Celebrating its 20th year, Futurebuild 2025 continues to lead the charge for innovation, sustainability and collaboration in the built environment, and this year’s theme is ‘making an impact.’
Visitors will have the chance to explore a diverse range of exhibitors and innovations that are transforming the built environment. In the main exhibition, you can discover a wide array of products and services designed to tackle today’s sustainability, energy efficiency and innovation challenges.
The Innovation Trail connects with leading exhibitors such as Heidelberg Materials UK and LKAB Minerals, as a ‘curated experience’ that enables professionals to discover pioneering solutions, products and materials to meet sustainability and project goals.
Attendees can also explore the Futurebuild Arena stage, the co-located National Retrofit Conference & Expo, and five ‘impact’ stages offering expert sessions tailored to specific sectors and interests – all are CPD accredited.
The Buildings Impact Stage sponsored by HG Matthews: Diving deep into designing net-zero, climate-resilient, and aesthetically impactful structures, this stage features partners such as Passivhaus Trust, BRE, and UKGBC and topics such as modular construction innovations, and the Future Homes Standard.
The Materials Impact Stage sponsored by Aggregate Industries: Insights into traceable supply chains, waste minimisation, and sustainable material use. ‘Impact partners’ such as The Concrete Centre, 540 World and Built By Nature will explore how to choose materials that enhance projects’ sustainability for a greener future.
The Placemaking Impact Stage sponsored by Hahn Plastics Ltd: Going beyond homes to explore how built environment professionals can design and build vibrant, connected communities that align with sustainability goals. Curated in collaboration with partners such as Urban Design Group and Landscape Institute, it will provide knowledge and practical insights on how to enhance placemaking in projects.
The Energy Impact Stage sponsored by Kensa: With decarbonisation a priority, the focus is on integrating renewable energy sources into building designs, and how to navigate upcoming regulations. Panel discussions from partners such as Energy Saving Trust, CIBSE, and the Sustainable Energy Association, addressing the role of heat pumps, solar technologies, and thermal storage in creating low-energy homes.
The FutureX Digital Disruptors Impact Stage sponsored by One Click LCA: Explore how construction technology can be used intentionally to benefit both society and the environment.
The Futurebuild Arena
The Futurebuild Arena will focus on sessions that explore how built and natural environment professionals can make an impact and help us achieve the transition towards reaching our climate targets. The focus will be on creating a vibrant economy that works within planetary boundaries, promotes social justice, and ensures fair resource use. The three overarching themes for 2025 are ‘Putting Circularity and Reuse at the Heart of Living and Working,’ ‘Sustainability, Social Justice and Transition,’ and ‘Making it Happen’. Each session will be dissected to examine where we need to be in 12 months, five years, and 10 years time.
The National Retrofit Conference & Expo
The National Retrofit Conference, co-located with Futurebuild, is a must-visit for anyone interested in retrofit. Sponsored by Sustainable Building Services, it is designed for professionals focused on achieving net-zero goals through retrofitting. It spans the three days (04-06 March), with content curated from Retrofit Academy CIC on the first two days and the National Retrofit Hub on the third. The programme will focus on “scaling the ambition, delivering the promise of retrofitting, and regenerating our cities and regions at their core.”
The National Retrofit Expo, new for 2025, will expand on the conference and feature dedicated exhibitions of innovative products, solutions, and technologies that tackle retrofit challenges, with leading exhibitors including Parity Projects, E.ON, Corksol, Trustmark, q-bot and many more.
Also, don’t miss the Big Retrofit Challenge, where this year six shortlisted innovators will present groundbreaking ideas with the potential to solve pressing retrofit challenges.
Impact 20×20
New for the 2025 event, Impact 20×20 has been launched with a Call for Papers inviting visionaries to present bold ideas for a sustainable future through fast-paced Pecha Kucha-style sessions. It will spotlight innovative research and solutions that are inspiring action in the built environment.
The Big Innovation Pitch
Returning for another year, The Big Innovation Pitch will see three shortlisted finalists presenting their innovations live to a panel of judges including Dr Oliver Jones, who is associate director for sustainability and innovation at Cundall.
Futurebuild 2025 is a unique opportunity to contribute to the future of sustainable architecture. Join the movement and make your impact!
Article supplied by Futurebuild