Behind the Built Environment

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 publishe...

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...

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 outcome...

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...

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 fou...

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 Bu...

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 pro...

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...

In 2023, contractor  Andrew Blunsdon  was charged with two counts of bribery following  Operation Truman , the investigation into how contracts were awarded on  E On energy projects  between 2011 and 2015. The case centred on favours to key E On figures: an air-conditioning unit for a flower shop run by Marc Baker, and payments routed through a subcontractor that ultimately benefited a consultancy...

In this episode of  Behind the Built Environment , BESA Chief Executive  David Frise  speaks with  Professor Noble Francis , Economics Director at the  Construction Products Association , about the forces shaping the future of UK construction. Noble shares insights from the CPA’s latest forecasts and explains why construction is facing a “capacity crisis” driven by skills shortages, market uncerta...

In this episode of  Behind the Built Environment , BESA Chief Executive David Frise speaks with Dan Williams, Managing Director of Skanska UK’s building services division, SRW, about the shifting dynamics of the construction and facilities management market. Dan reflects on his journey from student engineer to MD and shares how agility, technical expertise, and long-term customer relationships are...

BESA Chief Executive David Frise sits down with Fiona Graham, Chief Operating Officer at Family Business UK, to unpack what recent inheritance tax reforms mean for family-owned firms. From her journey in public affairs to leading the national body championing these enterprises, Fiona shares candid insights on succession, governance, and giving family businesses a stronger voice in policy debates....

In this episode, host David Frise, Chief Executive of BESA, speaks with Ian McCall, Managing Director of Alba Facility Services, a Glasgow-based FM company pioneering a four-day working week with no loss of pay. The conversation explores how this bold shift has improved productivity, staff wellbeing, and retention, while also enhancing sustainability and client service. Ian shares how Alba partner...

BESA Chief Executive David Frise sits down with Mark Robinson, CEO of SCAPE, to explore how smarter procurement can transform the built environment. From his journey as a Sheffield YTS apprentice to leading one of the UK’s most influential public sector procurement authorities, Mark shares candid insights on driving social value, achieving net zero, tackling the skills gap, and embracing AI. Disco...

In this episode, host David Frise, Chief Executive of BESA, speaks with Mike Talbot, CTO of SFG20, about the growing role of AI in building maintenance and compliance. Mike shares how the Grenfell tragedy inspired his move into the built environment, leading efforts to apply AI, IoT, and predictive analytics to streamline maintenance scheduling, automate asset management, and support regulatory co...

In this episode of  Behind the Built Environment , BESA Chief Executive  David Frise  speaks with  Paul Wilkinson , Vice Chair of  NIMA , about the shift from Building Information Modelling (BIM) to broader  information management  across the built environment. Paul explains how  NIMA  evolved to support a more inclusive, long-term approach to managing data across the lifecycle of built assets. He...

In this special episode marking  World Refrigeration Day , host  David Frise , Chief Executive of BESA, speaks with  Dr Catarina Marques , a leading UK expert in refrigeration engineering. The discussion highlights the  critical yet often overlooked role of refrigeration  in modern society. Dr Marques shares insights from her  15+ years of experience  across food service cooling, Net Zero innovati...

In this first episode of the Behind the Built Environment Podcast Extra, BESA Chief Executive David Frise speaks with Peter Apps, Deputy Editor of  Inside Housing  and author of  Show Me the Bodies , about the legacy and lessons of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.   Peter reflects on six years of covering the inquiry, exploring its impact on the construction sector, the ongoing culture of minimal compl...

In this episode of  Behind the Built Environment , BESA Chief Executive David Frise speaks with Amanda Long, Chief Executive of Construction Product Information Ltd (CPI), about the critical role of accurate, transparent construction product data. Amanda discusses the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI), a post-Grenfell initiative designed to drive cultural and behavioural change in t...

In this episode, BESA CEO David Frise speaks with Amos Simbo OBE, founder of the BPIC Network and Winway Group, about improving diversity in construction. Amos shares his career journey and explains why representation, inclusion, and access are vital for attracting and retaining talent from ethnic minority backgrounds. He introduces BPIC’s mission to support inclusive workplaces and its upcoming S...

In this episode of  Behind the Built Environment , BESA’s David Frise speaks with Suzannah Nichol, Chief Executive of Build UK, about her career journey and the organisation’s impact over the past decade. They explore Build UK’s role in improving payment practices, introducing the Common Assessment Standard, and tackling industry-wide issues like productivity, skills shortages, and cultural change...

BESA Chief Executive David Frise speaks with Charles Begley, Chief Executive of the London Property Alliance, about the future of London’s built environment. They discuss economic growth, sustainability, and the need for public-private partnerships. Charles highlights how flexible planning policies could generate £100 billion in additional GVA by 2045. The conversation explores skills shortages, t...

In this episode of  Behind the Built Environment , BESA Chief Executive David Frise talks with Steven Boyd, a property and infrastructure expert with over 30 years’ experience, including leading roles with the Government Property Agency and the British Army. They explore key challenges facing the built environment, from the implementation of the Building Safety Act to tackling fragmented data mana...

Fiona Cousins, CIBSE president and Arup leader, discusses her engineering journey, emphasising the need for broader problem definitions in building services, beyond cost and efficiency, to include carbon reduction, biodiversity, and social value.  She highlights how evolving client demands for decarbonisation and carbon neutrality shape the industry. She stresses integrating safety, climate change...

In this episode of "Behind the Built Environment," David Frise interviews Dr. Jo Jolly, Director of Environment and Innovation at Ofwat. Jo discusses her journey from geophysics and hydrogeology to her current role, emphasizing her commitment to achieving the best outcomes for the environment and society. She highlights the urgent need to transform infrastructure performance using data analytics a...