Behind the Built Environment

BESA
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Behind the Built Environment, a podcast from BESA where we delve into the latest industry news in the building engineering services sector. Join us for insightful discussions and exclusive interviews with leading industry experts, as we explore the trends and innovations shaping the future of the built environment and what impact they will have on you and your business. Find us at https://www.thebesa.com/

  1. The Construction Skills Crisis Is A Capacity Problem

    há 6 dias

    The Construction Skills Crisis Is A Capacity Problem

    Construction’s skills crisis may be less about attracting new people and more about the industry’s inability to absorb, develop and make effective use of them.  In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, David Frise, Chief Executive of BESA, speaks with Mark Farmer, founder of CAST Consultancy and author of the landmark Modernise or Die report.  Almost ten years after the report was published, Mark reflects on how much construction has genuinely changed and why its traditional labour model continues to struggle. The conversation challenges the assumption that the industry simply has a shortage of people and argues that it has an absorption problem, a competence problem and, ultimately, a capacity problem.  This episode covers: • Why does construction have an absorption issue rather than an attraction issue• The three Cs of capability, competency and capacity, and how they interact• Whether the Building Safety Act is driving genuine change or only a thin layer of compliance• Gateway 2 and the case for earlier collaboration between design and construction• Procurement, trust and the debate around cash retentions• Digital competency passporting and raising standards across the supply chain• Why doing the job properly should cost less, not more As the Building Safety Act continues to reshape expectations around competence and accountability, the industry faces a choice between genuine cultural change and box-ticking compliance. This episode explains why capacity, rather than headcount alone, is the measure that matters, and what needs to change across procurement, regulation, and training to close the gap.

    45 min
  2. Modern Life Runs On An Industry Nobody Notices

    4 de jun.

    Modern Life Runs On An Industry Nobody Notices

    Refrigeration and cooling underpin almost everything modern life depends on, yet the sector remains largely invisible to the public, policymakers and even many of the organisations that rely on it. In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, David Frise, Chief Executive of BESA, speaks with Stephen Gill, technical advisor to REFCOM, past president of the Institute of Refrigeration and founder of World Refrigeration Day. Stephen brings decades of experience across engineering, contracting, design consultancy, policy and international advisory work. The conversation explores why a sector central to food security, healthcare, data, communications, and comfort continues to undervalue itself, and what that means as major regulatory and technical changes approach. This episode covers: Why refrigeration and cooling remain hidden in plain sight despite underpinning daily lifeThe case for treating cooling as critical national infrastructureThe HFC phase-down and the risk of divergence between the UK and the EUThe difference between competence and basic compliance, and why both matterHow contractors should advise clients on ageing equipment and asset riskConscious inclusion and making space for neurodiverse talentDyslexia, disclosure and the gap between education and the workplaceAs the UK moves towards a steeper HFC phase-down, contractors and clients face complex decisions on equipment, refrigerants and long-term asset risk. Poor information, weak asset registers and outdated assumptions could leave many exposed to avoidable cost and disruption. The discussion sets out how the sector can move beyond minimum compliance towards genuine competence, trusted advice and greater confidence in the value it brings to society.

    32 min
  3. Why Construction Keeps Solving The Wrong Problem

    14 de mai.

    Why Construction Keeps Solving The Wrong Problem

    Construction is good at delivering projects. Too often, it starts before asking whether it is solving the right problem. In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, BESA Chief Executive David Frise speaks with Mark Enzer, former Chief Technical Officer at Mott MacDonald and former head of the UK National Digital Twin Programme, about why construction needs to rethink value, data and outcomes. Mark argues that the built environment cannot achieve better outcomes by improving delivery alone. To create greater value, the industry needs to examine how decisions are made, how organisations work together, and how data is used throughout the full life of an asset. Rather than focusing solely on digital tools, this episode examines the thinking that needs to change before technology can make a meaningful difference. It explores why systems thinking, digital twins and AI are only useful when they support clearer outcomes, better decisions and more joined-up ways of working. This episode explores: • What systems thinking means in the built environment• Why cost control is different from value creation• How siloed organisations and disconnected data limit progress• The role of digital twins in making better decisions faster• Why collaboration needs stronger outcome-based incentives• How AI could support systems thinking, and where the risks sit From infrastructure delivery and net zero to procurement, resilience and digital transformation, this is a practical discussion about why the built environment needs to start with outcomes before it starts with delivery. If you work in construction, infrastructure, building services engineering or public sector procurement, this episode offers a direct and practical examination of how the industry can move beyond cost, packages and projects and start solving the right problems.

    38 min
  4. Why UK Construction Projects Fail Before They Start

    2 de abr.

    Why UK Construction Projects Fail Before They Start

    Most construction problems are created before a project even reaches site. In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, BESA Chief Executive David Frise speaks with Beth West, founder and director of Navigate Advisory and former Chief Executive of East West Railway Company, about why construction projects fail at the earliest stages. Drawing on experience across HS2, Thames Tideway, Transport for London and East West Rail, Beth explains how poor client capability, weak project definition and misaligned incentives drive cost escalation and inefficiency across the UK built environment. Rather than focusing on delivery alone, this episode examines the decisions that shape outcomes long before construction begins. It challenges the assumption that building is always the answer, explores the risks of uncontrolled design development, and highlights how procurement models, culture and lack of trust continue to limit performance across the industry. This episode explores: Why construction projects fail due to poor early decision makingThe role of the client in defining scope, outcomes and valueWhy building is not always the right solutionHow procurement models limit innovation and productivityThe impact of complexity and uncontrolled design development on costHow trust, culture and data transparency shape project outcomesFrom housing policy and infrastructure delivery to procurement reform and the Building Safety Act, this is a practical discussion about how early decisions shape outcomes across the UK built environment. It also raises fundamental questions about capacity, skills and whether the industry is solving the right problems in the first place. If you work in construction, infrastructure, building services engineering or public sector procurement, this episode is a direct and practical examination of why the industry keeps repeating the same mistakes and what it would take to stop. Behind The Built Environment is the official podcast of BESA (Building Engineering Services Association). We dive into the regulations, challenges, and innovations shaping the future of UK construction and HVAC. https://www.thebesa.com/behind-the-built-environment #UKConstruction #ConstructionIndustry #ProjectManagement #Procurement #BuildingSafetyAct

    36 min
  5. Building Safety Act Competence And Why A Certificate Is Never Enough

    24 de mar. ·  Bônus

    Building Safety Act Competence And Why A Certificate Is Never Enough

    Competence under the Building Safety Act is often misunderstood, with serious consequences for mistakes. In this episode of Behind the Built Environment Extra, BESA Chief Executive David Frise speaks with Kizzy Augustin, Partner at Mishcon de Reya, about what genuine competence looks like under the Act and why the industry's current approach to evidencing it falls short.Kizzy outlines the four pillars of competence under the Act: skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours, and explains why behaviours are the hardest yet most essential to evidence. She also addresses the uncomfortable reality of gaslighting in the competence market, where some training providers claim only their course makes you compliant, and sets out how clients and contractors should respond.This episode covers:• What competence really means under the Building Safety Act• Why a certificate alone is never sufficient evidence• The difference between individual competence and organisational capability• How to use PAS 8671 and PAS 8672 correctly and avoid common misuses• Gaslighting in the competence market and how to challenge it• The risks posed by proposed changes to apprenticeship end-point assessments• Three questions every client or main contractor should ask before appointing a specialist contractor.If you are appointing contractors or being appointed, this episode sets out exactly what the Building Safety Act expects and how to evidence it. Download BESA's practical Client's Guide to the Building Safety Act and get clear on your legal duties: https://www.thebesa.com/clients-guide-building-safety-actBehind The Built Environment is the official podcast of BESA (Building Engineering Services Association). We dive into the regulations, challenges, and innovations shaping the future of UK construction and HVAC.https://www.thebesa.com/behind-the-built-environment

    36 min
  6. Are Clients Ready For Their Responsibilities Under The Building Safety Act?

    4 de mar.

    Are Clients Ready For Their Responsibilities Under The Building Safety Act?

    The Building Safety Act has transformed client responsibilities across construction, but is the industry truly ready? In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, BESA ChiefExecutive David Frise speaks with Lilly Gallafent of CAST Consultancy about what the Building Safety Act means in practice for clients, contractors and consultants navigating Gateway 2 and Gateway 3. They examine how the Building Safety Act is reshaping procurement, early contractor engagement and design development, and why client accountability can no longer be passed down the supply chain. The discussion explores the role of the Building Safety Regulator, the risks emerging as Gateway 3 approvals approach, and whether the sector is confusing compliance paperwork with genuine quality. This episode covers: • Client responsibilities under the Building Safety Act• The impact of Gateway 2 on procurement and design• Gateway 3 risks and evidence requirements• Competence and compliance across the supply chain• Why culture change remains the biggest barrier to safer buildings The Building Safety Act is the most significant change tobuilding regulations in a generation. With Gateway 2 approvals increasing scrutiny and Gateway 3 set to test whether projects have truly been built as designed, this discussion highlights what client responsibility now looks like in practice and why culture change, not just compliance, will determine whether reform succeeds. If you are a client commissioning building work, downloadBESA’s practical Client’s Guide to the Building Safety Act and understand exactly what your legal duties are: https://www.thebesa.com/clients-guide-building-safety-act Behind The Built Environment is the official podcast of BESA(Building Engineering Services Association). We dive into the regulations, challenges, and innovations shaping the future of UK construction and HVAC. https://www.thebesa.com/behind-the-built-environment #BuildingSafetyAct #Gateway2 #Gateway3 #BuildingRegulator #ConstructionIndustry#BuildingRegulations

    32 min
  7. Why Most Modular Construction Firms Fail — and How Reds10 Is Beating the System

    28 de jan.

    Why Most Modular Construction Firms Fail — and How Reds10 Is Beating the System

    In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, BESA Chief Executive David Frise speaks with Paul Ruddick, Chair of Reds10, about why industrialised construction must move from ambition to execution if the sector is to thrive. Paul reflects on Reds10’s journey from a bedroom start-up to a £200m, debt-free business and explains why many modular firms fail by scaling too fast without fixing process, design and culture. He shares his perspective on fragmentation in construction, the role of digital tools and AI, and why vertically integrated models are key to improving productivity and quality. From government procurement and planning delays to standardisation, diversification and decarbonisation, this episode offers a candid, experience-led view on what it will take for offsite construction — and the wider industry — to deliver sustainable growth and real transformation.

    27 min
  8. Competent or Compliant? The Hard Truth the Industry Still Doesn’t Want to Hear

    13 de jan.

    Competent or Compliant? The Hard Truth the Industry Still Doesn’t Want to Hear

    In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, BESA Chief Executive David Frise is joined by Jon Vanstone, Chair of the Industry Competence Committee, to unpack what competence really means in a post-Grenfell world. John explains why compliance alone is no longer enough, highlighting gaps in behaviour, culture and client understanding that continue to undermine safety. The discussion explores the evolving role of the Building Safety Regulator, lessons from Gateway 2, and why proof of competence matters more than experience or assumptions. Listeners can also download BESA’s Building Safety Act Industry Report 2025, which reveals industry attitudes, competence gaps and practical insights to help businesses prepare for regulatory change.

    32 min
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Sobre

Behind the Built Environment, a podcast from BESA where we delve into the latest industry news in the building engineering services sector. Join us for insightful discussions and exclusive interviews with leading industry experts, as we explore the trends and innovations shaping the future of the built environment and what impact they will have on you and your business. Find us at https://www.thebesa.com/

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