Urban Forecast

In this episode of Urban Forecast, Oli Lowrie sits down with Joe Jack Williams, Head of Regenerative Strategy at Bywater, to explore the future of low-carbon development, the realities of building in mass timber, and why the industry desperately needs better material literacy.After 14 influential years at FCB Studios, Joe made the leap from architecture to development in pursuit of greater impact. He discusses the limitations architects face within client-driven briefs and why moving upstream gives him the ability to shape carbon outcomes from day one.From embodied carbon blind spots to the challenges of moisture management, legislative misalignment, and the need for better data, Joe offers an unflinching yet optimistic view of how timber buildings can become the norm rather than the exception. He also shares insights from his RIBA-published Materials Book and Bywater’s unique partnership with Sumitomo Forestry.This is a deep dive into how buildings are really made, how decisions ripple through the supply chain, and how the next generation of sustainable development must think in systems, not snapshots.KEY TAKEAWAYSArchitects are often limited by client briefs, and shifting to the developer side allows far greater influence over sustainability outcomes.Embodied carbon is rapidly overtaking operational carbon as the critical factor in building emissions, yet material impacts remain poorly understood across the industry.Timber can significantly reduce embodied carbon, but success depends on rigorous detailing, moisture management, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.Fire risk in timber buildings is often overstated; moisture poses a far greater challenge, accounting for the majority of insurance claims.Current UK regulations, especially around residential heights and funding constraints, create unnecessary barriers to timber construction.Bywater’s joint venture with Sumitomo Forestry demonstrates how global expertise can accelerate safe, scalable timber development.Material decisions often have counterintuitive carbon implications; intuition alone is inadequate without robust data and scenario testing.Creating safer, more innovative design cultures requires teams to admit what they don’t know and embrace research-led practice. BEST MOMENTS“Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean there isn’t a hole in the ground attached to the project you’re making.”“Fire isn’t the big risk. Ninety-seven percent of timber claims are about moisture.”“We’re always on a learning curve, and it’s not always intuitive what the right answer is.”“Architects are phenomenally bright. Once they understand the system, they’re really good in that system.”VALUABLE RESOURCEShttps://www.ackroydlowrie.com EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXTHow to unblock the system of community funding with Mark Shearerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwCPMHe1GUsThe 1 percent housing trap with Chris Worrallhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2ujFO3E_RA ABOUT THE HOSTSJon 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 di

Urban Forecast sits down with Mark Shearer, CEO and Co-founder of ActionFunder and a councillor for Westminster. With a rare dual perspective spanning politics, community impact and the built environment, Mark breaks down the staggering inefficiencies in the UK’s grant-giving and planning systems and explains why billions in community funding remain stuck in local authority accounts.He shares how ActionFunder is reframing the relationship between developers, councils and local communities through transparency, technology and real-time reporting. From the future of Section 106 and CIL, to trust in development, to the political dynamics shaping planning decisions, this conversation explores how cities could work very differently, and why now is the best time for businesses to deliver genuine social value.About ActionFunder:ActionFunder is the grant management platform revolutionising community investment. Built with funders and driven by AI, it streamlines the funding process, reduces admin and costs and delivers money directly into community projects.Designed for organisations that want to give with purpose and prove their impact, ActionFunder enables smarter, faster, more transparent grant giving. Users can launch branded funds, connect with local projects that align with their goals and access real-time impact reports that support ESG, CSR and social value objectives.With over 17,000 self-enrolled community projects across the UK actively accessing funds through the platform, ActionFunder is redefining how businesses give back.Smarter funding. Real impact.KEY TAKEAWAYSThere is over £8 billion of unspent Section 106 and CIL funds across UK local authorities, largely due to strained resources and inefficient manual processes.46% of grants cost more to distribute than they are worth, highlighting the need for streamlined, tech-enabled alternatives.ActionFunder creates transparent, real-time tracking of community spending, enabling businesses, councils and communities to see exactly where funding goes and what outcomes it delivers.Developers could rebuild public trust by directly funding local benefits, provided transparency and oversight are in place.Community voice is ultimately the biggest influence in planning, often outweighing developer lobbying.Political cycles create uncertainty, but cross-party pragmatism in local government is more common than people assume.Design ambition in central London has declined, driven by financial pressures, sustainability debates, and risk-averse planning.Certainty and clarity in planning policy remain the greatest incentives for delivering high-quality, innovative buildings.BEST MOMENTS“There’s never been a better time for a company to be delivering social value.”“There’s £8 billion of unspent Section 106 and CIL in UK local authorities. It’s eye-watering.”“The community voice is critical. Developers need to engage directly, not just think councillors are the gatekeepers.”“If we use technology, there is an opportunity for developers to take responsibility for distributing that money and create real public benefit.”VALUABLE RESOURCEShttps://www.ackroydlowrie.com EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXTThe 1 percent housing trap with Chris Worrallhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2ujFO3E_RA Why London Stopped Building with Nick Cuffhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coDPAozDmoM ABOUT THE HOSTSJon Ackroyd and Oliver Lowrie, t

In this episode of Urban Forecast, Oli sits down with Chris Worrall, Director at LSL Partners, for a frank and fast-paced conversation about the realities of the UK housing crisis. Chris dismantles common myths around land, planning and development, critiques the political narratives driving dysfunctional policy, and explains why supply, zoning and sensible regulation matter far more than ideology. From the failures of the building safety regulator to the economics behind the 1 percent housing trap, this episode offers one of the clearest explanations yet of what’s really holding back new homes in the UK, and what it would take to finally unlock growth, affordability and better living conditions.KEY TAKEAWAYSThe UK housing debate is heavily influenced by rhetoric and theories not grounded in real-world development experienceRestrictive planning systems and anti-development sentiment are major drivers of the housing shortage, far more than developers themselvesLabour’s recent land value capture proposals amount to over-taxation that risks suppressing development rather than enabling itThe current building safety regulator is poorly designed compared with international examples and risks slowing delivery without improving outcomesPolitical interference in planning decisions prevents a shift towards flexible zoning, mandated local plans and faster approvalsLow vacancy rates create the 1 percent housing trap where landlords have no incentive to upgrade or repair properties, worsening living conditionsLondon has huge untapped potential for densification, with plenty of land and the ability to build upwards if policy supported itThe UK’s approach to funding social housing is fundamentally flawed and fails to support long-term supply and quality BEST MOMENTS“There are so many so-called experts who’ve never valued land or built anything in their life. Most haven’t even built a sandcastle.”“A Labour government think they can just tax things into oblivion.”“We’ve got regulations that do not regulate more houses into existence“There is enough land and the sky’s the limit in a lot of these places.”VALUABLE RESOURCEShttps://www.ackroydlowrie.com EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXTWhy London Stopped Building with Nick Cuffhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coDPAozDmoM Reclaiming Value in Architecture with Hari Phillipshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FosWeZqmWL8ABOUT THE HOSTSJon 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.CONNECT & CONTACTInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/ackroydlowrie/reel/CpcSrjlDreV/LinkedInhttp://linkedin.com/company/urban-forecast-podcastEmail: info@ackroydlowrie.com

In this episode of Urban Forecast, co-hosts Oli Lowrie and Jon Ackroyd sit down with Nick Cuff, Managing Director and founder of Urban Sketch, to unpack why London has stopped building and how we can start again. From his beginnings in local government to leading one of the most design-driven housing innovators in the UK, Nick offers rare insight into the real economics behind development, the policy traps slowing progress, and why storytelling might just be the key to rebuilding trust in the housing sector. Expect a candid conversation about design, policy, affordability and the future of living in our cities.KEY TAKEAWAYSHousing delivery is broken but fixable. Nick explains that the challenges facing UK housebuilding come from a combination of demand-side changes, rising build costs, and increasingly adversarial policy.Developers need to tell a better story. The property sector has failed to communicate its social and economic value, despite contributing twice as much to the UK economy as financial services.Policy has become mismatched to reality. Fire safety, levies, and affordable housing requirements have all increased without corresponding flexibility in planning or design standards.We need balance between regulation and risk. A healthy housing system requires developers to feel confident taking on projects. Policy should enable, not discourage, calculated risk-taking.Co-living is part of the solution. Compact, high-quality urban housing can give young people affordable access to well-located homes without compromising on design.Investors need clarity. With seven-year project timelines and shifting government policy, capital is cautious about UK residential investment.Better use of data could transform planning. Misunderstood statistics and poor transparency fuel misconceptions about land banking and value capture.Design and community go hand in hand. For Nick, successful development is about bridging the gap between buildings and the people who inhabit them.BEST MOMENTS“We’re a poor communicator as a sector, given how material the things we do are to society.”“It’s a bit of a sausage machine. You put one thing in, you’ve got to take something else out. Right now, the sausage machine isn’t working.”“Developers aren’t land banking, they just can’t make it stack up.”“I’m most excited about seeing a spade in the ground and people living in what we build.”VALUABLE RESOURCEShttps://www.ackroydlowrie.com EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXTReclaiming Value in Architecture with Hari Phillipshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FosWeZqmWL8Are Architects Being Replaced by AI?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ4PNpsulic ABOUT THE HOSTSJon 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.CONNECT & CONTACTInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/ackroydlowrie/reel/CpcSrjlDreV/LinkedInhttp://linkedin.com/company/urban-forecast-podcastEmail: info@ackroydlowrie.com

Hari Phillips, co-founder of Bell Phillips Architects and Trustee at the Museum of Architecture, discusses the impact of architecture on everyday lives and the profession's current challenges. He emphasizes the need for architects to articulate their value beyond aesthetics and to engage confidently in business conversations. Hari reflects on his transition to mentoring young architects, addressing the industry's reliance on regulations, and the critical role of effective business training. He advocates for accessible architecture and dispels the 'tortured artisan' myth by promoting a balanced approach to creativity and commerce.

In this episode of Urban Forecast, Oli Lowrie and Jon Ackroyd dive into the unexpected success of their TikTok clip that racked up over 70,000 views and the fiery comments it sparked. From the frustrations of being undervalued in architecture to the looming influence of AI, the duo explore what’s driving discontent in the profession, why mental health needs to be part of the conversation, and how architects can reclaim their value in a changing industry. It’s candid, relatable, and unfiltered - two seasoned architects confronting the realities of their field head-on.KEY TAKEAWAYSArchitects continue to feel undervalued and overworked, with many considering leaving the profession.The industry’s culture of long hours and “all-nighter” deadlines fuels stress and poor mental health.Comparing architecture to other professions like law or finance can be misleading - long hours are endemic across sectors.AI is set to automate much of the “production” work in architecture, freeing architects to focus on design and storytelling.Architects need to adapt by embracing data-driven design and understanding how people truly use spaces.Hands-on experience with construction is becoming a lost skill - but one that AI can’t replicate.Increasing technical complexity and regulation have fractured the architect’s traditional role, leading to reliance on more consultants.The future lies in designing for longevity and reuse, moving away from a “throwaway” culture in buildings. BEST MOMENTS“You just used to say to yourself on the way into work, one day we’ll all be dead - that was my way of getting through.”“You can get AI to create something that looks pretty and cool, but how do you actually get that built?”“We’ve lost touch with construction - architects need to get back on site.”“We’ve only got one shot to use the resources left on this planet.”VALUABLE RESOURCEShttps://www.ackroydlowrie.com EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXTMichael Clark’s Take on London’s Development Challengehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMiUszt24jQ Labour’s Housing Delivery Crisis: Planning isn’t the Problemhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76CxlOboM5A ABOUT THE HOSTSJon 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.CONNECT & CONTACTInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/ackroydlowrie/reel/CpcSrjlDreV/LinkedInhttp://linkedin.com/company/urban-forecast-podcastEmail: info@ackroydlowrie.com

In a compelling conversation, Michael Clark, Design Director at Hadley Property Group, shares insights on London's development challenges. He discusses the shift of architects into development roles, revealing the industry's evolving dynamics. Clark highlights the impact of the Building Safety Act and the critical need for community engagement to rebuild trust. He addresses financial hurdles developers face and emphasizes the importance of collaborative design. Ultimately, he champions a more responsible approach to urban regeneration in a complex housing market.

In this episode of Urban Forecast, hosts Oli Lowrie and Jon Ackroyd dive into the outcomes and mood from the Labour Party Conference, exploring what it all means for the future of housing and planning in London. With housebuilding figures falling far short of targets, they discuss why planning reform hasn't been delivered, what could unlock development, and whether Labour will be bold enough to make the radical changes needed. From viability challenges to Sadiq Khan’s 35% affordable housing threshold and the Building Safety Act backlog, Oli and Jon dissect the numbers, policies and political realities shaping the UK’s urban future.KEY TAKEAWAYSLondon is on track to deliver just 5,000 homes against a target of 88,000, with £5.5 million spent on homelessness - signalling a housing crisis at breaking point.Planning isn’t the main barrier; it’s viability. Over 280,000 homes have planning permission but aren’t being built because the numbers don’t stack up.The 35% affordable housing requirement is under review, with Labour potentially open to temporarily lowering it to kick-start stalled projects.Some councils are sitting on huge Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funds that could be redirected to make schemes viable or support affordable housing.Sadiq Khan appears reluctant to move first on policy changes without central government backing - a sign of political tension between City Hall and Westminster.The Building Safety Act remains a bottleneck, with approval times up to 48 weeks, though new leadership promises to cut this to nearer 12.Labour faces a “make or break” moment to deliver growth and housing or risk losing public confidence before the next election.The hosts argue that scaling back affordable thresholds now could deliver far more homes overall, benefiting the economy and the Treasury in the long run. BEST MOMENTS“Thirty-five percent of nothing is nothing.”“If you want to get housing moving in London, you’ve got to do something about viability.”“Ten percent of 88,000 homes is a hell of a lot more than 35 percent of 5,000.”“We’re at crunch time now. Is this government going to be bold enough to do something real?”VALUABLE RESOURCEShttps://www.ackroydlowrie.com EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXTThe Future of the City of London with Tom Sleighhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx6bNuRrMYE Engineering a Greener Future with Steve Webbhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHIfzm-aMZAABOUT THE HOSTSJon 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.CONNECT & CONTACTInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/ackroydlowrie/reel/CpcSrjlDreV/LinkedInhttp://linkedin.com/company/urban-forecast-podcastEmail: info@ackroydlowrie.com

In this episode of Urban Forecast, co-hosts Oli Lowrie and Jon Ackroyd are joined by Tom Sleigh, Councillor for Bishopsgate Ward at the City of London Corporation and Chair of the Planning & Transportation Committee. Tom offers an insider’s perspective on how the City is shaping its future. He explains how to balance heritage with tall towers and how the Square Mile is being reimagined as a cultural and leisure destination. He also shares stories from his visit to Ukraine, reflections on London’s resilience, and why retrofit-first planning could be key to sustainable growth.Whether you are interested in the politics of planning, the meeting of old and new, or how cities find meaning beyond finance, this conversation gives a clear look at what makes London work today and how it might change tomorrow.KEY TAKEAWAYSThe City of London has a unique political setup, with no party system and committee-led decision-making, which creates space for collaboration across traditional divides.Living in central London brings disruption such as construction, nightlife and transport. It is part of the reality of living in a vibrant global city.After Covid, the City’s focus is less on increasing residential numbers and more on boosting footfall through culture, food, leisure and hospitality. This is part of the “Destination City” strategy.Balancing heritage and skyscrapers is still contentious. Tom argues that the blend of old and new is what makes the City iconic.The City’s retrofit-first planning policy makes it a leader in sustainable development, with half of all London retrofits taking place within the Square Mile.London remains resilient as a global financial centre because of its time-zone advantage, English common law, and the pound’s position between the euro and dollar.Cultural venues and heritage play a crucial role in giving cities meaning. Finance alone cannot provide that sense of identity.Major projects on the horizon, such as Smithfield Market’s regeneration and the Museum of London’s relocation, promise to transform the City’s cultural landscape. BEST MOMENTS“Yes, we want to bring people back, but it doesn’t mean we want them to live here.”“When you cycle across Tower Bridge and see the Tower of London with the eastern cluster behind it, it looks amazing.”“The City of London does half of all of London’s retrofits. We’re way ahead of the pack.”“Culture is where a city finds its meaning. It is not just in tall buildings or finance.”VALUABLE RESOURCEShttps://www.ackroydlowrie.com https://www.cityoflondon.gov.ukEPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXTThe devastating effect of cars in our cities with Henrietta L. Moore & Arthur Kayhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44TWO0rTwtg Engineering a Greener Future with Steve Webbhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHIfzm-aMZAABOUT THE HOSTSJon 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.CONNECT & CONTACTInstagram

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 TAKEAWAYSThe 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 RESOURCEShttps://www.ackroydlowrie.com https://webbyates.comhttps://hgglondon.co.uk/project/milieuEPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXTThe Big Opportunity London Can’t Waste with Jace Tyrrellhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn00DOeooaE The devastating effect of cars in our cities with Henrietta L. Moore & Arthur Kayhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44TWO0rTwtg ABOUT THE HOSTSJon 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.CONNECT & CONTACTInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/ackroydlowrie/reel/CpcSrjlDreV/LinkedInhttp://linkedin.com/company/urban-forecast-podcastEmail: info@ackroydlowrie.com