NBS and BDP join forces to improve generic carbon data in construction
NBS and BDP join forces to improve generic carbon data in construction
NBS (part of Hubexo), the platform for connected construction information, has announced a long-term strategic partnership with BDP, a major global multidisciplinary practice of architects, designers, engineers and urbanists.
The partnership recognises BDP’s integral role in the development of NBS LCA, a new life-cycle carbon assessment platform providing professionals with high-quality, reliable and easy-to-use carbon data to ensure accurate tracking as construction projects evolve.
BDP’s primary contribution to NBS LCA has been the development of more than 1,300 pre-calculated generic assemblies, covering the most commonly used building fabric elements alongside key concrete and steel structural elements.
These assemblies provide whole-element carbon data, giving designers consistent, UK-relevant carbon benchmarks from the earliest stages of project design. Users can easily and instantly apply carbon rates to a range of pre-configured common building elements, including walls, floors, and roofs.
Developed by BDP and NBS, the assemblies remove the need for designers to manually build up material layers or calculate individual components at the concept stage. This saves significant time and effort, enabling proportionate and responsible carbon evaluation early in the design process, when decisions have the greatest impact on a project’s overall carbon footprint.
BDP also participated in collaborative workshops that directly informed the development of NBS LCA, helping to shape a tool that is practical, accessible and aligned with real-world UK construction workflows.
Dr Lee Jones, Head of Sustainability at Hubexo, said:
“BDP’s contribution to NBS LCA has been invaluable. Their depth of project experience and technical knowledge has directly shaped the generic assemblies at the heart of the platform. These assemblies give designers a reliable, UK-relevant starting point for carbon assessment, without the burden of building everything from scratch. This is exactly the kind of collaboration that moves the industry forward, and we’re proud to be working with BDP on a long-term basis.”
Julia Yao, Associate, Sustainability Consultant at BDP, said:
“Carbon assessment needs to be embedded in design from day one, not bolted on at the end. Working with NBS to develop its LCA product has been a genuine opportunity to put that principle into practice. The generic assemblies we developed draw on real project data and are designed to give designers meaningful, actionable carbon information at the concept stage. We’re delighted to see them at the core of a platform that will be used across the industry.”
With the UK Government outlining its commitment to responsible carbon reporting through its Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan, professionals need reliable, easy-to-use tools to assess and report embodied carbon.
NBS LCA addresses this need by integrating carbon calculations with live design work, drawing on structured data from Circular Ecology’s ICE Database and more than 12,500 verified, specification-ready construction products with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) from NBS Source and ECO Portal.
Over the coming months, NBS and BDP will continue to develop their partnership, with a shared commitment to improving the quality and accessibility of carbon data for construction professionals across the UK.
ABOUT NBS:
NBS is a leading integrated platform for everyone involved in the design, supply, and construction of the built environment. For architects, engineers, designers, and contractors we provide a cloud-based specification system that enables them to work smarter and reduce their risk.
For building product manufacturers, we help grow their business by exposing their products across the construction project timeline. Headquartered in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, and Canada, NBS has a global reach with thousands of users around the world. Our roots lie in the UK’s National Building Specification, which for over 50 years has been helping the construction industry build better and with lower risk.
NBS is part of Hubexo, which provides cutting-edge data, insights, and software solutions to the global construction industry.
Hubexo provides innovative data, insights and software solutions to the global construction industry. Founded in Sweden in 1936, Hubexo specialises in project information, eTendering, product information, market intelligence, and specifications. With operations in 26 countries, Hubexo helps its customers sell more efficiently, sustainably, and lead the future of construction innovation.
BDP is a major international, multidisciplinary practice of architects, designers, engineers and urbanists. The company works closely with users, clients and the community to create special places for living, working, shopping, culture and learning across the world. Founded in 1961, BDP now has studios across the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, UAE, India, Peru, Singapore USA, Canada and China. BDP has a leading track record in all major sectors including health, education, workplace, retail, urbanism, heritage, housing, transport, leisure, public safety and energy utilities. The company combines expertise across disciplines, locations, sectors and all major building types to deliver a truly integrated way of working – resulting in high quality, effective and inspiring built spaces.
