London Constructing Excellence Club upcoming events

Sustainability Commitments v Project Delivery Realities (14 Oct 2026)

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Sustainability Commitments v Project Delivery Realities
A panel discussion and open mic Q&A

WEDNESDAY 14th October 2026, 1800 for an 1830 start
The Institution of Structural Engineers,
47-58 Bastwick Street, London EC1V 3PS

The nearest tube stations = Barbican [8 mins walk] and Old Street [10 mins walk]

As the construction and property sectors continue to navigate evolving sustainability requirements, increasing carbon reduction targets, and growing client expectations, we are delighted to welcome Dan Edmiston, Hannah Pownall and Alex Reed, and Adam Mactavish, deep environmental experts from AtkinsRéalis and Currie & Brown, for an open and practical discussion on the current state of sustainability and net zero delivery across projects.

The session will explore how sustainability ambitions are being translated into real project outcomes, the challenges of balancing environmental performance with cost and programme pressures, and the role each discipline plays in driving meaningful change. Key discussion topics will include:

The current state of sustainability and net zero in the construction and property sectors.
The gap between sustainability commitments and project delivery realities.
Embodied carbon, operational performance, and whole-life value considerations.
The impact of evolving legislation, standards, and client expectations.
Cost implications and opportunities associated with net zero interventions.
Practical lessons learned from recent projects and emerging best practice.
What the industry must do next to accelerate decarbonisation and improve sustainable outcomes.

The session will conclude with audience questions and a discussion on future priorities, providing attendees with valuable insights into the opportunities, challenges, and practical actions required to deliver more sustainable and resilient projects.

Our Speakers

DANIEL EDMISTON BSc, MSc, MEI
Senior Consultant, Programme Management, Sustainability & Advisory
AtkinsRéalis

Daniel is a Senior Consultant in the Programme Management, Sustainability & Advisory team at AtkinsRéalis, specialising in Net Zero and Sustainability Advisory. Daniel has experience working on public and private sector decarbonisation retrofit strategies, scaling projects into optimised programmes. These span a wide range of typologies, including Commercial, Educational, Residential and Retail, supporting clients to achieve sustainability objectives and targets.

HANNAH POWNALL BSc, MSc
Senior Consultant, Programme Management, Sustainability & Advisory
AtkinsRéalis

Hannah is a Senior Consultant in the Programme Management, Sustainability & Advisory team at AtkinsRéalis, specialising in sustainability strategy, carbon management and organisational change. Hannah helps clients translate sustainability ambitions into practical delivery through governance, sustainability appraisal, standards-alignment and stakeholder engagement. Hannah has extensive experience supporting complex organisations to embed sustainability into decision-making, project delivery, reporting and continuous improvement.

ALEX REED BSc (Hons), MSc, MISEP, CEnv, BREEAM Assessor & AP
Senior BREEAM Consultant, Programme Management, Sustainability & Advisory
AtkinsRéalis

Alex is the BREEAM Team Lead at AtkinsRéalis and a Chartered Environmentalist with ISEP. As a qualified BREEAM Assessor and Advisory Professional, he advises public and private sector clients on delivering sustainable buildings, from strategy development through to certification. He specialises in helping project teams integrate sustainability into design and construction to achieve measurable outcomes.

LinkedIn: @atkinsrealis
Web: atkinsrealis.com

ADAM MACTAVISH
Group Sustainability Director
Currie & Brown

Adam specialises in helping clients, project teams and policy makers develop a strong business case for taking action to decarbonise the built environment. He recently helped in the development of the Future Homes and Future Buildings Standards with UK Government and has advised the GLA, World Bank, Scottish Government and Climate Change Committee on sustainability policy.

LinkedIn: @currie-and-brown
Web: curriebrown.com

References

Catch background information at:

Building: Can we have too much of a good thing when it comes to sustainability standards?
https://www.building.co.uk/net-zero-and-energy/can-we-have-too-much-of-a-good-thing-when-it-comes-to-sustainability-standards/5126482.article.

Social Media

Please post about the event using:
#lcecSUSTY #lcecWLC #lcecEvents #ConstructingExcellence

LI:    @london-constructing-excellence-club
X/T:   @LondonConExClub
IG:      @londonconstructingexcellence
BS: @londonceclub.bsky.social

LCEC members and non-members are all welcome

LCEC Networking Breakfast (27 Oct 2026)

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT

LCEC Networking Breakfast
... a bustling and convivial start to your business day

Tuesday 27th October 2026, 0800 to 0930
The Happenstance, 10 Paternoster Row, London EC4M 7DX
The nearest tube station = St Pauls

We are delighted to invite you, once again, to join fellow built environment professionals for a delicious buffet breakfast in the heart of the City.

As always, there are no long presentations and speeches, just the opportunity to build your connections with the Constructing Excellence community and to find out what is happening in the vibrant London market.

This event is free to members of LCEC; non-member registrations are charged £25 upon booking.

Outline Programme

08:00 - Registration & Networking
08:30 - Breakfast arrives
09:00 - Thank you and brief update on London Constructing Excellence Club
09:30 - Event closes.

Social Media

Please post about the event using: #lcecNB #lNetworkingBreakfast #ConstructingExcellence

X/T: @LondonConExClub
LI: @london-constructing-excellence-club

IG: @londonconstructingexcellence

BS: @LondonCEClub

Registrations and Cancellations

Please book early, at least 3 days in advance of the breakfast, to allow us to make catering arrangements. Cancellations and refunds will not be allowed less than 3 days before the event, but substitutions may be made at any time.

Tunnels, Tracks & Technology (10 Nov 2026)

Tue, 10 Nov 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Tunnels, Tracks & Technology
The Story of the Helen Keen Building
at Maidstone Grammar School for Girls

TUESDAY 10th November 2026, 1800 for an 1830 start
The Institution of Structural Engineers,
47-58 Bastwick Street, London EC1V 3PS

The nearest tube stations = Barbican [8 mins walk] and Old Street [10 mins walk]

We are delighted to welcome Alan Leigh, Ian Spink and Jenine SaAndrade, to introduce us to the design and construction of a new teaching facility at Maidstone Grammar School for Girls (MGGS). Whilst any construction project has its 'issues', this project was awarded 'Building Project of the Year, at the Constructing Excellence Awards 2026, not only for the excellence of the building, but for the manner in which the project team engaged with their client, community and the challenging context.

The £9m Helen Keen Building for Maidstone Grammar School for Girls was constructed on behalf of Kent County Council. The 2,104m², three-storey facility provides teaching spaces, science laboratories, music classrooms, and a visitor centre for access to the site's WWII tunnels, located beneath the building. Despite significant challenges, including construction above historic tunnels, proximity to an active railway line, constrained access alongside two live schools and working within an operational campus, with engineering excellence and innovation this future-proofed learning facility was delivered safely and five weeks ahead of schedule.

Our Speakers

ALAN LEIGH, FCIOB, MCABE, CEnv
Contracts Director & Director of Health, Safety & Wellbeing - Baxall Construction

Alan has over 40 years' experience across education, heritage, civil engineering and rail, and provides strategic leadership on Baxall's most complex projects. He is a Chartered Environmentalist and Fellow of the CIOB, and is a strong advocate for sustainable construction, collaborative working and industry best practice.

IAN SPINK, MCIOB, BSc (Hons)
Contracts Manager - Baxall Construction

Ian has over 20 years’ construction experience and is adept in delivering complex projects in live operational environments. His expertise spans programme management, logistics planning and stakeholder engagement, ensuring efficient delivery with minimal disruption to staff, students and local communities.

JENINE SA ANDRADE, MCIOB, BSc (Hons)
Senior Design Manager - Baxall Construction

Jenine has over 20 years' experience leading design development on the most complex projects in the private and public sectors. She has a background in Architectural Technology and Spatial Design, and specialises in translating complex project requirements into buildable solutions, championing innovation, sustainability and quality.

LinkedIn: @baxall-construction-ltd
Web: baxallconstruction.co.uk
Instagram: @baxallc

References

Catch background information at:

Kent CC News

https://news.kent.gov.uk/articles/new-music,-science-and-history-block-opens-at-maidstone-grammar-school-for-girls

Baxall Construction Projects

https://www.baxallconstruction.co.uk/project/maidstone-girls-grammar-school-live-project/

Constructing Excellence London and South East Awards 2026

https://constructingexcellence.org.uk/constructing-excellence-london-south-east-awards-2026/

Social Media

Please post about the event using:
#lcecMGGC #lcecAWARDS #CELSEAwards2026 #ConstructingExcellence

LI:    @london-constructing-excellence-club
X/T:   @LondonConExClub
IG:      @londonconstructingexcellence
BS: @londonceclub.bsky.social

LCEC members and non-members are all welcome

LCEC Networking Breakfast (24 Nov 2026)

Tue, 24 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT

LCEC Networking Breakfast
... a bustling and convivial start to your business day

Tuesday 24th November 2026, 0800 to 0930
The Happenstance, 10 Paternoster Row, London EC4M 7DX
The nearest tube station = St Pauls

We are delighted to invite you, once again, to join fellow built environment professionals for a delicious buffet breakfast in the heart of the City.

This event is free to members of LCEC; non-member registrations are charged £25 upon booking.

Outline Programme

08:00 - Registration & Networking
08:30 - Breakfast arrives
09:00 - Thank you and brief update on London Constructing Excellence Club
09:30 - Event closes.

Social Media

Please post about the event using: #lcecNB #lNetworkingBreakfast #ConstructingExcellence

X/T: @LondonConExClub
LI: @london-constructing-excellence-club

IG: @londonconstructingexcellence

BS: @LondonCEClub

Registrations and Cancellations