Technical innovation, powerful sustainability initiatives and people-centric leadership shone through as the BCO honoured the rising young stars of the property industry at its annual BCO NextGen Awards ceremony at London’s Skylon last night.
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the awards, which celebrate emerging talent, cross-disciplinary innovation and employers committed to creating inclusive, dynamic workplaces across the UK’s office sector.
From pioneering workplace design rooted in neuroscience to championing social value and diversity, this year’s winners exemplify the future of the office sector: collaborative, responsible and innovative.
A growing number of entries focused on carbon-conscious innovation, accessibility and community engagement, reflecting a shift toward values-driven leadership and long-term transformation.
The BCO NextGen Awards are a key initiative of the BCO NextGen committee, which supports professionals aged 35 and under in the commercial property sector. With a focus on mentorship, leadership development and amplifying emerging voices, the committee runs a year-round programme that includes seminars, technical tours and its yearly Ideas Competition.
This year’s awards attracted more than 60 entries, highlighting the growing importance of recognising and encouraging younger professionals in the sector. NextGen members make up approximately 30% of BCO’s total membership, with more than 1,200 members now actively engaged across the UK.
Oliver Hall, national NextGen committee chair, said: “The NextGen Awards is the highlight of a year packed with events designed to educate, elevate and celebrate excellence across our sector. Guided by the BCO’s evolving ‘design, develop and operate’ vision, we’re reshaping how we engage with our members and championing fresh talent. This year has marked a new level of regional collaboration, with standout partnerships like those between the Northern and Scotland committees.”
To mark its tenth anniversary, this year’s event introduced a new award: Outstanding Contribution to BCO NextGen, recognising individuals who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to the NextGen community.
The winner, Mike Burton, director at AECOM, was celebrated for his enduring commitment to mentorship, industry advancement and the empowerment of early-career professionals. His influence extends beyond his role at AECOM, with contributions to key BCO publications such as the Guide to Specification and his recognition as a RIBA Honorary Fellow.
Last night also marked the appointment of Ella Griffin, senior engineer at Unova Consulting, as chair of the BCO NextGen committee for London and the South East. Griffin takes over from Beth Starling, interior designer at WILL+Partners, who played a leading role in scaling up the NextGen involvement in this year’s BCO Conference in Milan.
Starling, chair of BCO NextGen committee for London, said: “I’m especially proud of how the NextGen committee’s initiatives – like the Ideas Competition and these awards – have empowered young professionals to share bold, human-centred visions for the future of the office. These awards are a powerful reminder that supporting young professionals is about evolution as well as succession. The next generation’s ideas, values, creativity, and understanding of human experience will define the next chapter of our industry. By giving them a platform, the BCO is ensuring the workplace continues to grow in relevance, diversity, and impact.”
The winners of the BCO NextGen Awards 2025 are:
NextGen Rising Star – London and the South East
Lauren Lemcke, senior project surveyor, AECOM
Highly commended: Nathan Shelley, AECOM
NextGen Rising Star – Midlands and East Anglia
Francesca Ghavami-Milnes, associate interior designer, Howells
NextGen Rising Star – Northern England, North Wales and Northern Ireland
Archontia Manolakelli, project architect and senior design researcher, AtkinsRéalis
Highly commended: Nicholas Birchall, Hawkins\Brown
NextGen Rising Star – Scotland
Kieran Smart, mechanical engineer, WSP
NextGen Rising Star – South West England and South Wales
Kallum Desai, global ScopeX carbon practice lead, AECOM
Employer of the Year
AECOM
Graduate of the Year
Aleksandar Bajić, Part 2 architectural assistant, Gensler
Impact Award
Joelyn Elias, graduate project manager, AECOM
Highly commended: Francesca Ghavami-Milnes, associate, Howells
Inspirational Leader of the Year
Theodor Bratosin, senior sustainability and building physics engineer, Cundall
Outstanding Contribution to BCO NextGen Award
Mike Burton, director, AECOM
Highly commended: Amy Leech, project director, tp bennett
Helen Hare, president of the BCO, added: “In its tenth anniversary year the NextGen Awards give us a moment to celebrate the many successes of our emerging talent. At our annual conference in Milan, I was especially pleased to host our first NextGen dedicated seminar – a thought-provoking session exploring ‘The BCO in 2030’ that brought original perspectives on technology, sustainability, culture and workplace design. The full integration and representation of NextGen is essential to the future success of the BCO, and remains a key focus for us moving forward. I am equally always impressed by the number of collaborative events organised by the Nextgen, which highlight the NextGen committee’s growing role in the BCO and its influence in shaping the future of workspace.”
BCO chief executive Samantha McClary said: “These awards reflect the soul of the BCO. Our incredible regional and national BCO Awards showcase the best of the buildings that we create, showcasing best-in-class quality, innovation, ESG credentials and now customer experience, while the NextGen Awards celebrate the individuals that hold the future of this wonderful industry in their hands.”
She added: “These are group of people who are our industry’s future. And over the last 10 years we’ve created quite the alumni of incredible individuals. So, while our industry may still have some bumpy times ahead, this night – and the decade of nights like this that have preceeded it – leave me with nothing but confidence that the future of the workplace, that our offices and the places around them, will thrive.”
Silver sponsors of this year’s BCO NextGen Awards are Artus Air and 8build, and Bronze sponsors are General Demolition, WILL+Partners BroadwayMalyan. Make Architects, Parkeray, QOB Interiors, Turner & Townsend alinea, Unova Consulting and Visibuild are Booth sponsors.
NextGen Rising Star – South West England and South Wales:
Winner: Kallum Desai, global ScopeX carbon practice lead, AECOM
Kallum is recognised for his outstanding leadership, innovative thinking and commitment to advancing low-carbon solutions in the built environment. Among his most significant achievements is the development of AECOM’s cost.carbon tool for offices – a pioneering resource that embeds carbon considerations into cost planning, empowering clients to make more sustainable decisions from the earliest stages of a project. His influence extends beyond internal initiatives. Kallum is deeply committed to knowledge-sharing, mentoring early-career engineers, speaking regularly at industry events and guest lecturing at the University of the West of England, where he inspires future engineers and sustainability professionals. His work exemplifies the values of collaboration, innovation and environmental stewardship.