Ahead of Sheds UK on Thursday 24th September at The Oval Cricket Ground, we sat down with Richard Brewer, Managing Director of Magrock, Headline Platinum Partner of the conference, to talk about how industrial and logistics buildings have changed, what modern occupiers actually need, and where the market is heading next.
Can you give us a quick introduction to Magrock and where you sit in the industrial and logistics market?
Magrock is privately owned and celebrated its 10th anniversary in April. Our success is built on our collection of driven, skilled, and experienced problem-solvers, and we’re excited as we enter this new chapter of growth. We turn over £125 million, which puts us in the mid-size contractor market. We compete nationally against a number of other private firms for work, and industrial and logistics accounts for around 75% of our turnover. Personally, I’ve been involved in the sector for the last 25 years through previous companies.
We consider ourselves specialists in the industrial and logistics sector, particularly multi-shed facilities. That specialism has taken us into the ultra-urban market, where we’ve now completed our fourth scheme. We compete against a number of other names in that £75 to £150 million range, probably six or seven at any one time.
How would you describe the shift in what industrial and logistics buildings needed to deliver, say ten years ago versus today?
The biggest change is around how buildings perform and how they’re used.
The size and shape of the buildings themselves hasn’t changed dramatically, but insulation values have increased. The U-values on these buildings have moved significantly from where they were ten years ago, and that’s driven not just by building regulations but by ESG compliance and net zero commitments. It’s the biggest thing on people’s minds right now, making sure we build responsibly with the right materials in the right environments.
That matters even more in the ultra-urban space, where we’re building in much tighter locations than we would have considered in the past. On our site in Camberwell, for example, we had 55 different residential neighbours, and their requirements are very different to a purely commercial setting. End users also now want spaces that are genuinely functional and support wellbeing whether that’s rooftop gardens, outdoor gyms, or more EV charging and parking. Sustainable facilities are now a core part of what we deliver.
In practical terms, what does a modern ecommerce operator actually need from a building today that they didn’t five years ago?
It comes back to the same theme: the building has to work for people. Whether that’s my business delivering it or the end user operating it, people are the key commodity, and hybrid working has changed what that means in practice.
People want to be able to use a gym before or after work, they want better options for parking and travel, and all of that requires thinking about how people actually use the building, which wasn’t really a consideration five or ten years ago. These used to be flat, functional boxes. Now they’re spaces people actively want to work in, inside and out. Going into the office, or the depot, has become more of a choice, and the building needs to reflect that.
Flexible working patterns and shift structures also feed into design decisions around transport, whether that means fewer car spaces, more cycle provision, or better pedestrian access. All of that shapes how we design buildings today compared with a decade of doing this.
If you had to name three design features that are now close to non-negotiable in a new industrial unit, what would they be?
First is EPC rating and insulation value. It’s not just a regulatory requirement anymore, occupiers genuinely see the benefit.
Second is usability, particularly how people move through the building, not just at ground floor but at first floor level too. It used to be a case of fitting people wherever the building allowed. Now the focus is on getting people to the right places efficiently.
Third is renewable energy, whether that’s solar PV, EV charging points, or air source heat pumps. Occupiers want to be environmentally responsible, and a lot of end users are now seeking incentives from landlords or funds to support that, because they see it as an investment in the future.
Where do you see the market heading over the next three to five years?
Assuming the wider global economy holds steady, I think we’ll see continued focus on net zero and a lot more attention on delivering the sustainable features occupiers now expect. Usability will remain a big factor too.
But the area I think will matter most is refurbishment. Space is getting tighter, particularly in ultra-urban locations, and there’s a real drive to take older buildings and regenerate them rather than start from scratch, both economically and from a sustainability viewpoint. There are still open questions around the standard to which buildings get refurbished, and future EPC changes from government could well accelerate that shift further, especially in low emission and clean air zones.
Across the wider industrial and logistics sector, we’re still building on greenfield and brownfield sites where that makes sense, but refurbishment is something we’re actively gearing up to focus on more as a business.
Are you looking forward to Sheds UK?
Definitely. It feels like it’s building real momentum already, and people want to be in the room talking about these shared trends. I’m personally looking forward to being part of the conversation in the panel session I’m on also.
Richard Brewer will be speaking on the Urban Logistics, Multi-Let, Last Mile & Future Mixed Use panel at Sheds UK on Thursday 24th September at The Oval Cricket Ground, London.
