Welcome to the June edition of Digital Construction Today. As AI use booms, we are seeing an unprecedented expansion in data centres, bringing with it increased pressure on electricity networks and planning systems as countries compete to be the “home” of artificial intelligence.
Indeed, the rapid growth of digital infrastructure is bringing conflict with local communities and increased scrutiny of electricity demand, water consumption and carbon emissions.
As data centres become more prominent in towns and cities around the world, the debate on future growth simply cannot ignore their environment and social impact.
In our cover story, James Fisher of the BRE argues that we need to rethink sustainable data centres, replacing fragmented and inconsistent approaches with an international framework of clear and credible standards.
He discusses the work of the Greening AI Data Centres Coalition, of which the BRE is a founding member, which is bringing together organisations from across the built environment, sustainability and finance sectors to do just that.
With the Cybersecurity & Resilience Bill currently passing through Parliament, Dave Adamson of Creative ITC warns that amid heightened expectations of visibility, accountability and operational resilience, many construction firms are operating in a “visibility gap” because they do not understand their data.
Julien Moutte, chief technology officer at Bentley Systems, explores AI and the “trust gap” in infrastructure, while Martin Gooch of BIM4Water looks at the huge delivery challenge facing the water sector as it takes on the £104bn Asset Management Period 8.
Miklos Magyar of chapmanbdsp examines the evolution of BIM from software tool to business strategy; Ron Zaum of Structured AI cautions that AI can only catch what humans miss if it understands how buildings actually go together; and Kathleen Baird of WSP shares lessons from the New University Hospital Monklands project and the realities of delivering a “fully digital” hospital.
We also hear from Alessandro Lezzi of Beazley, who cautions that attitudes to cyber risk in construction need to be as stringent as those towards physical safety, while Marc Schütz of Revizto considers the question CIOs can no longer avoid: who actually owns your data?
Here’s a selection of what’s in store:
1. Clear standards are needed before sustainable data centres can thrive
The pace of AI-driven growth means the data centre sector cannot afford fragmented approaches to sustainability, writes James Fisher, head of strategic partnerships at the BRE.
2. Making the most of Digital Construction Week 2026
Digital Construction Week returns to Excel London on 3-4 June.
3. Business cyber resilience starts with understanding your data
If you don’t truly know what you’ve got, you can’t protect it, writes Dave Adamson of Creative ITC.
4. Precision over plausibility: AI in infrastructure demands a different standard
Julien Moutte, chief technology officer at Bentley Systems, examines AI and the trust problem in infrastructure.
5. 4D in AMP8: Bridging the water sector’s digital divide
Why 4D planning in AMP8 demands a new approach to skills and culture.
6. Stop treating AI in construction as a bolt-on: Businesses must embed it to the core to unlock outcomes
As adoption of AI in construction continues to accelerate, the uptake varies greatly. Some organisations are experimenting with advanced use cases like predictive maintenance and contract analysis, while others are still grappling with where it fits into their operations. But as time goes on, chief technology officer at Pagabo Group Dave Stott warns the industry risks missing the point if it continues to treat AI as a standalone capability, rather than a structural part of how modern construction businesses operate.
7. AI catches what human building reviews miss – if it understands them
Amid growing complexity, the building review process hasn’t changed. AI can catch what human reviewers miss – but only if it understands how buildings actually go together, writes Ron Zaum of Structured AI.
8. Cyber risk in construction: Why confidence may be the sector’s biggest vulnerability
Cyber risk is now the number one concern for business leaders worldwide, meaning cyber resilience deserves the same discipline and focus as physical safety in the construction industry, writes Alessandro Lezzi, head of cyber risks at Beazley.
9. Designing a truly digital hospital: What we’re learning from Monklands
The Monklands project shows that true digital transformation is about much more than models and data platforms, writes Kathleen Baird, associate director at WSP.
10. Beyond the hype: The real AI revolution in construction and engineering starts behind the scenes
Technological modernisation in the construction and engineering industry, conjures up images of humanoid robots wheeling barrows and laying bricks, and workers walking round sites using future-like smart glasses to improve safety. But while not quite as sexy, the truth is that what the industry urgently needs are AI agents to alleviate the back-office pressures of keeping major projects on time and on budget, as Kenny Ingram, VP of C&E and Chris Knight, global industry director, C&E, IFS, explain.
