Futurebuild 2026 has unveiled an unashamedly provocative main conference programme, placing resilience firmly at the centre of the built environment conversation.
Taking place from 12-14 May 2026 at Excel London, big hitters representing UKGBC, RIBA, ACAN, Architects Declare and The Sustainable Development Foundation, among others, are set to explore how construction can move beyond business as usual and deliver genuinely resilient outcomes.
“In education, the ‘Three Rs’ define the fundamentals of learning: reading, (w)riting and (a)rithmetic. As the built environment faces accelerating climate, social and economic pressures, the question becomes more urgent. What are the critical Rs for our future?,” says Event Director, Martin Hurn.
For Futurebuild 2026, the Arena Conference answers that question by focusing on Resilience, examined through the lens of Reuse and Regenerative design in the built and natural environment. Together, they form a deliberately challenging framework that asks whether the industry is prepared to fundamentally rethink how it designs, builds and operates.
“For Futurebuild, resilience means facing the realities of climate, nature and social change head on,” adds Event Director, Martin Hurn. “In 2026, we’re doubling down on sustainability and innovation in the arena – and across the entire show – to connect strategy with delivery and ambition with action.”
Mitsubishi Electric is supporting the Arena Conference as the main sponsor and is focused on reinforcing the role of advanced HVAC technologies in delivering resilient outcomes. The programme will address everything from circular economy policy and ethical practice to cultural change, innovation and the role of communities in delivering on decarbonisation and broader sustainability issues.
“We know that the majority of current buildings will still be in use in 2050, so we need to find ways to retrofit these buildings to add resilience, by utilising heat pump technologies that already exist and are practical, scalable and grounded in real world performance,” says Chris Newman, Net Zero Design Manager for Mitsubishi Electric. “Futurebuild provides an important platform to connect ideas with delivery and the Arena Conference reflects the kind of collaborative, forward looking thinking that will help us all to support a more resilient and regenerative future.”
Day one sets the tone with a high-level exploration of the circular economy as a driver of growth, chaired by David Greenfield, President of The Chartered Institute of Wastes Management (CIWM) and featuring Yetunde Abdul, Director of Industry Transformation at UKGBC. Speakers from Mace Group, the Green Alliance and the Green Construction Board are also joining the panel.
Other opening day line-ups include Chris Williamson, President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), leading a headline discussion on reuse as a first principle in design, alongside the acclaimed architect, author and environmental campaigner, Duncan Baker-Brown.
“Reuse is a design opportunity with profound environmental, social and economic benefits,” says Duncan Baker-Brown. “Futurebuild has consistently created space for these conversations to move from theory into practice and the 2026 Arena programme reflects the urgency and ambition the moment demands.”