As Scotland becomes the first country in the UK to mandate swift bricks in new developments, the move signals a wider shift in how biodiversity is embedded into the built environment. Maisie McKenzie, Biodiversity Manager at wienerberger UK & Ireland, explores why regulation, design and manufacturing must work together to reverse wildlife decline – and what the rest of the UK can learn from Scotland’s approach.
Scotland’s decision to require the installation of swift bricks in new developments marks a significant moment for biodiversity and the built environment. By embedding nature recovery directly into building regulations, the Scottish Government has sent a clear signal: protecting wildlife is no longer an optional extra, but a fundamental part of how homes are designed and delivered.
For those working across planning, design and construction, the move reflects a growing recognition that the biodiversity crisis cannot be addressed through conservation efforts alone. The built environment has a crucial role to play – particularly in urban areas, where development has historically contributed to the loss of nesting and roosting spaces for wildlife.
Swifts are one of the most visible casualties of this trend. Once a familiar sight in towns and cities across the UK, their numbers have fallen dramatically in recent decades, largely due to the loss of suitable nesting sites in modern buildings. In a big to help counter act this decline, we include swift boxes as part of our eco-habitat portfolio.
Worryingly, swifts aren’t the only species to suffer a decline, similar patterns can be seen across many other animals. Since 1970, 41 per cent of UK species have declined in numbers, with bats, house sparrows, starlings and swifts all experiencing significant population losses. Today, 16 per cent of UK species are threatened with extinction.
Against this backdrop, Scotland’s swift brick legislation is about more than a single species. It represents a broader shift in thinking: that new development should actively contribute to nature recovery, rather than simply minimise harm.
From policy ambition to practical delivery
Across the UK, this shift is already being felt through planning policy. In England, the introduction of mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements in 2024 made it a legal requirement for most developments to deliver at least a ten per cent improvement in biodiversity value. For the first time, all habitats – no matter how small or previously overlooked – were formally recognised for their value to nature and people.
While BNG has created significant opportunity, it has also brought complexity. Developers must now decide how best to deliver biodiversity improvements across their sites, balance on-site and off-site measures, and account for long-term monitoring and management. A year on, it is clear that regulation alone is not enough; delivery depends on practical, well-designed solutions that can be integrated seamlessly into buildings and public spaces.
This is where Scotland’s approach offers an important lesson. By making swift bricks a standard requirement, biodiversity is considered at the earliest design stages, rather than being retrofitted later or treated as a planning condition to be resolved at the margins. This early integration reduces uncertainty, supports consistency across developments, and helps ensure that biodiversity measures are delivered as intended.
Designing buildings that work for wildlife
Embedding biodiversity into the fabric of buildings requires a shift in mindset across the supply chain. Sustainable design is no longer limited to energy efficiency or materials performance; it increasingly includes how buildings interact with water, landscape and wildlife.
Nature-positive measures can take many forms. Permeable paving can reduce surface water runoff and flood risk while supporting healthier soils. Rainwater harvesting systems can reduce demand on mains water and support gardens and green spaces. Integrated habitats – such as bird, bat and insect features – can help restore nesting and roosting opportunities lost through modern construction methods.
Crucially, these measures are most effective when they are designed in from the outset. Integrated habitats, for example, can be built directly into walls or roofs, reducing visual impact and avoiding the need for later intervention. This approach aligns with the direction of travel set by both BNG and Scotland’s swift brick legislation: biodiversity as a core design principle, not an afterthought.
A shared responsibility
As awareness grows and regulation continues to evolve, collaboration across the built environment will become increasingly important. Architects, planners, developers and manufacturers all have a role to play in translating policy ambition into real-world outcomes.
Manufacturers, in particular, sit at a critical intersection between regulation and delivery. By working closely with designers and developers, they can help identify opportunities for innovation and ensure that biodiversity-supporting solutions are practical, durable and easy to incorporate at scale.
Scotland’s leadership on swift bricks demonstrates what is possible when biodiversity is given clear regulatory backing. As other parts of the UK watch closely, the challenge – and opportunity – will be to build on this momentum. By embedding nature into the very fabric of our homes and communities, the built environment can become a powerful force in reversing wildlife decline and supporting nature recovery for generations to come.