How does infrastructure investment shape lives and communities? Find out why future-focused planning matters in this week’s ‘Sandbox’ FOMO5 episode...

When it comes to our infrastructure systems in the UK, focusing on the short-term can often lead to more extensive long-term costs. From potholes and power outages to rail disruptions and water shortages, under-investment impacts everyone.

As climate risks and societal demands grow, the need for proactive infrastructure planning has never been greater. Infrastructure innovation isn’t just about engineering - it’s about resilience, wellbeing, and quality of life.

Joining our regular host Andy Duncan are Buro Happold experts Paula Gough, UK Infrastructure Development Director, and Chris Glover, Director, Utilities and Energy.

Subscribe to the whole series; Sometimes we’ll tackle a subject head on, sometimes a sideways view - but always with curiosity, expertise and maybe even a dash of humour. 

Building for Resilience: How can our UK infrastructure be future-proofed against a changing climate? Find out more in this week’s Sandbox FOMO5 episode...

The UK has seen a rise in extreme weather. Storms that were once ‘one-in-20-year' events now happen annually, while flooding and heatwaves dominate headlines. These events are no longer rare and our critical systems are under stress like never before.

Resilience and climate goals are intertwined. Without robust infrastructure, carbon reduction efforts stall, and nature-based solutions fail. The cost of inaction isn’t just financial - it is environmental and societal. From re-defining design standards to integrating solutions across sectors, there is much that can be done to overcome these challenges.

This topic is discussed in this week’s Sandbox FOMO5, taken from our latest podcast episode, ‘Resilient by design: Infrastructure for a sustainable future’.

Joining our regular host Andy Duncan are Buro Happold experts Paula Gough, UK Infrastructure Development Director, and Chris Glover, Director, Utilities and Energy.

Subscribe to the whole series; Sometimes we’ll tackle a subject head on, sometimes a sideways view - but always with curiosity, expertise and maybe even a dash of humour. 

What does ‘resilience’ really mean when it comes to infrastructure?

It is more than just bouncing back from disruption. As Paula Gough, UK Infrastructure Development Director, explains in our latest episode of Sandbox, resilience is about designing systems that can adapt to change, and recover quickly - especially in the face of climate events, energy crises, or digital disruptions.

Infrastructure is deeply interconnected, and our ability to respond to emergencies depends on how well these systems work together. That is why integration matters. Resilience can’t be built in silos. It requires joined-up thinking, from policy and planning to investment and implementation.

In this short FOMO5 episode, taken from the full episode, Paula joins host Andy Duncan and fellow Buro Happold expert Chris Glover, Director of Utilities and Energy, to explore how integrated infrastructure can help us build a more resilient, sustainable future.

Subscribe to the whole series; Sometimes we’ll tackle a subject head on, sometimes a sideways view - but always with curiosity, expertise and maybe even a dash of humour.