The London Build Expo 2023 20 Nov 2023

Last week, we attended The London Build Expo, the UK’s largest Festival of Construction, featuring two days of insightful content. The event offered a multitude of engaging talks and speakers, providing us with valuable takeaways and learnings.

Alex Soto attended in the “Revolutionising Construction with AI” conference, delving into how deployment of AI tools in the architectural design process needs to address digitalisation vs. the human craft approach, and emphasise added value. Alex also attended the “Future of the Circular Economy in Construction” conference, where experts and LETI are collaborating to establish quantifiable measures for circularity, essential for widespread implementation. Additionally, a networking session at the Architect’s Hub with recent graduates centred around the skillset required for a sustainability-focused career.

Chris Mason found the realism and notably the positivity expressed throughout the “Shaping the City: Local Councils’ Vision for 2030” talk incredibly refreshing. He said “the sector is moving in the right direction, with many construction professionals now talking about the importance of sustainability as a given, in a way that wasn’t the case even a couple of years ago.” Latterly, Chris attended a talk on materials, specifically timber, a collaborative approach expressed about the use of timber in construction.

Lucile found the talk on “Enhancing Building Safety through Standardising Processes in Firestopping” engaging, with panellists touching on the importance of using the right vocabulary around fire safety, and on the role of collaboration in improving passive fire protection – the Passive Fire Knowledge Group is a good example of a cross discipline initiative focussed on change through process, testing and education. Lucile later enjoyed a talk on “Innovations permanently changing the construction landscape” which discussed the role diversity plays in innovation, the importance of gathering, storing and sharing data to help develop new tools that contribute in creating a more circular industry. Her experience concluded with a meeting with Jamie Holling from Celsa Steel UK, the largest steel recycling company in the UK discussing circular economy principles.<

Resmi appreciated the choice of topics for talks throughout the event and found that not only were they highlighting current trends, but also incorporating lessons learnt from the past and visionaries for the future. 

Salima observed a recurring theme of collaboration and early engagement in the talks she attended. The talks highlighted the importance of early input in addressing challenges related to sustainability, fire safety, and robotics/machinery. Salima noted insights from “The Roadmap to Net Zero” talk, emphasising strategies to reduce the carbon footprint through behavioural change and adopting concepts from other economies. She also found the talk on ‘Fire Safety and the Role of the Passive Fire Knowledge Group’ insightful, with discussions covering testing and various problems on site due to insufficient collaboration, and not enough planning at the beginning of a project. Examples included 17% of rework on drylining could be avoided with early engagement, works starting too early on site and which lead to problems with watertightness, changes in layout and damages on site were also causes.

Salima concluded with a discussion on the “Past, Present, Future: The Role of Robotics in the UK’s Construction Industry.” The talk underscored the reasons why robotics are the future of construction, addressing safety concerns and emphasising adaptability and competency for increased efficiency.

In conclusion, The London Build Expo was an insightful experience, encapsulating the dynamic landscape of the construction industry over two days. The diverse range of talks and speakers provided attendees with valuable insights. From the exploration of AI in architectural design to collaborative efforts in establishing circular economy measures, the event showcased the industry’s evolution. The emphasis on sustainability, and the importance of early engagement, highlighted a collective commitment to positive change. The discourse on fire safety and the future role of robotics further contributed to a comprehensive and forward-thinking event.