Welcome to The Futurebuild Podcast, where we spotlight the drivers of positive impact in the built environment. Hosted by Martin Hurn, Futurebuild Event Director, each episode features inspiring conversations with leaders and innovators from across the industry. Join us as we explore how cutting-edge technologies, sustainable practices, and ground breaking projects are shaping a better future. Tune in to hear first hand stories of how these trailblazers are making a real difference in the built environment and beyond. Subscribe now to stay informed, inspired, and connected with the forefront of sustainable innovation.
Episodes
Friday Mar 06, 2026
Friday Mar 06, 2026
Are you interested in exploring how innovation moves from idea to real-world impact? In this episode, we speak with Neil Appleton, Knowledge Transfer Manager at Innovate UK, about what innovation really means for the built environment and why collaboration is the key to making it stick. Neil shares practical insight into why good ideas often fail to scale and how collaboration, digital tools, circular economy thinking and regional supply chains can drive meaningful transformation.
Tune in now:
Follow Futurebuild on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook #futurebuild #futurebuildpodcast
Wednesday Mar 04, 2026
Wednesday Mar 04, 2026
Are you interested in exploring how innovation moves from idea to real-world impact? In this episode, we speak with Neil Appleton, Knowledge Transfer Manager at Innovate UK, about what innovation really means for the built environment and why collaboration is the key to making it stick. Neil shares practical insight into why good ideas often fail to scale and how collaboration, digital tools, circular economy thinking and regional supply chains can drive meaningful transformation.
Tune in now:
Follow Futurebuild on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook #futurebuild #futurebuildpodcast
Wednesday Feb 04, 2026
Wednesday Feb 04, 2026
What if we stopped guessing how homes perform and actually tested them? In this episode, we speak with Professor William Swan, Director of Energy House Laboratories (EHL) at the University of Salford. The conversation explores what happens when homes are pushed to their limits inside one of Europe’s most advanced climate-controlled test environments, Energy House 2.0, and more.
Tune in now:
Follow Futurebuild on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook #futurebuild #futurebuildpodcast
Wednesday Feb 04, 2026
Wednesday Feb 04, 2026
What if we stopped guessing how homes perform and actually tested them? In this episode, we speak with Professor William Swan, Director of Energy House Laboratories (EHL) at the University of Salford. The conversation explores what happens when homes are pushed to their limits inside one of Europe’s most advanced climate-controlled test environments, Energy House 2.0, and more.
Tune in now:
Follow Futurebuild on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook #futurebuild #futurebuildpodcast
Thursday Jan 22, 2026
Thursday Jan 22, 2026
What if the future of construction didn't start in a mega-factory, but on a farm? In this episode, we speak with Chloe Donovan, Founder and Managing Director of Natural Building Systems, and creator of Adept Modular; a plant-based, precision-engineered panel system designed to be produced locally and installed at scale. Chloe shares her journey from agriculture into construction, why many MMC models have struggled to deliver on their promise, and how a distributed network of regional micro-factories could unlock lower-carbon, healthier, and more resilient buildings.
Tune in now:
Follow Futurebuild on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook #futurebuild #futurebuildpodcast
Thursday Jan 22, 2026
Thursday Jan 22, 2026
What if the future of construction didn't start in a mega-factory, but on a farm? In this episode, we speak with Chloe Donovan, Founder and Managing Director of Natural Building Systems, and creator of Adept Modular; a plant-based, precision-engineered panel system designed to be produced locally and installed at scale. Chloe shares her journey from agriculture into construction, why many MMC models have struggled to deliver on their promise, and how a distributed network of regional micro-factories could unlock lower-carbon, healthier, and more resilient buildings.
Tune in now:
Follow Futurebuild on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook #futurebuild #futurebuildpodcast
Thursday Jan 08, 2026
Thursday Jan 08, 2026
Social value is one of the most critical, misunderstood topics in the built environment. In this episode, we speak with Dr Carl Walker about why the built environment must rethink how it defines and delivers social value. Drawing on psychology, public health, and lived community experience, Carl explains why co-creation, youth agency, and early intervention are essential to building healthier, more resilient places, and why starting with people, not metrics, leads to better outcomes for everyone.
Tune in now:
Follow Futurebuild on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook #futurebuild #futurebuildpodcast
Thursday Jan 08, 2026
Thursday Jan 08, 2026
Social value is one of the most critical, misunderstood topics in the built environment. In this episode, we speak with Dr Carl Walker about why the built environment must rethink how it defines and delivers social value. Drawing on psychology, public health, and lived community experience, Carl explains why co-creation, youth agency, and early intervention are essential to building healthier, more resilient places, and why starting with people, not metrics, leads to better outcomes for everyone.
Tune in now:
Follow Futurebuild on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook #futurebuild #futurebuildpodcast