Building a Greener Future: Bouygues UK’s Sustainability Awards

At the end of last week, Bouygues UK hosted our annual Sustainability Awards, a highly anticipated event that celebrates our commitment to innovation and environmental responsibility. These awards highlight the outstanding efforts of teams across our projects who are driving sustainable solutions and reducing our environmental impact.

Each year, finalists present their initiatives to a judging panel and a live audience, showcasing their pioneering approaches to sustainability. As ever, this year’s submissions demonstrated remarkable ingenuity, with initiatives ranging from reducing embodied carbon and improving construction efficiency to revolutionising site operations through waste-reduction and net-zero strategies. After entries were whittled down to five finalists and the live audience voted on their winning choice, this year’s award went to Project Lead, Ben Trouillet and his team at Hallsville Quarter Phase 4.

Recycling a Car Park into a Piling Mat

The team at Hallsville Quarter Phase 4, who transformed an existing logistics platform into a piling mat, drastically reducing the need for new materials.

Their initiative cut material use by 75%, saving 292 truckloads of aggregate, reducing carbon emissions, and delivering £400,000 in cost savings. The work done by the team to reduce waste and prioritise greener construction methods exemplifies how resourcefulness and sustainability can go hand in hand, making a tangible impact on both the environment and project efficiency.

Pentre Awel: Bouygues UK’s First Net Zero Construction Site

Assistant Site Manager, Thomas Reed and the team at Pentre Awel were highly commended at this year’s awards, coming second to the team at Hallsville Quarter for leading Bouygues UK’s first net-zero construction site at Pentre Awel. On site, emissions have been reduced by 90% through initiatives like switching 80% of site fuel to HVO, optimising waste management, and engaging the supply chain in carbon reduction efforts. The team has trained over 1,800 operatives, upskilling supply chain partners in sustainable practices.

The collective efforts made at Pentre Awel to prioritise sustainable construction methods is an example to be followed, reinforcing the necessity of industry-wide collaboration to meet ambitious net-zero targets.

Reducing Embodied Carbon at Pentre Awel

A second submission from Pentre Awel was also shortlisted.

Led by Matthew John and his team, this initiative focused on the introduction of hollow-core concrete slabs in place of traditional solid slabs at Pentre Awel, reducing the structural weight and embodied carbon by 75%, saving over 1,200 tonnes of CO2. This approach not only lowered emissions but also accelerated construction and provided cost benefits. The team’s confidence to reconsider the construction materials highlights the importance of challenging traditional design methodologies for a greener future.

Cross-Laminated Timber at St John’s Academy

At St John’s Academy, Project Manager, Kelvin Spearman and his team championed the use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) instead of steel and concrete, reducing the building’s embodied carbon by 40%.

These CLT panels have been prefabricated off-site, minimising waste, improving quality standards and cutting construction time by 25-40%. This approached also required fewer vehicle movements, creating a safer, quieter construction process.

By embracing more natural materials, the team is delivering a more sustainable, high-quality learning environment, setting a strong precedent for the future of low-carbon schools.

Data-Driven Sustainability

Luka Kovacevic, a data scientist at Bouygues UK, earned his place as a finalist for leveraging AI and digital tools to monitor and optimise construction site emissions, energy usage, and waste management. By integrating real-time analytics, his team are providing insights that enhance decision-making, improve efficiency, and support carbon reduction strategies. This use of data emphasises the crucial role technology plays in driving measurable sustainability outcomes.

Congratulations to Ben Trouillet and the Hallsville Quarter Phase 4 team, as well as all the finalists, for their outstanding contributions. The submissions from across Bouygues UK are testament to our firm belief that innovation and sustainability must be placed at the forefront of how we operate. The impressive initiatives showcased at these awards are proof that by rethinking materials, repurposing resources, and leveraging technology, we can make construction smarter, greener, and more efficient. As a business, we will continue to celebrate bold ideas and implement these practices on a larger scale.