News and Press

Keep up to date with the latest important developments within the company and the construction industry.

NBS and BDP join forces to improve generic carbon data in construction

Today, NBS (part of Hubexo), the platform for connected construction information, announces a long-term strategic partnership with BDP, a major global multidisciplinary practice of architects, designers, engineers and urbanists. The partnership recognises BDP's integral role in the development of NBS LCA, a new life-cycle carbon assessment platform providing professionals with high-quality, reliable and easy-to-use carbon data to ensure accurate tracking as construction projects evolve. BDP's primary contribution to NBS LCA has been the development of more than 1,300 pre-calculated generic assemblies, covering the most commonly used building fabric elements alongside key concrete and steel structural elements. These assemblies provide whole-element carbon data, giving designers consistent, UK-relevant carbon benchmarks from the earliest stages of project design. Users can easily and instantly apply carbon rates to a range of pre-configured common building elements, including walls, floors, and roofs. Developed by BDP and NBS, the assemblies remove the need for designers to manually build up material layers or calculate individual components at the concept stage. This saves significant time and effort, enabling proportionate and responsible carbon evaluation early in the design process, when decisions have the greatest impact on a project's overall carbon footprint. BDP also participated in collaborative workshops that directly informed the development of NBS LCA, helping to shape a tool that is practical, accessible and aligned with real-world UK construction workflows. Dr Lee Jones, Head of Sustainability at Hubexo, said: “BDP's contribution to NBS LCA has been invaluable. Their depth of project experience and technical knowledge has directly shaped the generic assemblies at the heart of the platform. These assemblies give designers a reliable, UK-relevant starting point for carbon assessment, without the burden of building everything from scratch. This is exactly the kind of collaboration that moves the industry forward, and we're proud to be working with BDP on a long-term basis.” Julia Yao, Associate, Sustainability Consultant at BDP, said: “Carbon assessment needs to be embedded in design from day one, not bolted on at the end. Working with NBS to develop its LCA product has been a genuine opportunity to put that principle into practice. The generic assemblies we developed draw on real project data and are designed to give designers meaningful, actionable carbon information at the concept stage. We're delighted to see them at the core of a platform that will be used across the industry.” With the UK Government outlining its commitment to responsible carbon reporting through its Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan, professionals need reliable, easy-to-use tools to assess and report embodied carbon. NBS LCA addresses this need by integrating carbon calculations with live design work, drawing on structured data from Circular Ecology's ICE Database and more than 12,500 verified, specification-ready construction products with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) from NBS Source and ECO Portal. Over the coming months, NBS and BDP will continue to develop their partnership, with a shared commitment to improving the quality and accessibility of carbon data for construction professionals across the UK. NBS LCA is available now, with flexible subscriptions designed for all professionals. For more information, visit the website here.

Product update

NBS National BIM Survey 2016 now open

Press Release December 2015 NBS has launched its sixth NBS National BIM Survey, which has become recognised as the industry’s most comprehensive look at the use of BIM. The results of the survey will ...

Industry to lead a new initiative to deliver product data parameters and templates to help manufacturers prepare for April 2016 BIM mandate

A joint construction industry initiative including NBS has been formed to provide consistent product data parameters and templates.

Subscribe

Newcastle business, NBS, announces partnership with international art gallery, BALTIC

Press Release 20 November 2015

Construction disputes still as prevalent as ever NBS survey finds

NBS has revealed the results of its third major survey into construction contracts and related legal issues.

NBS BIM expertise at Glenigan Breakfast Briefing

Press Release 30 October 2014

Major research project launched to identify the next step in digitising the construction industry

October 2015

London Build 2015 and the London Construction Awards

Almost 200 exhibitors and thousands of construction industry professionals are set to descend on the o2, London, in June 2015 for London Build 2015.

Support for Government's approach to BIM

Press Release 17 April 2015

NBS showcases latest technology on Government mission to Shanghai

Richard Waterhouse, Chief Executive of RIBA Enterprises was in Shanghai, taking part in the GREAT Festival of Creativity, a Government backed mission which showcases the best of British innovation to ...

North-east boost on Government mission to Shanghai

A prominent local business leader was given the opportunity to showcase one of north east’s emerging technologies to HRH The Duke of Cambridge this week.

NBS BIM Object Standard shortlisted for BIM Initiative of the Year | NBS

The open standard for BIM Objects was launched by NBS in September last year with the hope it would play a major role in accelerating wider industry take up of BIM and secure the UK’s place at the ...