WATER: Resilience & Innovation for the Built Environment
| Date: | Friday 23 January 2026 - Friday 10 April 2026 |
| Time: | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Venue: | The Building Centre
26 Store Street
London WC1E 7BT
|
| Price: | Free |
Running until 10 April 2026, the Building Centre is delivering a dynamic exhibition and events programme exploring innovations and solutions shaping the future of water in architecture, engineering and urban design. The Concrete Centre and MPA Precast are proud to be sponsors of the exhibition and inputting into both the display and several of the planned events within the packed programme.
Water is essential in the design, construction and operation of our buildings. As climate change intensifies, the way we manage, conserve and integrate water within the built environment has never been more critical.
This exhibition, available to visit for free until 10 April, showcases cutting-edge technologies, pioneering projects and ideas that are driving a new, water-wise approach to building for resilience and sustainability.
Several of the talks will be especially relevant and pertinent to an audience interested in learning more about concrete solutions for SUDS and flooding. See below for more information on these sessions,
Date: Wed 18 Mar 2026
Time: 2 - 5 PM
The event will kick off with a keynote speech, followed by specialist sessions on the latest innovations which are brand new to the UK market, and sessions on some of the latest research in this area.
Speakers
- Matt Wheeldon - Director of Infrastructure Develoment, Wessex Water
- Alastair Chisholm - Director of Policy, CIWEM
- Kevin Barton - Executive Director, Robert Bray Associates
- Sue Illman - Managing Director, Illman Young Landscape Designs
- Stuart Edwards - Project Delivery Manager, Enabling Water Smart Communities, United Utilities
- Rebecca Radford - Project Manager - Enabling Water Smart Communities, Anglian Water
- Alex Nickson - Head of Partnerships and Catchment Management at Thames Water
The day will finish with a panel discussion with a group of leading experts to discuss how Sustainable Drainage Systems can move from policy ambition to everyday practice in towns and cities across the country.
Date: Wed 25 Mar 2026
Time: 2 - 5 PM
The event will open with a keynote address, followed by specialist sessions showcasing the latest innovations in this area, and impactful initiatives shaping the future of community flood-resilience.
Speakers:
- Elaine Toogood - Senior Director, Concrete, Mineral Products Association
- Dr Alalea Kia - UKRI Future Leaders Fellow and RAEng Associate Research Fellow, Imperial College London
- Paul Shaffer - Director of Innovation and Delivery, CIWEM
The day will conclude with a panel discussion exploring how the built environment sector should adapt to rising flood risk. Speakers will discuss strategies for designing and retrofitting buildings to be flood-resilient, integrating nature-based solutions, and embedding resilience into urban planning. The session will also examine the policy frameworks, industry collaboration, and long-term stewardship required to make flood-adaptive design standard practice.