INDUSTRY VIEWFINDER 25
management (picked by 63%), and hybrid SuDS (61%). While the percentage shifts are all somewhat minor, it does present an overall picture that there is a slight decrease in the specifi cation of green options with both the exclusively green options down, and a subsequent small increase in engineered & proprietary SuDS. However, the fact the changes are fairly inconsequential implies there’s no immediate cause for concern for proponents of green SuDS, based on our sample. What is of more concern is the reason for the shift, whether that be site constraints, weak regulation and enforcement, or pressure to specify cheaper, quicker or simpler solutions.
The more positive takeaway from the responses to this question is the 8% increase in the number specifying hybrid SuDS, suggesting a combination of ‘green’ and ‘grey’ measures is ultimately deemed the most suitable. This was further reinforced when we asked if respondents believe a combination – such as a swales connected to stormwater attenuation tanks – is the most realistic solution for housing developments. In 2023, 85% agreed it was the most realistic specifi cation choice, a sentiment that has dropped slightly to 71% in 2026 but is still shared by the vast majority of our architect respondent cohort.
When asked why they believe that a combination of natural and engineered SuDS was the most realistic solution, many responses referred to the lack of suitability of either system individually, with hybrid systems therefore offering the best of both. One commented: “Purely engineered systems rarely give enough placemaking benefi t on their own, but purely natural systems can be hard to fi t on constrained sites, so the hybrid route is the realistic one,” commented one respondent, while another said: “Integrated systems give better whole-life performance because they spread the load.” Other comments referenced site constraints: “Most urban sites are too constrained for a single solution approach, so a layered strategy is the most deliverable,” and that the hybrid approach appeases all stakeholders: “For housing and mixed-use work we usually need both visible landscape measures and hidden storage to satisfy planners, engineers and clients.” Further comments were in similar vein: “The hybrid approach is what gets through design coordination in practice: landscape value above ground and dependable attenuation below ground,” and: “It is usually the only way to reconcile planning expectations, hydraulic performance and maintainable details on compact developments.” Several respondents commented that ‘green’ solutions would be the ideal goal, with ‘grey’ options only necessary in extreme circumstances. “A combined approach gives us resilience in heavier rainfall while still delivering amenity and biodiversity value,” said one, while another said: “The combination lets us design for ordinary rainfall naturally while still having engineered backup for extreme events.” One said the intention should be that “grey stormwater management will only need to be used very rarely.” Comments received in our 2023 survey were of a similar nature, referring to site constraints, the need to satisfy planning policy, and that generally, day-to-day reliance should be on green solutions but that there is a necessity to support these with grey/engineered options in extreme weather.
The fi nal question asked in both surveys was how important a range of factors were as drivers for including green infrastructure in developments, with respondents asked to rate each option as either ‘very important’, ‘moderately important’, ‘not very important’, or ‘not at all important’. Unsurprisingly in both surveys stormwater management came out on top, selected as ‘very important’ by 78% in 2026 and 85% in 2023. Pollution control also remains a top ranking factor, with 60% rating it as ‘very important’ in 2026 and 73% in 2023. The factor that’s seen the biggest – and only – increase in ‘very important’ rankings is biodiversity net gain. While undeniably reassuring given the ever growing understanding of the need to not only protect but enhance biodiversity, it’s also somewhat unsurprising given the introduction of mandatory BNG requirements in 2024. Somewhat reassuringly, all factors driving SuDS received an overwhelming majority of either ‘very important’ or ‘moderately important’ ratings across both surveys. At the other end of the scale, receiving the highest ‘not very important’ or ‘not at all important’ rankings in 2026 was user amenity with a total of 29% – increasing from 2023 when it received only 9%. This could be due to the fact other factors have become mandatory – such as BNG requirements – and thus take priority, rather than indicating that user amenity no longer matters to architects. In 2023, the highest ranked ‘not very important’ or ‘not at all important’ factor was nutrient neutrality, with a combined total of 26%. However in 2026 this fi gure has decreased to 16%, indicating
Would you support mandatory requirements for including amenity-enhancing SuDS elements in urban design codes?
ADF APRIL/MAY 2026
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