be the key watchwords/industry trends in 2026?
Development in sustainable locations, housing targets and YIMBY.
Sum up your hopes, fears and expectations for 2026: After the disruption to caused by the Autumn Budget, I am hopeful that there will be greater market confidence in the coming year. I do believe the government is genuinely committed to building more housing, and this has already begun to take place as a result of sensible and positive changes made to the planning system. There is a lot more work to be done here, but Labour is on the right track. They firmly believe in a the key principle of getting people into their own homes, but the big question for me is if they can do this fast enough.
My fear is the huge raft of paperwork and processes that are still in place, and NIMBYs still seem to have a much louder voice than people who are willing to openly support positive well-designed homes. Local councils have until now held too much power to block sustainable housing in growth zones. I really hope they government can stay focused on housing and speed up the changes to leave a positive legacy that gets more people into sustainable well designed homes.
Jerry Tate
Founder & director, Tate + Co
Sum up 2025 in one word: Better
Do you feel more or less optimistic than you felt 12 months ago?
More optimistic. We have seen a real uptick over the last 12 months in projects and enquiries, with clients who have real ambition and vision.
What do you think will be the key watchwords/industry trends in 2026?
Regenerative, nature positive, community. A broader understanding of the value of strong design. This is all about creating positive places and maintaining a long term vision for the built environment by understanding a project’s benefits in a broader context. This is essential if we are to fight our way out of the viability and cost concerns that too often limit ambition and stall progress.
Sum up your hopes, fears and expectations for 2026: I hope that we can build the homes, fix the schools and create wonder for tourists and visitors in 2026, and I mean actually deliver and build these rather than just talking about it. My fear is that there are so many blockers out there, including costs, viability and an incorrect assessment of risk, which are de-railing projects. However, my expectation is that the industry is becoming increasingly tired of this and will push forward in 2026 with a positive mindset to get building!
Jitesh Patel
CEO, Peldon Rose
Sum up 2025 in one word: Resurgent
Do you feel more or less optimistic than you felt 12 months ago?
More optimistic. The appetite for a return to the office in London is well established, and the market is now evolving into its next phase. The conversation has shifted from whether people return to where they want to be, with occupiers prioritising high-quality space in prominent, central locations, particularly within the W1 and EC1-4 postcodes.
What do you think will be the key watchwords/industry trends in 2026?
Spatial autonomy and human experience. We are moving away from traditional open-plan layouts in favour of creating communities and neighbourhoods. People want a sense of belonging in the office – a diverse landscape with tucked-away corners that offer privacy and focus, balanced with engaging spaces connecting people and ideas.
As AI becomes the new ‘norm’ for us all, the key will be keeping the office human centric. We are designing for a sensory experience that encourages people to stay connected and collaborate in person. Designing with intent, one way to achieve this is to champion using staircases as central features, with breakout spaces on each floor to encourage collaborative cohesion around an office space. Generation Alpha and Z understand that work life must offer more than just a desk and foster in-person collaboration.
Sum up your hopes, fears and expectations for 2026: I expect that the niche for “all-in-one” design and build services will continue to grow. We are seeing a significant uptick in demand across the City and the West End, both with occupier-led enquiries and with high quality fitted space. I predict that more companies will take larger floor plates or multiple floors to support their business growth, provided the market can meet the demand for prime stock.
The focus on wellbeing and neurodiversity has also become the standard. Every project we undertake now supports neurodiversity, from acoustic considerations to the specific colour palettes selected. It simply cannot be a ‘one size fits all’ approach. I hope that we continue to move toward spaces that truly suit a company and an individual’s needs. People want an office that offers a bespoke and more inclusive experience than their home environment, a place where they are excited to be.
The rapid adoption of AI and the reshaping of business processes and organisational structures will require businesses to adopt a more agile and flexible workplace design solution. The war for talent will continue to intensify, and the workplace will become a key weapon in a business’s armoury to differentiate, offering an opportunity to showcase business culture and employer brand values.
One potential risk, rather than a fear, is that occupiers forget that each workplace is unique, based on DNA, culture, people, business objectives and the competitive challenges faced. AI-generated trend-based designs cannot deliver the solutions required, and we must remember that deep insights that inform design are the way forward.
John Glenton
Chief care & support officer, Riverside
Sum up 2025 in one word: Renewal
Do you feel more or less optimistic than you felt 12 months ago?
More optimistic. A new government has come in with red lights flashing across multiple sectors of the built environment – this is an unprecedented challenge. In one of our key sectors, less than 20 years ago, supported housing in England was well-funded and benefited from a national quality framework that delivered consistent standards across the country. The new government is taking steps to help us get there again, but must move with urgency.
What do you think will be the key watchwords/industry trends in 2026?
I have two phrases for you: invest to save. Investment in new social housing and supported housing will deliver an ROI and save public money. Regulation can drive growth. Often, we hear that deregulation delivers growth, but deregulation can also lead to market failure. Good quality regulation helps to set consistent minimum standards and can also increase the number of good quality suppliers and providers in the housing sector and indeed in any sector.
Sum up your hopes, fears and expectations for 2026: The 2023 government review into supported housing found the sector could need to double in size to provide around 1.275 million units by 2040. At a time when councils spent £2.8bn a year on TA in 2024/25, supported housing can and should have a very important role to play in helping this government with the twin challenges of preventing and relieving homelessness.
While we feel confident about the long term demand for supported housing we would urge the government to act quickly to provide funding for services this year to prevent further closures. Supported housing providers are crying out for more funding to keep their doors open. A survey of National Housing Federation members has shown that more than 50,000 supported homes could be at risk of closure or decommissioning.
It is very important that we see a speedy resolution to HM Treasury’s value for money review on homelessness and supported housing funding so more councils do not have to decommission services and more providers do not have to close their doors in 2026.
Stuart Bell
CEO, Amodal
Sum up 2025 in one word: Bumpy
Do you feel more or less optimistic than you felt 12 months ago?
I feel more optimistic, but also far more grounded. The past year has shown how fragile parts of commercial real estate really are. That has been difficult to watch, but it has also helped sharpen focus. There is less appetite now for noise or superficial change. More attention is being paid to compliance, certainty and productivity. That clarity is a positive shift and it gives me confidence.
What will be the key industry trends or watchwords in 2026?
I expect a move towards compliance-by-design, rather than compliance as a final check. Data quality and assurance will matter more than the volume of information produced. AI will play a role, but mainly as a way to surface insight and expose weaknesses in existing data. Operational readiness will become a stronger focus, with organisations expected to prove outcomes rather than processes. I also think we will see a shift away from talking about “doing BIM” towards demonstrating what it actually delivers. Safer buildings, lower risk and assets that perform as intended.
Sum up your hopes, fears and expectations for 2026: My hope for 2026 is that the industry becomes more honest with itself. The pressure from regulation, particularly around building safety, combined with AI’s ability to highlight poor data, should push organisations beyond surface-level digital adoption. That feels like a necessary reset. My concern is that ongoing uncertainty in capital markets and planning leads some organisations to cut capability rather than improve it. That might ease short term pressure, but it stores up risk for later. There is also a danger of AI being treated as a shortcut, rather than a tool that reveals deeper issues.
Overall, I am cautiously optimistic. Not because conditions will suddenly improve, but because the need for trusted information, compliance and efficiency is now unavoidable. The organisations that invest in structure, standards and people will be better placed to weather uncertainty. 2026 feels less about growth at any cost and more about building well-governed foundations that last.
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