The Willmott Dixon Knowledge Hub

A public-private partnership (or PPP ) combines the resources of councils or government (such as land or low-cost borrowing) with private developers and investors. This model spreads risk, attracts capital and expertise, and allows regeneration to happen at a larger scale than the public sector could deliver alone.

A plan on how and what social value will be delivered for a project, area or indivdual. Willmott Dixon create bespoke plans for every one of our construction projects and the community it is being built in. This plan is developed in collaboration with our customers and community stakeholders. It is also sometimes referred to as a Social Value Account (SVA).

A sterile services facility is a highly controlled clean-room environment for compounding medicines and sterilising instruments at regional scale—demanding strict process, MEP and cleanroom specs, often delivered alongside broader health estates upgrades.

A transport interchange is a hub that combines different modes of transport (e.g., bus/rail/cycling) with safe, accessible walkways, real-time info and active-travel links. Modern interchanges also deliver public realm, green infrastructure and, increasingly, mixed-use development.

The European Union created the hierarchy to define a set of priorities for the efficient use of resources, from most favourable to least favourable actions – Reduce » Reuse » Repair » Recycle » Recover as energy » Landfill.

An integrated health hub is a single location hosting multiple primary/community health services (often with community space or housing), improving access, collaboration and outcomes.

An Integrated Health Hub brings multiple health and wellbeing services together—such as primary care, community diagnostics, mental health, social care, and voluntary‑sector support—often co‑located with flexible spaces for prevention and community activity. Hubs improve access, reduce duplication, support multidisciplinary teams, and can ease pressure on acute settings.

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is an approach to development that leaves the natural environment in a measurably better state than before development began. It was mandated by the Environment Act 2021 in England and Wales, coming into effect in early 2024. It requires most developments to achieve a measurable 10% increase in the biodiversity value of a site, by promoting habitat creation and enhancement to support wildlife. Developers must create or enhance habitats to meet this target, either on-site, off-site, or through purchasing statutory credits as a last resort.

BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is a sustainability assessment method for buildings and infrastructure. Projects are rated across categories including energy, health and wellbeing, transport, water, materials, waste, land use & ecology, and management. Ratings range from Pass to Outstanding. A BREEAM assessment helps clients demonstrate best practice, meet planning requirements, and drive better environmental performance.

Build to Rent schemes are housing developments that are designed specifically for long-term private rental rather than for sale. They are often owned by an institutional investor and professionally managed, offering tenants modern homes, flexible leases and amenities like gyms or communal gardens.

Building performance monitoring refers to the continuous tracking and analysis of how a building operates in terms of energy use, environmental conditions, and system efficiency. Using a network of sensors linked to the building management system, viewed via an analysis tool such as Energy Synergy, allows for analysis of the performance of the building during occupation to confirm it is performing as it was designed and identify areas for optimisation.

Compensating for carbon emissions through schemes designed to make equivalent reductions of carbon emissions to the atmosphere (such as carbon offset projects), or which actively reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere (such as carbon capture or sequestration in timber/wood products).

Design & Build (D&B) is a delivery model where the contractor takes responsibility for both design and construction to meet the employer’s requirements. Designers are often novated to the contractor. D&B can offer single‑point responsibility, shorter programmes, and cost certainty; success depends on clear requirements, early risk allocation, and robust design management.

Devolution in local government involves transferring decision making powers and funding from central government to regional or local bodies—such as Mayoral Combined Authorities—to shape transport, skills, housing, and net zero strategies. For construction, devolution influences pipeline visibility, procurement routes, and place‑based priorities.

Every material used in construction has an impact on the environment. From the moment raw materials are extracted from the earth, through their processing, manufacturing, and transportation to site, greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. These emissions are collectively known as upfront embodied carbon. Further embodied carbon emissions are associated with maintenance and replacement of building components during the building's liefecycle, and with end of life processing and recycle.

Unlike operational carbon, which refers to the emissions generated from heating, cooling, and powering a building during its lifetime, embodied carbon is locked into the building from day one. It’s the carbon footprint of everything that goes into making the built environment: concrete, steel, glass, timber, insulation, fixtures, and finishes.

As buildings become more energy-efficient and operational emissions fall, embodied carbon is taking up a larger share of a building’s total carbon footprint. In fact, for new buildings, embodied carbon can account for over half of total emissions across their lifecycle.
Reducing embodied carbon is a complex challenge. It involves rethinking how materials are sourced, how they’re manufactured, and how they’re transported. It also means designing with longevity, reuse, and circularity in mind , choosing materials that can be recycled or repurposed, and minimising waste.

Fabric-first is an energy-efficiency strategy that focuses on improving the performance of a building's physical structure (the "fabric") by using high quality, insulated, airtight components and design. The goal is to reduce heat loss and energy demand from the outset, making heating, cooling, and ventilation systems more effective. This approach focuses on the building's fabric, such as walls, windows, and roof, rather than relying solely on "add-on" technologies or efficiency of building services.

Buildings that are future climate ready are designed to meet the challenges of future climate change, such as mitigating against overheating and flooding risks.

Green energy, by the most robust defintion, is electricity produced from 100% natural renewable sources such as solar photovoltaics, wind generation or hydro-power.

Heritage restoration preserves and enhances historic assets while meeting modern standards. Principles include understanding significance, minimal and reversible interventions, like‑for‑like repair where appropriate, and sensitive integration of new services, accessibility and fire safety. Consents and stakeholder engagement are key, and success is measured by cultural value, longevity, and community benefit.

A type of renewable fuel produced by hydro-treating vegetable oils or animal fats, such as rapeseed oil. Unlike regular biodiesel, hydrogen is used as the catalyst in the manufacturing process instead of methanol. It may also be referred to as green or renewable diesel.