The third event in the Article 25 NextGen series was a thought-provoking evening that explored the impact of sustainability across the built environment.
Part of the More Than a Building network, the NextGen series is designed to connect and inspire rising professionals aged 25 to 35 across architecture, engineering, planning, and beyond.
Hosted by Hoare Lea, the discussion centred on the theme: Sustainability - Progress vs. Preservation.
The evening featured:
A case study focused on the Blues Creamery project in Rwanda - a project that contributes to 16 of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
A panel discussion led by prominent voices in architecture, engineering, and urban design. See the full panel line up below.
Drinks, food, and networking shared among young professionals and industry leaders.
Panel speaker bios:
Ashley Bateson, Head of Sustainability, Hoare Lea
Ashley is a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Environmentalist. As Head of Sustainability at Hoare Lea he leads sustainability strategies, with specific expertise in resilience, reducing carbon emissions and building performance evaluation. He has supported the humanitarian architecture charity, Article 25, in various project designs, including in Tanzania and Nepal, and was a trustee. Ashley is a past Vice President of CIBSE and is active in the CIBSE Sustainability Group. He chairs the Buildings Services Engineers Declaration of the Climate and Biodiversity Emergency. He has contributed to publications and industry guidance for CIBSE, BSRIA, RIBA and the UK Green Building Council.
Alexander Buck, Head of Sustainability, Buckley Grey Yeoman
Alex is Head of Sustainability and a Certified Passivhaus Designer at Buckley Gray Yeoman (BGY), where he has been a driving force for over eight years. With a passion for regenerative design and a strong commitment to a Retrofit First approach, Alex is dedicated to reducing the climate impact of the UK’s built environment. He embeds innovative, people-focused sustainability strategies into design-led architecture, ensuring environmental performance is considered at every stage.
With more than a decade of experience in the built environment, Alex has led multidisciplinary teams across all RIBA work stages, delivering a wide range of projects, from conservation-led refurbishments like Bedford Row to major commercial retrofits including 2 Gresham Street, 206 Marylebone Road, and Broadgate Tower. His work consistently balances technical performance with design excellence, pushing the boundaries of sustainable practice.
Lorraine Chan, Project Architect, Fletcher Priest Architects
Lorraine Chan is an Australian architect who moved to London in 2019. She has worked with teams in and outside of architecture, focusing on a design approach that is informed by the story of the human experience and solving complex problems with design solutions.
At Fletcher Priest, Lorraine has led the development of material reuse strategies for the recently submitted proposals for 55 Old Broad Street.