The University of the Built Environment (UBE) has launched the new forum under the chair of a former government construction adviser, Mark Farmer
The construction industry leadership forum, named the Built Environment Futures Assembly (BEFA), is designed to promote collaboration in the built environment.
Mark Farmer, chair of the BEFA, is a well-known expert in the sector and has previously led government reviews in construction, including 2016’s ‘Modernise or Die’ and 2025’s ‘Transforming the Construction Workforce: Review of Industry Training Boards.’
BEFA’s primary purpose is industry excellence
The mission laid out before BEFA is to be a construction industry leadership forum that allows industry members to enhance their capacity, capability, and competency via knowledge sharing, learning, and innovation.
As such, there are five key themes encompassing the BEFA’s mission:
Two ‘Principal Focus Areas’
- Education & Future Skills: Aligning training with industry needs to match the sector’s skills demand, ensuring a strong pipeline of talent.
- Professionalism: Raising workforce competence and capability through higher standards of professionalism, ethics and best practice across all roles.
And three ‘Cross-Cutting Topics’
- Inclusion: Championing joined-up leadership for a more inclusive built environment, widening participation and leadership opportunities for under-represented groups.
- Sustainability: Embedding sustainable thinking by integrating sustainability skills and mindsets into leadership and practice, preparing industry leaders to meet environmental and climate challenges.
- Placemaking: Promoting design and development approaches that deliver long-term social value through evidence-based placemaking, creating thriving communities and enhanced wellbeing.
Mark Farmer, BEFA chair, said: “Our sector urgently needs to break down its traditional professional silos and work together in new, more integrated ways to address the changing educational and skills needs of practitioners. BEFA provides a much-needed platform for collective leadership, harnessing collaborative thinking that reflects the future of built environment professional practice. I’m excited to be working with partners from all corners of the sector to make this happen.”
Ashley Wheaton, vice chancellor of the University of the Built Environment, said: “The University is delighted to support BEFA to help it amplify specialist voices and share best practice. BEFA’s structure, with industry-led workstreams and active stakeholder participation, ensures activities are demand-led, but also informed by the University’s experience of long-term skills development.”
The University has undergone a rebrand to reflect modern values
The University of the Built Environment was formerly the University College of Estate Management, until June of this year.
The name was changed to mark its 106th anniversary, as well as to better reflect its role in the construction industry, offering degrees and apprenticeships in construction, real estate, planning, sustainability, and architecture.
A statement from the University of the Built Environment said: “The University’s vision is to be the centre of excellence for built environment education. This new name reinforces that ambition and highlights our expanded scope. The University now has over 4000 students and offers professional degrees and apprenticeships across disciplines such as construction, real estate, planning, sustainability and architecture. In addition to the industries we serve, we are committed to research, partnerships and collaboration, as recently demonstrated by the merger with The London School of Architecture.
“As an institution, they remain grounded in their Royal Charter and deeply connected to their history. With a new name, they look ahead — committed to shaping the future of the built environment.
“This is more than a name change; it is a statement of intent. It marks a bold new chapter for their community and network. In embracing this new identity, they reaffirm their mission to lead, innovate, and inspire across every aspect of the built environment.”
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