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PODCAST

Behind the Built Environment

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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All Episodes

00:31:57

Designing for Failure, Safety and the Future

Behind the Built Environment ·

2026/10/01

In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, David Frise, Chief Executive of BESA, speaks with Dave Cooper MBE, President of CIBSE and a lift and escalator engineer with more than four decades of experience across engineering, safety, education, standards and expert witness work.Dave explains how an apprenticeship on the railway led him into the highly specialised world of lift engineering, and why collaboration between different engineering disciplines is essential to delivering better

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00:31:48

Construction Cannot Reform While Lowest Price Still Wins

Behind the Built Environment ·

2026/08/27

Construction cannot improve quality, productivity, and building safety while commercial models continue to reward the lowest price, push risk down the supply chain, and encourage short-term decision-making. In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, David Frise, Chief Executive of BESA, speaks with Paul Beeston, Partner and Head of Industry and Service Insight at RLB, who has more than 25 years of experience across the built environment and has recently joined the Construction Leadership

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00:27:14

Installers Face New Rules as Self Certification...

Behind the Built Environment ·

2026/08/06

Self-certification schemes sit at the heart of millions of building projects. Still, proposed reforms could bring greater scrutiny to how installers demonstrate competence, notify work and comply with building regulations.In this episode of Behind The Built Environment, David Frise, Chief Executive of BESA, speaks with Mussa Awaleh, Head of Self-certification Schemes and Reform of Building Regulatory Guidance at the Building Safety Regulator.Mussa explains how the schemes, renamed from competent

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00:30:51

Thermal Insulation Can No Longer Mark Its Own Homework

Behind the Built Environment ·

2026/07/23

The thermal insulation sector can no longer rely on self-certification to prove that work is safe, effective and properly installed.In this episode of Behind The Built Environment Extra, BESA Chief Executive David Frise speaks with Marion Marsland, Chief Executive of TICA, and Helen Anderson, Deputy Chief Executive of TICA, about proposals for a third-party accredited competence assessment standard for thermal insulation contractors.TICA is proposing an independently accredited standard combining a

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00:44:44

The Construction Skills Crisis Is A Capacity Problem

Behind the Built Environment ·

2026/07/02

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

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00:32:11

Modern Life Runs On An Industry Nobody Notices

Behind the Built Environment ·

2026/06/04

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

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00:38:02

Why Construction Keeps Solving The Wrong Problem

Behind the Built Environment ·

2026/05/14

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

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00:35:43

Why UK Construction Projects Fail Before They Start

Behind the Built Environment ·

2026/04/02

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

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00:35:52

Building Safety Act Competence And Why A Certificate...

Behind the Built Environment ·

2026/03/24

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

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00:32:23

Are Clients Ready For Their Responsibilities Under...

Behind the Built Environment ·

2026/03/04

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

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00:27:17

Why Most Modular Construction Firms Fail — and How...

Behind the Built Environment ·

2026/01/28

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

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00:31:43

Competent or Compliant? The Hard Truth the Industry...

Behind the Built Environment ·

2026/01/13

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

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00:37:47

You Can’t Plead Ignorance: Why Every Contractor Needs...

Behind the Built Environment ·

2025/12/10

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 linked to Matthew Hayward.This episode looks beyond the charges to the impact of a justice process that

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00:47:02

Is Construction's Business Model Broken?

Behind the Built Environment ·

2025/10/30

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 uncertainty, and fragmented business models. He discusses the growing influence of AI investment, the long-term outlook

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00:29:27

Building the Future with Skanska

Behind the Built Environment ·

2025/09/25

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 helping Skanska navigate uncertainty. He highlights the challenges of attracting new talent, the growing

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00:26:31

Will Inheritance Tax Changes Destroy Family...

Behind the Built Environment ·

2025/09/10

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.She explains why the government’s changes to business property relief could put long-standing firms at

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00:24:17

More Time, Same Pay: The Surprising Truth About the...

Behind the Built Environment ·

2025/08/28

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 partnered with Strathclyde University to turn what began as a pilot into a model for modern workplace culture

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00:33:58

Behind The £350 Billion Question: Can Smarter...

Behind the Built Environment ·

2025/08/14

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. Discover why he believes standardisation could unlock huge efficiencies, how SCAPE balances commercial

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00:41:04

Behind AI in Building Maintenance

Behind the Built Environment ·

2025/07/11

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 compliance.The conversation explores both the opportunities—such as sensor-driven diagnostics, digital

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00:37:21

Behind the Digital Thread

Behind the Built Environment ·

2025/07/03

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 highlights the importance of the golden thread, interoperability, and whole-life asset thinking—key to improving

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33 results

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