Urban Forecast
The show where Ackroyd Lowrie's co-founder and director, Oliver Lowrie talks to the people defining the future of our cities. Discussing their background, what drives them and the insights they have learnt along the way. This is a show for investors, developers, planners, consultants and anyone who is interested in how we will work, live and play in the cities of the future and what that means for the property market today.
Urban Forecast
Steve Watts: The Real Cost of Building London’s Skyline
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In this episode of Urban Forecast, Oli Lowrie and Jon Ackroyd sit down with Steve Watts, London-based cost consultant and Global Chair of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).
Steve shares a rare behind-the-scenes perspective on the economics, design logic and delivery challenges of tall buildings, drawing on decades of experience working on landmark projects like The Shard. From why skyscrapers are “irreversible financial commitments” to why so many London towers are stalled despite strong demand, this conversation cuts through the complexity of building high in today’s uncertain market.
The discussion explores the real drivers of cost and value, the tension between sustainability and viability, and why process, not design, is often where projects fail. Steve also makes the case for smarter, leaner design, earlier collaboration, and a shift towards delivering “more for less” in the next generation of urban development.
If you want to understand what really shapes city skylines, and why the future of tall buildings depends as much on people and process as it does on architecture, this episode is essential listening.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Tall buildings are long-term, high-risk investments that can span multiple economic cycles, making early decisions critical
- Viability challenges are global, driven by rising construction costs, supply chain constraints, and ongoing uncertainty
- Shape matters more than height, with efficient design having a major impact on cost and deliverability
- London’s planning complexity produces high-quality buildings but contributes to higher costs and slower delivery
- The biggest inefficiencies in projects often come from poor upfront planning and misaligned teams, not design itself
- Sustainable design is no longer an open cheque book, requiring careful trade-offs between cost, carbon, and performance
- Modular construction and early-stage collaboration offer major opportunities to improve speed, cost, and quality
- The future of tall buildings will focus on delivering more value with fewer resources, supported by better processes and emerging technologies
BEST MOMENTS
- “They’re like tankers. They’re irreversible financial commitments.”
- “Shape matters more than height.”
- “Projects don’t go wrong. They start wrong.”
- “The current phase is doing all of that, but for less.”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
https://www.ackroydlowrie.com
EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT
Mike Reader MP on Fixing Britain’s Housing System
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO6OiedDBy8
Power, Politics and Property with Phineas Harper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PxYmNLW4bk
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jon Ackroyd and Oliver Lowrie, the visionary hosts of Urban Forecast, bring their expertise from leading their innovative practice, Ackroyd Lowrie. Known for pushing the boundaries in urban design, Jon and Oliver use their podcast to delve into the future of cities, sharing insights from their work on projects that emphasise sustainability, community, and transformative architecture. Through Urban Forecast, they engage listeners with discussions on how architecture and design shape urban living, aiming to inspire new ways of thinking about the spaces around us.
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