A wide range of interesting articles that help you make informed decisions and deliver the best projects for your clients authored by our team of NBS subject specialists and construction industry contributors.
Sustainability
Sustainable Futures UK Report 2026
Explore the current state of sustainability in the UK construction industry based on the results from a comprehensive survey conducted by NBS.
Must Reads
Construction Products
Siderise: Helping to bridge the gap between Gateway 2 approval and on-site fire protection
While the new building safety regime hasn’t fundamentally changed what requirements higher-risk buildings (HRBs) must meet to comply with the Building Regulations, it has significantly increased the ...
RIBA CPD
RIBA CPD for Architects: Understanding Flooring Specification and Detailing
For architects and specifiers, flooring details can have a significant impact on the safety, accessibility, durability and overall performance of a building. Yet the technical considerations ...
Sponsored
Designing sustainability into construction – proof over promises in sustainable construction
With tightening regulations and growing client demand, the construction industry is under increasing pressure to demonstrate measurable progress against carbon reduction targets. For specifiers, that ...
Brick slip cladding systems – the need for robust specification
This article from the NBS technical team outlines specification for brick slip technology, including history, technology, design, safety and testing.
Design and SpecificationConstruction Products
Reduce embodied carbon from the start
Measure, compare and reduce upfront embodied carbon using trusted UK data and pre-built assemblies.
Best practice specification for modular construction products
Executive summary Modular construction aims to deliver projects more efficiently, with improved quality and a lower environmental impact. Its success, however, depends on careful specification at ...
Design and SpecificationStandards and Regulations
Our top webinars in 2025
In 2025, we hosted dozens of free events and webinars throughout the year to help construction professionals keep pace with regulatory change, sustainability expectations and digital transformation. ...
Design and SpecificationSustainability
2025 Recap: The tools, insights and events moving construction forward
From advancing digital best practice and delivering new sustainability tools to driving industry conversations, this year at NBS has been defined by progress. Across our products, insights and ...
Design and SpecificationSustainability
Specifying water efficiency
Introduction It is a common observation that the UK still thinks of itself as a ‘wet’ nation with ample reserves of fresh, flowing water. However, the droughts and significant water scarcity events ...
Design and SpecificationSustainability
Key Takeaways from the Construction Leaders’ Summit 2025
The Construction Leaders’ Summit 2025, hosted by NBS, brought together leading voices from across the built environment, including architects, contractors, specifiers, and building product ...
Design and SpecificationSustainability
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Refurbishing flat roof areas
I’m sure we’ve all been there: the client wants to refurbish their flat roof areas, and “Oh, while you’re at it, could you install a timber deck area where our staff could have barbecues and maybe a ...
Design and Specification
Specifying plant enclosure and platform systems
Plant enclosures and platform systems are essential components in modern building design. Typically, they provide structural support, noise attenuation, aesthetic improvement, and environmental ...
Design and SpecificationStandards and Regulations
Performance-based partition filtering now in NBS Source
The challenge NBS Source is a library of hundreds of thousands of systems and products from construction product manufacturers. Within this library, there are over 1000 different Gypsum board ...
Design and SpecificationConstruction Products
Specifying for biodiversity net gain
With BNG now firmly embedded in planning policy and practice, most specifiers – particularly architects and landscape architects – are familiar with its requirements. Since becoming mandatory for ...
Design and SpecificationSustainability
Supporting smarter, lower-carbon design
The built environment is responsible for around 40% of global carbon emissions and in the UK, new build construction alone accounts for approximately 25% of the country’s total emissions. On most ...
Design and SpecificationSustainability
The EU Construction Products Regulations 2024 and Digital Product Passports
Background This article is about the rules concerning placing construction products on the market in the United Kingdom. It has been written in light of the EU Construction Product Regulations 2024 ...