Electricity pylons - University of the Built Environment article on how AI could have stopped the Iberian blackout. Photo credit: Pok Rie, Pexels

How AI could have stopped the 2025 Iberian blackout

By Linda Serck On 28 April 2025, the power systems of Spain and Portugal suffered a full-scale blackout. Millions of homes, businesses and critical infrastructures plunged into darkness in seconds.…
What does the Budget 2025 mean for the construction industry?

What does the Budget 2025 mean for the construction industry?

James Beckwith MA, MSc, LLM, PgCAP, FRICS, FAIQS, CQS, FCIArb, FHEASenior Lecturer, University of the Built Environment Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered the Government’s Budget 2025 yesterday, setting out a series…

Lee Ivett: ‘My vision for the London School of Architecture’

By Linda Serck When Lee Ivett was appointed head of the London School of Architecture (LSA) in August 2025, it marked a monumental new chapter in its 10-year history. The…

Building services engineers: why the demand for jobs that keep buildings ‘alive’ is high

By Linda Serck The UK built environment faces stricter regulations on energy efficiency, safety and sustainability. As a result, the demand for skilled specialists in building services engineering is climbing sharply.  Building…

Urban resilience: Why our cities must be designed to absorb, adapt, and transform

By Linda Serck In July 2025, the UK Government published its new Resilience Action Plan which states that “crises and emergencies do not respect borders”. It also declares that resilience…

How digital technology is redrawing the map of urban planning

By Linda Serck Digital technology is now one of the core tools shaping how cities understand risk, prioritise investment and design for long-term resilience. Professor Samer Bagaeen, Head of Town…

What the UK can learn from Ireland’s ban on upwards-only rent reviews

By David Hourihan Programme Leader, MSc Real Estate With a ban on upwards-only rent review clauses under consideration in the UK, University of the Built Environment senior lecturer David Hourihan examines…
Bricks with space invader

Should we bin the brick?

In light of the recent news on carbon-capturing bricks, University of the Built Environment Programme Leader James Ritson raises an essential challenge: even if bricks become more carbon-efficient, is it wise to…
by Michael Taylor

‘Organisations are sleepwalking into cyberattacks’

By Marc Fleming Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader, Architectural Design Technology More than one in four UK businesses fell victim to a building-linked cyber-attack last year, according to a RICS…
Overheating buildings

Overheating Britain: Can our buildings cope?

By Jordan Turner Lecturer The UK Green Building Council’s new 'Climate Resilience Roadmap' pulls no punches: Britain’s built environment is already “facing an urgent reality” when it comes to climate hazards,…
Grenfell

Grenfell: Uncovered – the built environment’s duty of care

Netflix’s newly released documentary, 'Grenfell: Uncovered', is an unflinching account of the 14 June 2017 fire that claimed 72 lives. Featuring first-hand testimony from survivors, bereaved families and investigative journalists,…

Adopting a sustainability lens in everything we do – a Q&A with UCEM Vice Chancellor Ashley Wheaton

In this interview, UCEM Vice Chancellor Ashley Wheaton explains the inception of Globe and why UCEM is uniquely placed to make a difference on sustainability in the built environment. As…