About

Steve Watts is a cost consultant with 37 years of experience, largely working from London but with a consistent global outlook that has enabled him to work on various international commissions, as well as deliver many buildings that have changed the London skyline. His CV includes the HSBC HQ at Canary Wharf, The Leadenhall Building, The Shard, 22 Bishopsgate and currently 18 Blackfriars, among others that are transforming the UK’s capital. He has also worked on towers in the Middle East, the Far East and the award-winning Atria in Bogota, Colombia.

He worked for 16 years at Davis Langdon / AECOM before, with his fellow partners, setting up alinea in 2013, an independent cost consultant that enjoyed remarkable success, both commercially and in being recognised by the UK construction industry for its project work and its commitment to service excellence and research. In February 2023 alinea…

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Steve Watts

CTBUH Designated Expert

CTBUH Roles

United Kingdom Chapter, Board Member (2015 – Present)

Awards Best Tall Building Jury (2019; 2020; 2021; 2022; Vice-Chair 2023; Vice-Chair 2024)

Expert Peer Review Committee, Member (2014 – Present)

CTBUH Chairman (2017 – 2023)

Annual Conference, Presenter (Mumbai 2010; Shanghai 2012; London 2013)

Country Chair, United Kingdom (2015 – 2017)

Videos

06 May 2020

Adapting Urban Density in the Age of Pandemics

As the world contends with the rippling effects of COVID-19, key questions have arisen around the responsiveness of dense cities with respect to the current...

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Research

30 October 2017

Connecting the City: People, Density & Infrastructure

CTBUH 2017 Conference Speakers

The future of humanity on this planet relies on the collective benefits of urban density; reducing both land consumption and the energy needed to construct...

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Research

17 October 2016

Cities to Megacities: Perspectives

CTBUH 2016 Conference Speakers

The CTBUH 2016 International Conference is being held in the three cities of the Pearl River Delta, the world’s largest “megacity,” projected to have 120...

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6 May 2020

Adapting Urban Density in the Age of Pandemics

CTBUH hosts an online webinar panel of global experts discussing the future of urban density given the recent, unprecedented challenges of COVID-19.

6 February 2020

CTBUH Chairman to Keynote Egypt 2020 Skyscraper Conference

After the success of the 2019 Egypt's Skyscrapers Conference in Cairo, CTBUH is pleased to support the country's next skyscrapers conference from 27–29 of February.

28 January 2020

CTBUH Scandinavia and UK Chapters Present: Scandinavia Invades London

The CTBUH Scandinavia and UK Chapters join for a special event, featuring both local and international speakers including CTBUH Chairman Steve Watts.

28 August 2019

2019 International Forum on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat

In celebration of Jin Mao Tower's 20th anniversary, CTBUH China presents an international conference discussing the historical evolution and development trend of super tall buildings.

19 June 2019

CTBUH Serbia Conference: Going Tall in Southeast Europe

Join CTBUH Serbia for a regional conference, which promises to assemble leading architects, designers, construction experts, and developers for an engaging series of presentations.

8 April 2019

Ping An Finance Center - World’s Tallest All-Office Building

During the 2019 Tall + Urban Innovation Conference, Ping An Finance Center was confirmed as the world’s tallest all-office building and the tallest building in Southern China.

06 May 2020

Adapting Urban Density in the Age of Pandemics

As the world contends with the rippling effects of COVID-19, key questions have arisen around the responsiveness of dense cities with respect to the current...

31 October 2019

The Now: Servicing the Modern Tall Building Occupant

David Malott, Founder & CEO, AI., chairs a panel discussion with Abram Gamboa, Managing Director of Project Management, CBRE; Kirsten Hull, VP of Development, EQ...

09 April 2019

Panel Discussion: What Makes an Award-Winning Tall Building?

The expanded CTBUH Awards Program embraces the full breadth of interdisciplinary work that brings tall buildings to life, and sustains and prolongs their life cycles....

22 October 2018

Polycentric vs. Monocentric: The Future of Vertical Urbanism?

Numerous cities are now developing along polycentric lines, with several urban “nodes” focused around tall building clusters that often compete for commerce, attention and investment...

29 January 2018

"Geometry of Tall Buildings" - a CTBUH United Kingdom Chapter Event

The London Committee of the CTBUH United Kingdom Chapter recently hosted [i]Geometry of Tall Buildings[/i], a conversation between leading architects and engineers on the geometry...

30 October 2017

Interview: Steve Watts

Steve Watts of alinea consulting and CTBUH Chairman-Elect is interviewed by Chris Bentley during the 2017 CTBUH Australia Conference.

26 July 2017

CTBUH Expands UK Presence with Debate on Urban Housing in Manchester

On July 26. 2017 the CTBUH held its first Manchester event in coordination with the CTBUH UK Chapter, marking the occasion with a debate on...

17 October 2016

Panel Discussion: Future Cities: What are the Biggest Threats and Opportunities?

Monday, October 17, 2016. Shenzhen, China. A panel discussing the challenges of growing urban populations throughout the globe.

30 October 2017

Connecting the City: People, Density & Infrastructure

CTBUH 2017 Conference Speakers

The future of humanity on this planet relies on the collective benefits of urban density; reducing both land consumption and the energy needed to construct...

17 October 2016

Cities to Megacities: Perspectives

CTBUH 2016 Conference Speakers

The CTBUH 2016 International Conference is being held in the three cities of the Pearl River Delta, the world’s largest “megacity,” projected to have 120...

26 October 2015

The Vertical Master Plan

Temoor Ahmad & Neven Sidor, Grimshaw Architects; Steve Watts, Alinea Consulting; Adam Miller, Thornton Tomasetti

With over half of the world’s population now living in an urban environment, major world cities (especially) will always grow in population over time. To...

01 May 2013

Office vs. Residential:The Economics of Building Tall

James Barton & Steve Watts, Davis Langdon

When it comes to tall buildings in London, the sky’s the limit, and not necessary in terms of height. With rents among the highest in...

19 September 2012

Effective & Sustainable Tall Buildings: A Blueprint for the Future

Steve Watts, Davis Langdon; Judit Kimpian, Aedas

The ‘Future Office’ Study responded to the challenge of creating a tall office buildings in central London for half the current benchmark – without compromising...

09 October 2010

The Economics of High-rise

Steve Watts, Davis Langdon

Includes comparative studies of high-rise construction costs based on location and building function. Key high-rise cost drivers = shape & geometry, size & regularity of...

03 March 2008

The Economics of Sustainable Tall Buildings

Alastair Collins, Steve Watts & Mark McAlister, Davis Langdon

In this paper drivers, opportunities and barriers to sustainable tall building development are described.

05 November 2007

The Economics of Supertall Towers

Watts, Steve; Kalita, Neal & Maclean, Michael, Davis Langdon

This paper addresses global economic factors infl uencing the decisions leading to the development of super-tall towers, including population growth and urbanization, economic cycles and...