Building for what's next is a new podcast for UK architects, focused on compliance confidence and the practical realities of the Building Safety Act—delivered as concise, credible conversations with clear takeaways. Brought to you by wienerberger.
As the construction industry continues to adapt to the requirements of the Building Safety Act, architects face new responsibilities, greater scrutiny and more complex design processes. In the final episode of this series of Building for what's next, host Steve Dyson explores a crucial question: what support do architects need from the wider industry to navigate these challenges with confidence?
Joining the discussion are Ged Couser, Architect Principal at BDP and Chair of the RIBA North West Regional Council, and Manuela Fazzab, Director of Commercial Propositions at wienerberger. Together, they examine how collaboration, training, communication and earlier engagement with manufacturers can help architects meet their statutory responsibilities while continuing to deliver ambitious, high-quality design.
The conversation explores the evolving relationship between architects, manufacturers, regulators and clients, highlighting the importance of trusted technical information, tested systems, competency development and shared learning across the profession. We also discuss how confidence comes not from having all the answers, but from knowing where to find the right expertise and support when it's needed.
In this episode you'll learn:
How the Building Safety Act is changing the way architects design and collaborate.
Why communication and knowledge-sharing are essential to building professional confidence.
How manufacturers can play a greater role in supporting specification, compliance and technical decision-making.
Why training, competency and early stakeholder engagement are becoming increasingly important.
What architects can do today to navigate regulatory complexity while maintaining design ambition.
Listen now and discover why the future of safe, successful buildings depends on stronger partnerships across the entire construction industry.
13 Oct 2026
How do we prepare the next generation of architects?
Architects are investing more time than ever in understanding and adapting to regulatory change. But as the profession evolves, passing that knowledge down to the next generation will be critical to ensuring they can confidently apply fresh thinking, creativity and curiosity to live projects.
In this episode of Building for What's Next, lecturers and Masters students from Birmingham City University explore the transition from education into practice, and what both universities and industry can do to better prepare emerging architects for the realities of a changing profession.
We discuss:
How students are being prepared for an increasingly regulated profession, without limiting their creative thinking
What the transition into practice is really like for Part 1 graduates, and how taking time to build technical knowledge can help to strengthen design confidence
Why giving emerging architects the opportunity to gain real-world experience today could help prevent a skills gap tomorrow
7 Oct 2026
How collaboration can ease the cost of compliance
Keeping pace with regulatory change requires significant investment in time, training and technical expertise, creating growing pressures on the resources, budgets and capacity of architectural practices.
In this episode of Building for What's Next, Victoria Millward, director at Paddock Johnson and board member of the Architectural Technical Leads Group (ATLG) joins Ceri Turner-Hill, head of architecture at wienerberger, to explore how collaboration and knowledge sharing can help practitioners adapt to an evolving regulatory landscape.
We discuss:
How changing regulation is affecting practice resources, costs and approaches to specification
How peer networks like the ATLG can help architects share knowledge, adapt to change and access wider expertise
How earlier collaboration across the supply chain can help reduce pressure on internal teams and support more confident specification decisions.
The conversation explores how no practice needs to navigate the changing regulatory landscape alone, and how greater collaboration across the industry could help architects access the knowledge and expertise they need when they need it.
29 Sept 2026
Can better product information help architects save time and reduce risk?
Building for what's next is a new podcast for UK architects, focused on compliance confidence and the practical realities of the Building Safety Act—delivered as concise, credible conversations with clear takeaways. Brought to you by wienerberger.
Under the Building Safety Act, architects need to ensure every specification decision stands up to scrutiny. With thousands of products on the market, and vast amounts of technical data to navigate, the quality of product information guiding these decisions has never been more important.
In this episode of Building for What's Next, Steve Marr, chief operating officer at the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI) joins Paul Instrell, chief commercial officer at wienerberger, to explore how greater transparency and independent assessment of product information can help architects have confidence in their specification process.
We discuss:
Why architects are spending more time verifying product information, and how greater transparency can help reduce the burden
What the CCPI process involves, and how it helps to improve the accuracy, consistency and reliability of construction product information
How independently assessed product information and closer engagement with manufacturers can help architects streamline the specification process and reduce uncertainty
The conversation explores a growing challenge for the profession: how architects can spend less time checking and cross-referencing product information, while having greater confidence in the decisions they make.
22 Sept 2026
Can creativity and compliance co-exist?
Building for what's next is a new podcast for UK architects, focused on compliance confidence and the practical realities of the Building Safety Act—delivered as concise, credible conversations with clear takeaways. Brought to you by wienerberger.
As architects balance greater regulatory scrutiny with increasingly complex technical requirements, many are gravitating towards tried-and-tested solutions to reduce risk and gain approval – potentially limiting the freedom to explore more ambitious ideas.
In this episode of building for what's next, architectural director Kristofer Adelaide joins Manuela Fazzan, director of commercial propositions at wienerberger, to explore one of the biggest questions facing the profession: can creativity and compliance coexist?
We discuss:
How increased regulation can influence specification and design decisions, potentially driving more standardised, risk-averse solutions
Why bringing compliance considerations into the design process earlier could protect creative freedom, rather than restrict it
How external technical expertise and digital tools such as BIM can help architects approach complex design decisions with more certainty
The conversation explores how architects can continue to challenge convention and create ambitious designs, while navigating the increased scrutiny and responsibility of today's regulatory environment.
15 Sept 2026
What does Building Control really expect from architects?
Building for what's next is a new podcast for UK architects, focused on compliance confidence and the practical realities of the Building Safety Act—delivered as concise, credible conversations with clear takeaways. Brought to you by wienerberger.
What does Building Control really expect from architects?
As architects face greater responsibilities under the Building Safety Act, navigating regulatory requirements can sometimes feel complex and open to interpretation.
In this episode of Building for What's Next, wienerberger is joined by building control expert, John Palmer, executive member of the Association of Building Control Approvers (ABCA) and managing director of OWL Building Control Solutions, to bring greater clarity to the building control process.
We discuss:
Common misunderstandings around Approved Documents and other regulatory guidance, and how architects can demonstrate a clear route to compliance
The role of Building Control – including when architects can reasonably seek regulatory advice from approvers
Knowing the limits of professional competence and when to bring in specialist expertise
What a strong application to Building Control looks like in practice, and where the responsibilities of the principal designer differ from those of the principal contractor
The conversation explores some of the grey areas architects are navigating today, offering practical insight to help build greater confidence in the decisions they make.
12 May 2026
Welcome to Building for what's next
Building for what's next is a new podcast for UK architects, focused on compliance confidence and the practical realities of the Building Safety Act—delivered as concise, credible conversations with clear takeaways. Brought to you by wienerberger.
The first episode will be published in September. Subscribe today to make sure you don't miss out
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