Leading architects and clients explore how to realise regenerative ambitions and overcome the systemic barriers to collaborative design at a free-to-attend RD26 event on Tuesday 27th October, delivered in partnership with HDR.
From left to right: Beau Lotto, Julia Barfield, Colin Rohlfing, Danial Bianchi and Roger Madelin.
How can architects help clients deliver ambitious, regenerative projects? How can we challenge the siloed working and adversarial culture enshrined in traditional models of appointment, procurement and insurance? And what’s the best way to incentivise all parties to work together to minimise costs and carbon, and deliver the best possible results? These are some of the crucial questions up for discussion at a free-to-attend in-person event at the Building Centre on the morning of Tuesday 27th October. Delivered in partnership with HDR as part of Regenerative Design 2026 the event brings together leading architects and clients with experience of projects at every scale.
Neuroscientist Beau Lotto of the Hummingbird Learning Lab will deliver an introduction setting out the issues that hinder or help collaboration between different players with different perspectives, agendas and professional backgrounds.
Julia Barfield of Marks Barfield Architects will discuss creative solutions to the challenge of helping clients get ambitious and often unconventional projects off the ground drawing on her own projects including the London Eye, Cambridge Central Mosque and the West Somerset Tidal Lagoon.
Colin Rohfling, vice president and director of sustainable development at global architecture practice HDR, will draw on case studies to illustrate the practice’s approach to collaborating with commercial clients to deliver regenerative outcomes on large-scale projects both internationally and in the UK.
Daniel Bianchi of Cullinan Studio will share the practice’s experience of Integrated Project Insurance (IPI), a form of insurance that encourages collaboration by calling for all parties involved in a project (client, architect, engineers, contractors and consultants) to sign up to a single contract, with conditions that incentivise shared responsibility.
Roger Madelin, Joint Head of the 53-acre Canada Water Development at developer British Land and one of the most influential clients in British architecture, will talk about the ways architects can help commercial developers deliver regenerative projects at scale.
Coal Drops Yard at Kings Cross. The development of the 56 acres of railway land between and to the north of King’s Cross and St Pancras Stations was spearheaded by Roger Madelin during his tenure as CEO of Argent. Photograph by John Sturrock.
Launched by Architecture Today, Regenerative Design 2026 is a month-long programme of exhibitions and events that takes place at the Building Centre throughout October 2026.
Help the client: beyond business as usual will be delivered in partnership with HDR.
