Rethinking the built environment with Richard Bonner

In this episode we focus on how the infrastructure sector can start to break down the ingrained engineering, architecture, planning and investment siloes preventing us from truly delivering the sustainable investment needed for communities to drive social and economic growth across the UK.

My guest is Richard Bonner, Managing Director for the AtkinsRéalis Buildings and Places business, 

Richard runs this new dedicated division, which was set up just over a year ago and in many ways signalled a fundamental shift in the way large-scale consultancy can address the modern urban landscape. 

Historically, infrastructure and building design has operated in separate silos. Today, the pressures facing our towns and cities, from housing deficits and decarbonisation mandates to strained public sector budgets, demand a far more integrated, place-based approach.

By uniting architecture, masterplanning, structural engineering, and social infrastructure under one roof, the Buildings and Places business unit hope to bridge the gap between major economic transport investments and the everyday lived experience of local communities. 

Whether unlocking housing capacity around transport hubs such as Elephant & Castle or shaping regional growth along Northern Powerhouse Rail corridors, this holistic model sets out to allow AtkinsRéalis to act as a so-called “integrator” between public policy goals, private capital, and long-term asset management.

So let’s explore how combining these functions have changed the firm’s approach to serving clients and delivering lasting social legacy. 

Resources

• AtkinsRealis website
• AtkinsRealis Buildings and Places
• Richard Bonner Linked In
• Video - the impact of infrastructure on people's lives
• 10 year infrastructure strategy 
• 1.5M homes target update