A year in review: 2024 at NBS

Here’s what we got up to in 2024…

Supporting the construction industry

In October 2023, The Building Safety Act and much of its associated secondary legislation came into force. Since then, many specifiers have been struggling to get to grips with the requirements.

This year, we published ‘Constructing a Safer Future’, our 2024 Building Safety Act White Paper, driven by a comprehensive survey of hundreds of construction professionals. The report revealed that many are still unsure of the responsibilities attached to the act and what is meant by the Golden Thread of Information.

The report itself has been downloaded over 4,600 times and demonstrated the need for training and education to address concerning knowledge gaps. Throughout the year, we’ve shared guidance on the topic, advice on how NBS can help construction professionals comply with the legislation, as well as encouraging industry discussion around the challenges. You can watch our latest webinar on Building Safety here.

To further support competence and education in 2024, we also launched a new and improved RIBACPD.com, as part of our longstanding partnership with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The refreshed site makes it easier than ever to find high quality, RIBA-approved Continuing Professional Development (CPD) materials and meet new CPD requirements.

A sustainable future

At NBS, powered by Hubexo, acting on sustainability is a strategic priority. This year, we announced the news that Hubexo UKI comprising NBS, Glenigan and CIS Ireland, has achieved full Greenhouse Gas Inventory carbon neutrality across its operations, including all (Scope 3) indirect emissions.

This accomplishment reflects our commitment to environmental responsibility, as well as leading the construction industry to deliver more sustainable outcomes. In June, our Sustainable Futures Report provided valuable insights into the priorities and perspectives of professionals in the construction industry. 

The study, which surveyed almost 600 people working within the built environment, covered various aspects of sustainability and the role of specification and project information. It revealed that while 90% of respondents had worked on construction projects with sustainability targets, fewer than half of projects managed to achieve them. The report also revealed some of the barriers which remain to achieving lower carbon construction, with two-thirds of respondents stating cost as the main issue. To find out more about the findings, you can download the full report here.

New developments

We continually develop our platforms to ensure they are not only meeting the needs of our customers, but also helping to deliver safer, more sustainable projects. 

This year, NBS Chorus, the UKs leading specification writing platform, was developed to further enhance efficiency, manage risk and streamline collaboration. We launched new features like Tagging, Detailed Revisions and Master Change Notifications as part of NBS Chorus Premium, to save time on complex projects and support compliance with the latest building standards and regulations. 

We also introduced the new Early-Stage Specification Library, which enables outline specifications at the concept design stage, documenting the brief, fix performance requirements and ensure a design is within budget. The library includes guidance from Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) on embodied carbon, construction cost and ongoing maintenance and replacement costs. Find out more here. 

In NBS Source, our product information platform, we introduced several features related to sustainability. Under the new Sustainability tab for product manufacturers, brands can now highlight their company sustainability initiatives and certifications. For specifiers using NBS Source, there is also now a sustainability report feature which allows all sustainability information for one or more products to be downloaded as part of a comparison or collection.

In 2024, our consultancy service NBS Schumann expanded its services to include BIM Consultancy, alongside Specification and Design Management. Its team has also grown, adding to decades of experience of the practicalities, processes and challenges of specification and construction.

The Construction Leaders’ Summit 

In September, we held another successful Construction Leaders’ Summit (CLS) in London. The day brought together professionals from across the industry to discuss and debate the key issues of building safety, sustainability and artificial intelligence.

Paul Morrell OBE, former Chief Construction Adviser to the UK Government, delivered the keynote speech on the Building Safety Act and the challenges construction professionals are navigating to ensure compliance. Paul stressed the importance of collaboration and understanding the connected duties on any construction project, noting that the industry’s traditional attitude has been a “merry-go-round of buck-passing” and led to unsafe buildings as a result. 

To catch up on the event, you can watch the keynote presentations on demand here.

Better together

Finally, this was the year we announced the launch of ‘Hubexo’, the new identity for our global team. Hubexo, formerly known as Byggfakta Group, unites cutting-edge data, insights, and software solutions for the construction industry across 20 countries. 

In the UK and Ireland, Hubexo comprises NBS, Glenigan and CIS Ireland, led by Joanne Keit as Hubexo UKI President. 

In 2025, we’ll be embarking upon an exciting journey to unify the global brands across Hubexo to drive innovation, empower our customers, and guide the construction sector into a sustainable future.

2024 has certainly been an exciting year. To find out more about our plans next year, register now for our first webinar of 2025... ‘How NBS can help you in 2025’.