Futurebuild 2026: Connecting ambition and action for designers and specifiers

[edit] Futurebuild 2026

As the global conversation around climate change intensifies, Futurebuild 2026 is turning shared ambition into tangible action. Offering both practical solutions and big picture provocations, a revised show format is set to reaffirm the established industry event’s standing as a vital and inspirational platform for designers and specifiers alike. Taking place at Excel London 3-5 March, Futurebuild 2026, supported by CIAT, will bring together thousands of decision-makers, innovators and change agents to explore how the construction sector can drive sustainable change.

[edit] Inspiring collective action

By uniting the entire supply chain, Futurebuild is uniquely placed to engage representatives ranging from senior specifiers and designers through to major contractors and developers. Last year, organisers welcomed 9,179 unique specifier visitors, including over 600 VIPs and senior decision-makers - all actively looking for innovative solutions and ideas to shape their projects. Under the headline theme of ‘Connect’, a new floorplan incorporates strategically placed features and a carefully curated conference and knowledge programme designed to amplify these meaningful engagements and help the industry move from ideas to impact.

[edit] Zeroing in on waste

Among the most anticipated additions is the Zero Waste area, highlighting the reuse and recycling momentum reshaping the sector. Facilitated by Futurebuild partners including the Circular Economy Task Force, The Engineers Reuse Collective, ACAN!, the Circular Economy Institute, Architects Declare and CIWM, the area will host keynotes and showcase real world examples of closed-loop innovation in action.

Shaped by the architect, academic and environmental activist, Duncan Baker-Brown, the Zero Waste initiative will showcase how building critical resilience requires taking a circular economy approach with reuse at its heart. This will also be a major focus of the discussions taking place in Futurebuild’s central conference arena.

“Each year, Futurebuild explores the big themes shaping our future. In 2026, we’re calling time on business as usual,” says Futurebuild Event Director, Martin Hurn. “Our industry doesn’t just need new ideas. It needs to build resilience, prioritise reuse and embrace regenerative design. These ‘three Rs’ will define the conversations at Futurebuild as we explore - not only important technological innovations - but a necessary, fundamental shift in mindset to drive circularity and support long-term systems change.”

[edit] A twin-track conference programme

The overarching theme of resilience, reuse and regenerative design will be tackled through a powerful programme of keynote debates, panels and live demonstrations. From circular construction and nature-based design - to retrofit strategy and material reuse - the agenda will interrogate what a regenerative built environment really looks like and how to make it happen at scale.

In parallel, Futurebuild 2026 is also home to the National Retrofit Conference. Returning with the theme ‘Warm Homes, Healthy Lives: Connecting Policy, Place and Innovation’, this agenda-setting strand will explore how policy, funding and innovation can come together to accelerate retrofit delivery. With sessions led by national policymakers, combined authorities and regional leaders, the programme brings together the public sector’s sharpest minds to accelerate climate and health outcomes through retrofit.

[edit] Squarely addressing housing challenges

While Net Zero and circular economy ambitions are high on the agenda across the board, Futurebuild 2026 introduces crossover initiatives to squarely address national housing concerns. Offering further support for local authorities and partnering consultancies, the new Local Authority Collaboration Hub will provide space for representatives, housing associations, contractors and wider built environment professionals to address pertinent issues around Awaab’s Law and the ever present challenge of providing healthier, more energy efficient homes. Strategically housed alongside the National Retrofit Conference, here the focus will be on how to accelerate home decarbonisation, address damp and mould and share best practice on housing-led health outcomes.

[edit] Problem-solving in person

Similarly, reflecting the need for closer collaboration between the public and private sector, a revitalised ‘Meet the Buyer’ programme, hosted by Innovate UK, will facilitate direct engagement between innovators and procurement leads across multiple market segments.

At Futurebuild 2025, 67% of visitors were involved in purchasing decisions which led to exhibitors generating an average of 175 qualified leads. This underlines the event’s value as a commercial platform, as well as a content powerhouse and the prominent ‘Meet the Buyer’ lounge will be a bustling space for productive networking and problem-solving in person.

[edit] Shaped by the industry, for the industry

Alongside these new features supporting the industry’s shared commitments, fresh thinking is also shaping The Knowledge Programme. Several industry bodies including UKGBC, The Sustainable Development Foundation and the Association of Sustainable Building Products (ASBP) have been invited to execute a series of ‘stage takeovers’ to elevate the discussion, with a particular emphasis on dissecting the role of innovation.

“As ever, innovation will be central to the discussion but we’ll be flipping the script to explore how we can better use existing knowledge and the need for social transformation, rather than solely exploring novel technical solutions,” says Martin Hurn. “Futurebuild is where mission meets market. We’re not just a conference or a showcase. We’re a platform for delivery. We connect people, ideas and solutions in ways that accelerate the shift to a Net Zero, resilient and regenerative future.”

[edit] Registration now open

Futurebuild 2026 will take place from 3-5 March 2026 at Excel London. Construction intelligence analyst, Barbour ABI, is the registration partner and visitors can access all exhibition areas, six content stages and two conference arenas for free.

This article appears in the AT Journal issue 156 from winter 2025 as "Futurebuild 2026: Connecting ambition and action for designers and specifiers"

--CIAT

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• A decade of debate, design and deals - UKCW Birmingham announces first speakers and key features
• CIAT articles
• Five Talks Empowering Women in Construction at UK Construction Week.
• Futurebuild 2025: a must-attend event for the architecture industry.
• Grenfell, COVID and Brexit - UKCW's first 10 years
• Registration for UKCW now live
• Shoulders, knees and toes – superhuman exoskeletons for builders go on show.
• Where its AT