Construction Disrupted

A picture is worth a thousand words was a statement invented by an advertising executive, Fred R. Barnard in 1921. We’ve come a little bit further than static images in the one hundred and two years since then, with technological advancements within both digital and imagery. 3D is now a reality, virtual walk-thoughts are possible and project management (what was once lines on a spreadsheet) can be brought to life in a visual presentation backed by data.

There are so many visual tools available it’s difficult to keep track and with the exponential growth and development in AI, this doesn’t look like stopping. We’re just beginning. 

This is not to say that all of them will stand the test of time, history tells us that the cream will always rise to the top, even when there is little competition - think Betamax v VHS, HD DVD v BluRay or Playstation and Xbox still battling it out.

But how does this happen? Is it simply survival of the fittest, the best tech wins out? Or do we look to the experts to make these types of decisions for us and we follow? Within construction, it is never that simple as one size never fits all. So what we tend to rely on are people who know more about the tech than we do, people who can spot the good from the bad in terms of what is right for a particular organisation and for particular scenarios. This is where today's guest joins the party.

We’re joined by Derek Lawrence, a Chartered Building Services Engineer and Reality Capture Consultant, with experience in the the design and operation of the built environment. Derek advises organisations on the benefits and practical implementation of reality capture, AR (Augmented reality), VR (virtual reality) and photogrammetry technologies. 

Derek, in his own words is ‘absorbed with the idea that reality capture will positively impact the way we design and shape our built environment’ and as you can imagine Derek has a wide and deep understanding of evolving digital tools and techniques that will improve the way we design, procure, build, operate and decommission our built environment.

But we can go a little further than this as Derek is equally interested in the artistic 'misuse' of technology, providing a 'what's the point in this technology' approach to his work, or as Derek likes to summarise ‘I play with technology’.

Topics Covered

- What is photogrammetry

- The technology behind it and barriers to entry

- The process from onsite to end result

- Reality capture - Looks cool, but what’s the point?

- The mundane examples and the beneficial ones

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Website: https://www.builddifferent.marketing/

Further Links

https://www.ukconstructionweek.com/speakers/derek-lawrence 

https://www.iwfm.org.uk/community/events/the-digital-twin-journey-series-part-two.html

https://www.autodesk.com/campaigns/reality-capture 

https://www.autodesk.co.uk/solutions/photogrammetry-software#:~:text=Photogrammetry%20is%20the%20art%20and,2D%20or%203D%20digital%20models.

When it comes to our own physical and mental health it’s always a good idea to engage and talk to others about what should we be doing, who can help us and what steps need to be taken to achieve our goals.

Buildings don’t have this luxury (well that was a step change I didn’t see coming), they rely on us to build them and keep them upright, in shape, and healthy. But these buildings and our surrounding environments have a huge impact on us, both mentally and physically, regardless of age or ability.

We hear a lot about how we build, maintain and demolish our buildings but not a lot about how these structures and the way they are built and maintained can help or hinder us. This is crazy when you think about the amount of time we spend in them, be it working, eating, sleeping or relaxing.

From the air quality, lighting, noise, moisture, heating, ventilation and safety there is much to be considered in the makeup of a healthy building. So let’s chat with someone that knows about this kinda stuff.

Becky Valentine is one of East Midland’s leading Sustainability and Building Health consultants, supporting and advising businesses, schools and charities in improving their sustainability, wellbeing and performance.

Becky is the co-owner of Spenbeck, with over 10 years of experience in sustainability and building health, helping a range of clients embed sustainability and climate change mitigation across their operations, with particular expertise on governance, culture and policy to optimise engagement and achieve ESG targets. 

Complemented by her former teaching career and current role as Associate Lecturer in Sustainability at Nottingham Trent University, Becky’s expertise is repeatedly sought after for high-profile expert panels, keynote speeches, podcasts and feature articles, including with the UN Global Compact UK Network and UK Construction Week.

Topics Covered

- The importance of building health for the industry, workers and those that inhabit them

- The process of changing a physical working environment

- Consideration for building age, style and type

- What can we learn from older buildings to help us in the future

- Technology that is facilitating your work

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Website: https://www.builddifferent.marketing/

Further Links

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/taught-degrees/health-wellbeing-and-sustainable-buildings-msc

https://standard.wellcertified.com/well 

https://commercial.velux.com/blog/daylight/six-building-schemes-you-can-follow-to-design-healthy-buildings 

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-sustainable-office-design-key-improving/ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Housing_in_the_United_Kingdom#:~:text=Supply%20and%20construction,-See%20also%3A%20Slum&text=According%20to%20the%20Centre%20for,than%20any%20European%20Union%20countries.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/ageofthepropertyisthebiggestsinglefactorinenergyefficiencyofhomes/2021-11-01

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When we analyse the construction industry, we often focus on the building cost. However, the true cost of inefficiencies, rework and waste is frequently underestimated. In episode 9 we spoke to Caner and Jayan from Gamma AR and how augmented reality can help to reduce some of these reoccurring problems.

But what about the tangible, construction is all about the tangible right? The physical products, the fabric of a build and everything that goes on inside it, where do these products come from? What are they made up of? Where will they end up? From raw materials to onsite waste there is a lot to consider here.

According to the CPA (Construction Products Association) in 2018 the UK produced 68 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste of which 5 million tonnes was sent to landfill. While the bigger picture will always focus on the actual product this intro has covered, today I want to turn your attention to the periphery and parts of a product's make-up we don’t generally discuss – The packaging. Let’s unwrap this.

Roger Wright is the Waste Strategy & Packaging Manager at Biffa, bringing his retail experience to the construction industry, more specifically bringing his experience into waste management. By developing this unique service Roger looks to help businesses think differently about the packaging they consume and become more circular in their approach, Roger designs out the materials they don’t need and implements the scalable alternatives they do.

It’s almost counter-intuitive as doing this will invariably reduce the waste created and therefore required to be managed but certainly a strategy that Biffa and Roger believe is the right one.

Topics Covered

- Is plastic evil?

- Learning from other industries mistakes

- Packaging policies

- Packaging optimisation

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Website: https://www.builddifferent.marketing/

Further Links

https://www.supplychainschool.co.uk/packaging-waste-report/

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/packaging-producer-responsibilities

https://www.biffa.co.uk/biffa-insights/packaging-optimisation-in-housebuilding 

https://www.biffa.co.uk/biffa-insights/practical-guide-to-epr 

https://www.constructionproducts.org.uk/media/557062/how-much-construction-waste-is-there.pdf 

https://www.swiftpak.co.uk/insights/packaging-waste-in-construction-industry

https://constructionmaguk.co.uk/can-the-uks-construction-industry-lessen-its-plastic-usage/

https://www.sustainability-beat.co.uk/2023/07/31/supermarket-plastic-bag/

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Carbon neutral, carbon negative, net zero and other similar words are banded around like a dutchie to the left-hand side (one for the younger generation there), with commitments and targets to a more sustainable future set decades away do nothing to help what many believe to be the biggest problem the construction industry faces.

It can be frustrating for everyone involved within the built environment to see organisations set these fanciful targets with no real robust plan of how to achieve them. This isn’t helped by external industry influences occurring within the political realm as well as other pressures from inside the industry itself.

It feels like the focus is always on the coal face of the industry, focusing on what is happening onsite, rather than on the innovative products and services that are integral to achieving such lofty ambitions.

So it’s always refreshing to speak to someone who is looking at product development, taking it right back to the start - from a raw materials perspective and looking to help the built environment, by focusing on the natural environment.

Our guest today is Olivia Page. Olivia’s architectural education and experience have always focused on bio-based and sustainable materials for construction, striving to prove that it is possible to build with a variety of affordable material options that don’t cost the planet. 

In January 2022, Olivia co-founded and is now co-CEO of Mykor, a company that creates carbon-negative building materials grown from waste and fungi.

Olivia has also been developing other innovative construction materials from waste and is working on construction-related projects in Portugal.

Topics Covered

- Bio-fabrication - what is this?

- Scalable bio-fabrication

- Are the targets/timeframe set around carbon reduction and achievable within an industry that is slow to change

- The waste onsite issue (and the takeback policy)

- The danger of carbon-neutral products becoming a commodity

- Are we still discovering substances and properties that could take products on a stage further?

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Website: https://www.builddifferent.marketing/

Further Links

https://www.mykor.co.uk/

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One critical part of the construction process that can be detrimental to success is the tendering process. Without this there would be less competition for work available and although at times it can be painstaking, lengthy and if you’re on the wrong end of a result disheartening, the industry cannot do without it.

Whether you’re at a PQQ stage, completed the PAS91 or have a templated tendering document ready to rock and roll, there is still a heck of a lot of work to be put into the process. It’s a skill, an art form almost.

There is no doubt that technology plays its part and will possibly play a much larger part in the future as we see more tech removing or making light of the more repetitive and administrative tasks. But when each and every construction project differs slightly, so will the tender requirements, or at least the specifics within the tender docs. As you may have guessed by now, I’m no expert at all of this so it’s time to chat to one.

Demetrios Yianni, Director of Projekt QS Ltd, a Chartered Quantity Surveying & Project Management practice is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor with over a decade of experience in providing cost consultancy and project management to Private and Public-sector clients and contractors.

Demi is also a Property Developer and has collaborated with Landowners and Developers to provide built assets across multiple sectors from Residential to Healthcare and even Museums.

Possessing degrees in both Law and Quantity Surveying gives Demi the inside edge and in procurement routes, contract selection, contract administration, and dispute avoidance.

And, no pressure here Demi but as an experienced Public Speaker presenting at 100s of events to 1,000s of people we’re expecting a polished performance on the podcast today.

Topics Covered

- Why it isn't just all numbers and spreadsheets

- How the process has changed

- Is it all about the price

- New technology within this sector

- How laws/legislation have had an impact

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Website: https://www.builddifferent.marketing/

Further Links

https://focus.gleeds.com/spring-2022-uk-market-report/tendering-contracts-and-claims 

https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/tenders

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One thing that has been a constant on this podcast is the fact that most of our guests are the kinda people that are actually doing something they care about and you’ll hear a lot of that on this episode – more on that later.

When you hear the word Decarbonisation it’s easy to be flippant about what is being discussed. It is one of the buzzwords in construction that is easy to say, and harder to do, especially if you are a large organisation built on traditional ways of working, with a diverse supply chain and a reliance on contracting out a lot of the work that is required.

But how does this sector navigate the path from mere (and sometimes over-inflated) environmental claims to genuine, effective strategies that change the way in which construction goes about its business?

To understand this and gain an insight into the current state of play we’ll look to shed some light on what it truly takes to construct buildings with minimal environmental impact – or at least look to sustainable methods of building that are less reliant on the planet's finite resources.

It's often a challenge to persuade sceptics that sustainability isn't just the latest buzzword. We'll delve into the art of substantiating the case for sustainable construction and the long-term benefits it can bring and explore whether it's feasible to usher in a significant change in an industry known for its resistance to innovation.

So where do we start? Innovating new products, reimagining design, educating the workforce, upgrading equipment, streamlining logistics, tackling existing building stock, or embracing novel construction methods? It’s a long list and there may not be one simple, universally agreed-upon answer here. But let's see where we get to shall we?

Our guest today is Tom Robinson, founder of Adaptavate, with a vision to consolidate the company as the world’s leader in the development and global deployment of carbon negative building products.

A former builder, a planet-centric systems thinker, and an industrialist whose belief is that industrial businesses can do both planetary good and economically well. But how did he get to this point? Oddly enough it was the book ‘Let my people go surfing. ‘The Education of a Reluctant Businessman’ by Patagonia founder: Yvon Chouinard (evon sch-weenard) which Tom was reading while embracing a simple, minimal, and ecological way of living and travelling the world.

Tom began his ‘working life’ as an on-site builder and plasterer before studying for a Masters in Sustainable Architecture and through his thesis, Tom developed what is now known as ‘Breathaboard’, a carbon-negative alternative to plasterboard, followed by other products such as Breathaplasta.

And now the pinnacle of his career, being inducted into the Construction Disrupted Hall of Fame. Tom, I’m afraid it’s all downhill from here!

Topics Covered

- Greenwashing vs carbon reduction – how does the industry transition through this?

- What are the key principles and practices around low carbon construction

- Trying to change a traditional industry - is it possible?

- Where do we start; products, design, people, equipment, logistics, current stock, new methods?

- Construction can be all about cost, above most things. Are there long-term cost-savings in decarbonisation?

- Is the government doing enough?

- Emerging trends in low carbon construction you find exciting

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Website: https://www.builddifferent.marketing/

Further Links

https://adaptavate.com/ 

https://makersite.io/insights/whitepaper-the-cost-of-greenwashing/#:~:text=A%20study%20commissioned%20by%20the,to%20being%20guilty%20of%20greenwashing. 

https://www.cic.org.uk/policy-and-public-affairs/climate-change#:~:text=The%20built%20environment%20and%20construction,size%20of%20Paris%20every%20week.

https://theconstructor.org/building/12-basic-components-building-structure/34024/#:~:text=The%20basic%20components%20of%20a,and%20protecting%20the%20building%20structure.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-property-sustainability-strategy/government-property-sustainability-strategy-2022-2030-html#:~:text=In%20June%202019%2C%20the%20government,2050%20Target%20Amendment)%20Order%202019.

https://www.british-assessment.co.uk/insights/the-cost-benefits-of-sustainable-buildings-and-construction/

Mentioned in this episode:

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Today I welcome back Andrew Curtin, CEO of Construction Wave, providing news and insight into the UK construction industry. If you haven’t already, sign up for their daily email newsletter that covers infrastructure, commercial, residential, regulations, and strategic news.

Alongside this Construction Wave have recently announced their first Construction CFO Summit - 19th Feb 2024 in London where there will be a full day of speakers and insights into the world of construction financials with registration for the event open right now (https://event.constructioncfosummit.com/).

Topics Covered

- HS2 what went wrong?

- So many businesses going into admin, is there light at the end of this?

- What's going on at RSK? 

- Technology - A change of pace or same old?

- Putting a spotlight on payment practices

- 2024 - What’s the deal, will we see more of the same or are there positives we should be looking forward to?

Adobe Express 30-day Free Trial: https://prf.hn/l/ZYdd028 

Website: https://www.builddifferent.marketing/

Further Links

https://event.constructioncfosummit.com/

https://constructionwave.co.uk/

https://constructionwave.co.uk/subscribe-to-our-daily-newsletter/

Mentioned in this episode:

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If there is one thing the construction industry loves, it’s a report, the more complex the better, and the longer the better it seems. But sometimes size isn’t everything. Over-engineered reporting can stifle the main outcomes and put blockers on achieving over-inflated or even unachievable targets. So it’s always refreshing to see a report that cuts the crap and gets to the heart of the matter.

Today we welcome Ryan Jones, Managing Director at SLG Agency. Ryan has almost 20-years of experience managing communications for some of the construction sector’s biggest names, building up a wealth of strategic marketing experience.

His passion for construction, and belief in the need to improve the image of the sector, has led him to found Deconstruction – a not-for-profit with the sole purpose of fixing the skills gap by changing the public’s perception of the industry. Sounds like a simple challenge doesn’t it and one we’ve covered before with Kathryn Lennon Johnson (episode 8) and Rich Smith (episode 14). So today we’re going to look at the stats. Ryan recently published the Deconstructed 2023 report with YouGov to bring the public perception of the construction industry into view.

Topics Covered

- Intro to Deconstructed

- Would you recommend a career in construction?

- What is healthcare doing right that construction isn’t?

- Why highly skilled roles and further education aren’t seen as prerequisites to working in construction.

- Do we have an image problem?

- What were the surprises in the report and what wasn’t?

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Website: https://www.builddifferent.marketing/

Further Links

https://www.thisisdeconstruction.com 

https://www.slg.agency

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If you ask Google ‘what's the most important thing in any business’ you get a variety of answers from Relationships, Reputation and People to profit and even Urgency. All are key aspects, and that is undeniable, if one of these is weakened it surely impacts the success of a business.

But this isn’t a definitive list by any stretch of the imagination as each business is different. But one thing that we can all agree on is that a business will not survive without paying customers - be it for profit or not, the money needs to come from somewhere and if we track back, another truism is that a healthy pipeline of potential clients is also a critical factor - if the well is dry, no one can drink (does that make sense, it did when I said it)?

If we flip reverse it a look at why most businesses fail, the picture is much clearer. According to the Small Business Administrator (SBA) about 33% of small businesses fail in the first two years and around 50% go belly up after five years with the most common reasons for this failure including a lack of capital or funding, retaining an inadequate management team, a faulty infrastructure or business model, and unsuccessful marketing initiatives.

And it’s this final one that draws my attention (for obvious reasons). Whether brand building or sales activation, your marketing initiatives are what will set most organisations apart and part of this equates to demand generation - but how do we do this? Where do we start? What does it involve? And why are unicorns currently a thing?

Our guest today is Bradley Fehler a Demand Generation expert and Startup Advisor with experience within B2B SaaS, healthcare and digital sectors. If we dig into the details this consists of understanding your audience, choosing the right comms channels, creating the right type of creative and copy, utilising a budget effectively, integrating comms, usability and accessibility, as well as all of this being underpinned by a cohesive strategy - or as a meme that Bradley recently used puts it: When a startup founder finally finds a working distribution channel… ‘it was the most erotic moment of my life’

Topics Covered

- The mythical nonsense of unicorn growth

- Why culture and the right team are so important

- Planning for growth/scale

- How can marketing help to facilitate demand

- How failure is key

Adobe Express 30-day Free Trial: https://prf.hn/l/ZYdd028 

Website: https://www.builddifferent.marketing/

Further Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleyfehler/

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/120815/4-most-common-reasons-small-business-fails.asp#:~:text=The%20most%20common%20reasons%20small,model%2C%20and%20unsuccessful%20marketing%20initiatives. 

https://pitchbook.com/news/articles//unicorn-startups-list-trends#:~:text=More%20than%20580%20new%20unicorn,1%2C%202023

https://www.luisazhou.com/blog/startup-failure-statistics/#:~:text=99.9%25%20of%20unicorn%20startups%20fail&text=Companies%20become%20a%20%E2%80%9Cunicorn%E2%80%9D%20once,of%20startups%20reach%20unicorn%20status

https://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/some-people-succeed-after-failing-others-flounder#:~:text=Many%20notable%20success%20stories%20began,Harry%20Potter%20book%20was%20published

https://teamstage.io/company-culture-statistics/#:~:text=Company%20culture%20is%20an%20important,companies%20with%20a%20bad%20reputation.

Today, we've got a thought-provoking and important topic to discuss - Women in Construction. It's a subject that has been gaining increasing attention in recent years, and for good reason. The construction industry is undergoing significant changes in terms of technology and innovation but can this also be said in terms of diversity and inclusivity?

We've seen a surge in interest and conversation about this topic, but the fear is that this is all we’ve been doing, gaining an interest and sparking conversation. Plainly speaking, it’s a numbers game - the more women within construction, the more of a voice they have, the more will be done to the imbalances we currently see.

But why do we see this as an important step change within construction? What are the benefits here above solving the other critical challenges our industry faces?

The answer is within the question itself. First and foremost, gender diversity in the construction industry has the potential to address the skills shortage the industry is currently facing. With an ageing workforce and the ongoing need for new talent, it's imperative that we tap into the full spectrum of our society's talents and resources. Secondly, fostering inclusivity in the sector not only strengthens the workforce but can also lead to improved company performance and innovation. The construction industry is evolving, and in a perpetual wheel in motion, the more we diversify the workforce, the more changes will occur.

All sounds simple, right? Yes, it is if we have a steady stream of employable people. The truth is that to fix the problem with women in construction we need to take a step back, open up the possible routes to employment at an earlier stage and diminish the longstanding perception that construction is a male-dominated, physically demanding field - there is more to construction than bricks and blocks!

Everything we’ve just mentioned is fixable, but it takes time and effort and not just supporting the cause or getting behind one week out of the 52 available to magnify the women in construction problem. And our guest is actually doing something about all this. More talk, more action!

And that guest is Naz Lewis-Humphrey, Learning and Development Consultant at BE Consulting. Naz is an experienced Learning & Development & EDI Professional with over 15 years experience within the construction and recruitment industry, specialising in early careers and apprenticeship recruitment.

Her work, the doing bit, is liaising, networking and introducing apprentices, students, and a more diverse talent pool to the built environment. She has worked as a mentor to support women, women of colour and students both entering and working in construction.

Shortlisted for the Top 100 Influential Women in Construction through being consistently passionate about the sector and campaigning for a more diverse and equal workforce with both employer and employees.

Naz is also a Director with LRCTG (London Region Construction Training Group), working to promote education and upskilling for all to ensure a more skilled workforce is continued way into the future.

Topics Covered

- What is the current issue around Women in Construction and why the interest?

- Why don’t women see construction as an option or route to employment?

- What can we do as a complete sector to improve this?

- What is BE Consulting doing to address this?

Adobe Express 30-day Free Trial: https://prf.hn/l/ZYdd028

Website: https://www.builddifferent.marketing/

Further Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazlewis/

https://www.goconstruct.org/why-choose-construction/diversity-in-construction/women-in-construction/#:~:text=Women%20make%20up%20around%2014,in%20construction%20and%20engineering%20jobs.

https://www.goconstruct.org/why-choose-construction/common-construction-myths/

https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/government/percentage-of-women-in-skilled-trades-shows-little-change-in-a-decade-18-03-2022/

Mentioned in this episode:

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