Why Architects And Contractors Must Collaborate As UK Heatwaves Worsen

A version of this article appeared on The Architects' Journal, by Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) president Saul Humphrey. Writing as Britain endures its fourth official heatwave of 2026, Humphrey argues that collaboration between architects and contractors has never mattered more.

Humphrey, a sustainability and construction management professional less than a month into his year-long CIOB presidency, said the timing of the climate debate could not be more pertinent to his new role. He pointed to ongoing arguments over closing schools during extreme heat and widespread train delays caused by buckling rail networks as signs Britain is still working out how to adapt.

He challenged the common phrase that architects design and contractors build, describing it as an oversimplification that no longer reflects how modern construction actually works. The shift toward a more climate-resilient built environment, he argued, is a shared responsibility that cannot rest on either profession working independently.

Humphrey said genuine partnership, rather than traditional divisions between who designs and who builds, is what successful projects now require. He stressed that progress depends on integrated teams considering design intent, buildability, cost, programme and sustainability together from the earliest project stages, rather than treating these as separate concerns handled in sequence.

The argument echoes a broader shift already underway across the UK built environment sector, where climate adaptation has moved from a specialist concern into a mainstream design and construction consideration. Extreme heat, once treated as an occasional weather event, is increasingly factored into building performance requirements, material choices and construction scheduling.

Humphrey's remarks reflect a wider industry recognition that resilience measures, such as passive cooling design, shading and ventilation strategies, only deliver their intended performance when architects' design intent survives the buildability and construction process intact. That alignment, he suggested, depends on collaboration starting well before construction begins rather than being addressed reactively once problems surface on site.