Engineering a Greener Future with Steve Webb

In this episode of Urban Forecast, hosts Oli Lowrie and Jon Ackroyd sit down with Steve Webb, Director of Webb Yates Engineers, at Milieu 134 Old Street, a landmark project by HGG London. Designed around natural materials, Milieu is a workspace that reflects the future of sustainable architecture and the setting becomes part of the conversation itself.

Steve shares how projects like Milieu point towards a new way of thinking about construction. He discusses the role of timber and stone in hybrid systems, the challenges of evolving fire regulations, and the wider cultural need for tenacity in the design industry. The conversation ranges from the forgotten lessons of 1990s sustainable architecture to the idea of developing a uniquely local architectural language in the UK.

Recorded in a building that embodies these principles, this episode brings sustainability, engineering and design to life in a very real context.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The construction industry often lacks tenacity. Too many innovative ideas are dropped at the first sign of resistance instead of being pushed through to realisation.

Sustainability in architecture is not new. It flourished in the 1990s but was largely forgotten after the financial crash of 2008.

Hybrid timber and stone systems provide a path forward. They reduce reliance on concrete while offering the thermal mass needed to avoid air conditioning in lightweight buildings.

Fire safety regulations following Grenfell have reshaped design, yet with careful thinking innovation remains possible.

Cross-laminated timber still has value even when it is not left exposed. Its real importance lies in reducing embodied carbon, though more efficient uses of timber must be explored.

Local materials can create distinct architectural languages. Just as Mallorca builds with sandstone, the UK should define its own future through homegrown resources.

The industry continues to rely on Victorian era materials such as brick, despite their inefficiency and enormous carbon footprint.

BEST MOMENTS

“What’s missing most of the time is tenacity. People need to want to do it, make the argument, and push through the problem.”

“We’re still using Victorian material in a unit sized for a sick Victorian labourer. The industry is incredibly backward.”

“If you put CLT in a building but cover it up, people say what’s the point? But actually, there’s still a good point. It’s about carbon.”

“Why aren’t there 7,000 architectural languages, one for each of the world’s 7,000 spoken languages?”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://www.ackroydlowrie.com 
https://webbyates.com
https://hgglondon.co.uk/project/milieu

EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT

The Big Opportunity London Can’t Waste with Jace Tyrrell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn00DOeooaE 

The devastating effect of cars in our cities with Henrietta L. Moore & Arthur Kay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44TWO0rTwtg 

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Jon Ackroyd and Oliver Lowrie, the visionary hosts of Urban Forecast, bring their expertise from leading their innovative practice, Ackroyd Lowrie. Known for pushing the boundaries in urban design, Jon and Oliver use their podcast to delve into the future of cities, sharing insights from their work on projects that emphasise sustainability, community, and transformative architecture. Through Urban Forecast, they engage listeners with discussions on how architecture and design shape urban living, aiming to inspire new ways of thinking about the spaces around us.

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