Welcome to our June newsletter!
Hello and welcome to the late June edition of our newsletter! Thanks to all of you who joined us for our session on Creating an Innovation Culture, and especially our panellists who did a brilliant job on making us all recognise just how innovative construction is. One quote sticks in my head ‘Construction is the most insanely exciting sector to work in at the moment.’ We are currently finalising the outputs, but as a key takeaway, there is a lot of hope and positivity for embracing innovation.
We’ve got the latest in our series of Conversations on Net Zero on the 7th of July. This time, we will be looking at Retrofit, a huge challenge and opportunity for the industry to deliver social, economic, and environmental outcomes. We’ll be learning from some of our members on the leading ways they are approaching this opportunity. Our regional partners in the South East are holding their summit and awards on the 1st of July, and there is even a chance to vote in their People’s Choice Award – I’m pretty sure they won’t mind if you vote from outside the region.
Not to mention, we have welcomed Acivico Group, our latest member, to the Constructing Excellence family!
As ever, stay safe, and get in touch to talk through any aspects of how Constructing Excellence can work with you.
Alison Nicholl, Head of Constructing Excellence
News & Insights
Join Us – Conversations on Net Zero @ 7 July, 12:00-13:30
For the next in our series of Conversations on Net Zero we will be looking at the important topic of Retrofit. We will be looking at how some of our member organisations are doing to lead the way in this important area.
Achieving our Net Zero ambitions require significant investment in retrofitting our current energy inefficient, existing homes and buildings. As detailed in the National Retrofit Strategy, considerable investment is being made into the Retrofit market and it represents a huge opportunity to not only improve energy performance but to improve the lives of the people living and working in these buildings. Delivering Retrofit at scale requires a systematic approach that balances the physical characteristics of each building, occupant and community views with budgeting and programming skills.
We will be hearing from:
- The Energiesprong GLA Retrofit Accelerator Programme, Richard McWilliams, Director of Sustainability, Turner & Townsend
- How SME contractors are embracing emerging technologies to deliver Retrofit, Mark Beirne, Partnerships Director, Cara EPS
- Standards for implementing Retrofit – PAS2035 and PAS2038, Peter Rickaby, Chair Retrofit Standards Task Group
Get your tickets to our Conversations on Net Zero event.
Performance Measurement KPIs Questionnaire
The questionnaire is available until the 25th of July, so don’t miss out!
The Constructing Excellence Performance Measurement Forum is carrying out this questionnaire to understand what is being measured and by whom across the industry. The Performance Measurement Forum aims to help measure, benchmark, understand and improve project performance. All answers will be anonymised and we will report back on our findings.
To find out more about Constructing Excellence visit www.constructingexcellence.org.uk or email us @ [email protected]
Creating an Innovation Culture Event Takeaways
We thank our amazing panellists Julie Barry (Rift R&D), Dr Steven Yeomans (Construction Innovation Hub), Ben Fenwick (Arcadis), Prof Chris Goodier (Loughborough University) and Dr Oliver Jones (Ryder Architecture) for driving an insightful conversation around innovation culture in the construction industry, as part of our Creating an Innovation Culture event. And not to mention the fantastic audience that helped us identify the enablers for innovation.
We are currently working on developing an exciting output that encapsulates all those great points made during our event. In the meantime, we have put together this infographic that highlights the categories of enablers that our audience thinks is driving innovation. 
Acivico Group joins Constructing Excellence!
We are excited to welcome Acivico Group as our newest members!
Acivico Group employs 145 people and provides a range of design, building control, professional services and asset management services. The consultancy, which also operates its Constructing West Midlands framework, has been involved in the delivery of some of the most prestigious construction projects in the West Midlands region including Birmingham’s Centenary Square, the redevelopment of Paradise Circus, HS2 and the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
To learn more about them, head to their website.
People of Constructing Excellence Share Their Stories
The latest on our #peopleofCE campaign are Laura Santry, Assistant Project Manager at Construction Innovation Hub & Alexander Small, BIM & Digital Platforms Manager at Tata Steel.
Government’s Procurement Policy Note
The UK Government amended the Climate Change Act 20081 in 2019 by introducing a target of at least a 100% reduction in the net UK carbon account by 2050. This is otherwise known as the ‘Net Zero’ target. This Procurement Policy Note (PPN) sets out how to take account of suppliers’ Net Zero Carbon Reduction Plans in the procurement of major Government contracts.
Meetings & events
These meetings are open to national members of Constructing Excellence and invited guests. Contact [email protected] for more detail. Please register your interest by using the links provided below or directly on our website.
Join Constructing Excellence
Joining Constructing Excellence will expose you and your company to a collaborative and innovative culture that is leading the movement of creating a better-built environment. You will have access to a wide selection of events focusing on Net Zero, Procurement, Digital, Offsite Manufacturing & Technology, and Performance Measurement to the latest news and insight from the industry. There’s no better time to join than now!
To find out more, get in touch at [email protected].
From our members
Transforming Construction Costs
VenDigital Director Richard Daley has put together a series of blogs on how the construction industry can drive cost transformation. The series of blogs cover:
- Construction cost transformation – Foundations of a successful programme
- Cost leadership and green transformation
- Driving costs, productivity and pace in construction projects
In Richard Daley’s words:
When driving any aspect of major change in a business, the first (and most important) requirement for visible leadership is common knowledge … but this is often neglected! Throughout a cost transformation programme, leaders must be seen to be continually emphasising ‘Why’ there is an imperative to improve and control costs, to be encouraging open and regular dialogues on ‘What’ and ‘How’, to be getting out to see what is happening on the ground and to be confirming first-hand that processes and practices are working efficiently – while continuously recognising and publicly praising successes.
From our partners
Contract Virtual Strategy Summit
The CII Contract Strategy Virtual Summit focuses on exploring traditional and collaborative contracting models for construction project owners, contractors, suppliers, service providers and consultants. Representatives from ECI will be sharing insights on the Project Collaboration Toolkit.
Register your interest to attend the summit.
Information Management in Construction ‘Can Deliver Productivity Boost’
A new landmark report has revealed the critical role of Information Management in the UK’s economic recovery. “The Value of Information Management in the Construction and Infrastructure Sector”, commissioned by the Centre for Digital Built Britain (CDBB) as a partner of the Construction Innovation Hub and produced by KPMG and Atkins, found evidence of strong organisational benefits that could be enabled by IM.
Analysis of 11 case studies found that the use of IM could potentially secure between £5.10- £6.00 of direct labour productivity gains for every £1 invested in IM, and £6.90 in total cost savings. The evidence also suggests IM could enable cost savings across different stages of the asset lifecycle, ranging from 1.6 percent to 18 percent, depending on the lifecycle stage.
G4C
Upcoming G4C events
G4C – Generation for Change – hold regular digital drop-in sessions on the last Wednesday of the month. For us, it is important that all young people get the opportunity to meet one another, influence decision-makers and develop their careers in construction. So [email protected] now!
Optimising Design Process for RIBA 2030 29 June, 2021 @ 12:00pm – 13:00pm BST Online
Monthly G4C drop-in June 2021 30 June, 2021 @ 16:00pm – 17:00pm BTS Online
G4C Humber & Yorkshire yearly events calendar
As everything has now fully transitioned to the virtual realm, there are great opportunities to get involved in various webinars, so have a look at the yearly Yorkshire & Humber events calendar and choose what inspires you!
View the G4C Yorkshire & Humber yearly calendar
Kat Seymour, Regional Manager (North) at CIOB, is unpicking why professional membership is important and how is that impacting your professional development.
“Working for a professional body, I am often asked if chartered membership is worth it. Becoming a chartered member of any worthwhile organisation requires dedication, professionalism and experience, as well as taking time and effort.”
G4C – the ‘Next Generation’ construction podcast
The ‘Next Generation’ Construction Podcast EP8 – Jack Cook’s Reflection on the Last 12 Months. Jack Cook reflects on the last 12 months working in the construction industry through a pandemic. Jack’s talks about the good, the bad and the ugly of the last 12 months and his goals for the next year with G4C and working in the construction industry.
G4C South West Podcast
For the second episode of the G4CSW podcast series (part of Constructing Excellence South West), Lizzy Painter chats to Toby Child, a project geophysicist at TerraDat UK Ltd. Toby discusses the kind of work a geophysicist does in the construction industry, his own experience of getting to where he is today, and what he thinks the future of the construction industry holds.
From our regions
Constructing Excellence SECBE Awards 2021
Explore the biggest topics affecting our industry, the ways we can improve, and what lies ahead for us in 2022 at SECBE Summit with 10 panel discussions – chaired by industry leaders alongside the game-changing finalists.
- Get involved with judges & peers
- Ask your questions
- Learn about innovation & the future of the industry
- Discover the finalists – with the best projects, collaborations and initiatives in our industry!
Suitable for everyone with an interest in construction and the built environment. Afterwards, join for the 2021 Awards Ceremony where the winners will be announced!
Constructing Excellence Wales: Active Travel Training
Active travel – walking and riding a bicycle – is at the heart of Welsh Government policy to create a healthier Wales and connect our communities. It’s why Welsh Government introduced the Active Travel (Wales) Act in 2013 and it’s why more funds have been allocated and new guidance provided. Welsh construction can make the policy a reality on the ground, so, designers, planners and policymakers really understand what is meant by Active Travel?
Constructing Excellence Midlands Upcoming Events
LeadersMeets
In a fast-changing world that is far more volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous leadership and learning have never been more important. Leaders Meets aim is to encourage both through a mission of ‘encouraging and facilitating conversations that matter’ between people – the members of LeadersMeets.
They are passionate about bringing busy professionals the best learning we can find to enable you to be the leader that your organisation and the world needs.
Sign up & newsletter library
Now it is easier than ever to sign up to the Constructing Excellence Newsletter on our dedicated website page for monthly updates with the latest news, events, innovative approaches and greatest outcomes in the construction industry.
