Briton takes place at skyscraper top table

Skyscrapers expert Steve Watts of Davis Langdon has joined the board of the world’s leading authority on tall buildings, the Council for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).

Watts is head of Davis Langdon and Aecom’s tall buildings group, and was heavily involved in the construction of London’s Shard.

The council brings together global expertise on a wide range of issues, including the financing, development, ownership, design, construction and operation of tall buildings. It is also an authority on the official height of tall buildings.

Watts has worked on many towers both in the UK and overseas since joining Davis Langdon in 1997. His London high-rise projects have included the HSBC Headquarters at Canary Wharf and the Leadenhall Building in the City. He first provided advice on the Shard in 2002.

Davis Langdon chief executive Jeremy Horner said: “The evolving London skyline over the past decade has been nothing short of dramatic and Davis Langdon, led by Steve’s tall buildings team, has been closely involved in a majority of the City’s new towers.

“This appointment is a well earned recognition of Steve’s unrivalled expertise in the economics of tall buildings as well as his excellent project work over the past 14 years.”

Watts said: “I am absolutely delighted to be offered this privileged position, and will be using the role to help take the CTBUH in new directions, geographically and otherwise.

“I am passionate about the subject and have a particular interest in buildings that are not only efficient and sustainable, but also fit-for-purpose in that they provide a space in which people enjoy living and working.

“Creative design can reconcile quality in these terms with cost, and the Council has been at the forefront of such thinking for some time.”

Watts has also accepted the position of treasurer for the council, and will continue in his role as the CTBUH’s UK country leader as well as chairman of the council’s finance & economics working group. He will be formally inducted as a trustee at the board meeting on 11 October.