Podcasts

RICS’ commitment to further developing the built environment in a more sustainable manner is paramount, and providing a global take on this is a key task for our newest President, Ann Gray.

We hear from Ann in the latest World Built Environment Forum episode of The RICS Podcast to see how the role of RICS professionals is set to evolve, the key considerations for the industry, and how those considerations are being tackled on a worldwide scale.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• RICS’ key goals around Net Zero, provision of adequate housing and protecting natural resources
• Findings from The RICS’ Sustainability Report
• Challenges and opportunities when tackling sustainability in the US and other global markets
• The evolving role of professionals to meet upcoming demand for a more sustainable industry

Technology is an ever-shifting phenomenon, and while data has always been a source of innovation, AI has accelerated the utility of data, particularly in the built environment.

In this week’s World Built Environment Forum podcast, Andrew Min joins Andrew Knight to take us into the technological use cases for data & artificial intelligence, and how they’re evolving our perceptions of what the built environment can offer.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• Reimagining the built environment in New York through data
• How client demands for technology have grown in the real estate asset sector
• Using data to further extend a focus on ESG, particularly with regard to tracking social change
• The future of the sector, and where AI fits into the equation

Rivers and other bodies of water play a huge part in the environment’s impact on human health, which means it’s vital to keep water quality in our rivers top of mind.

When it comes to trends in river pollution, Professor Steve Ormerod is a leading figure in tracking our rivers’ water quality, as Professor of Ecology and Co-Director of the Water Research Institute at Cardiff University.

We hear from Steve as he takes us through the key considerations and dangers in this week’s World Built Environment Forum podcast, hosted by Head of Rural Research at Savills, Emily Norton.

This episode of the RICS Podcast covers:

• How clean our rivers are currently throughout the UK
• Whether we’re taking appropriate measurement of river quality
• Trends in urban vs rural water quality improvement
• The links between human health and river quality

The gender split in construction is heavily one-sided, but through an exciting, bold renovation project with an all-female team, Kat & Fiona Parsons are leading a shift to level out those figures.

With their construction backgrounds and passion for diversity and inclusion issues, the duo join RICS’ Sybil Taunton on this episode of the RICS Podcast to share how they’re tackling the project.

Tune in to hear how they’re navigating the process of sourcing surveyors and tradespeople, the firms who are demonstrating their commitment to D&I, and the positive disruption they’re set to achieve.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• The positive disruption and exposure of gender split that the project aims to achieve
• How Kat & Fiona find and choose the firms they work with
• Representing D&I goals in large firms vs smaller businesses
• Advice for businesses looking to demonstrate commitment to D&I

Cities are a diverse structure by their very nature, and tackling the challenges of equity in housing, education and welfare are paramount for McKinsey’s Jonathan Woetzel.

Jonathan is the Global Leader of their Cities Special Initiative, affording him an ideal perspective on how cities can grow in diversity and inclusivity. We hear from Jonathan as he joins RICS’ Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Sybil Taunton, for this World Built Environment Forum episode of The RICS Podcast.

This episode covers:

• How does diversity relate to cities on a macro level
• Who is most impacted by a shortfall in access to cities’ benefits
• Examples of beneficial initiatives in diverse cities
• The challenge of housing vs storing value in real estate

As we move towards a net-zero world, the need to achieve sustainability will require us not only to consider new projects, but retrofitting existing buildings for the long term.

Leading this key conversation with consideration for social value and the role of technology in this WBEF episode of The RICS Podcast, we hear the valuable insights of Susanne Eickermann-Riepe and Christopher Seymour.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• Current attitudes to retrofitting in different global regions
• The need to speed up decarbonisation in cities
• Why social outcomes should be a key consideration for improvement
• The role of technology, its promises and its pitfalls.

In our latest episode, our director of thought leadership, Ken Creighton speaks to Stuart Fraser a disaster risk expert. With most of the world susceptible to some kind of natural disaster and as the risks increase, this wide-ranging discussion hones in on areas such as the importance of reliable data to inform risk management and mitigation and to assess the cost of recovery and reconstruction.

Accessibility & inclusion are among the fastest moving areas of development, and since 78% of disabilities are acquired in adult life, it’s an issue that’ll affect many of us even beyond our current awareness.

The built environment plays a huge role in creating an accessible and inclusive world, and joining us on this week’s World Built Environment Forum podcast to discuss this pressing topic are Jean Hewitt (Senior Consultant in Inclusive Design at Buro Happold), Sharon Slinger (Owner of Constructing Rainbows Limited) and Vanessa Curtis (Co-Founder and Co-Chair at AbilityRE).

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• Why accessibility is a key issue for all of us
• How early consideration of inclusion guides better, less costly projects
• What can be achieved on an individual level and within organisations
• Sources of information to learn more.

The built environment, infrastructure, leadership, governance and investors will all invariably play a role in creating good urbanisation for the planet of cities we’re likely to see develop.

Given the emerging importance of decarbonisation and social cohesion in cities, it’s a prime time for the return of The Planet of Cities, Professor Greg Clark’s column on the future of our cities and the people within them.

In this World Built Environment Forum podcast, Greg joins Kay Pitman to discuss the magic and DNA of cities, how their history and shared experiences inform their traits, and whether the future should bring us a ‘15-minute city’ or a ‘45 minute metropolis’.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• The planet of cities we’re likely to see with 10 billion people in 10 thousand cities
  
• Cities’ DNA and traits, and how they link into the principles of epigenetics
• How we ensure good urbanisation occurs as the population within cities grows
• The 15-minute city vs the 45 minute metropolis.

Toronto has been an exciting test bed for the creative mixed-use building model, combining interests of different parties to achieve individual goals and extend their benefits city-wide.

Sharing his observations within Canada, and how the model might work globally, is Matti Siemiatycki, Professor in Department of Geography & Planning and Director of the Infrastructure Institute at School of Cities, University of Toronto.

In this WBEF episode of The RICS Podcast, we explore the foundational ideas behind the creative mixed-use model, the collaborative process, and goals it hopes to achieve.

This episode of WBEF covers:

• The existing mixed use model and how creative mixed use builds upon it
• How developments within this model have been received in Toronto
• Benefits to individual parties and citywide objectives of creative mixed use
• Challenges that each party within the arrangement must address
• How the model could develop in a global context.

In this podcast with Arup Senior Engineer Richard Boyd we explore how CEOs and their Board members can make sense of the Circular Economy in the built environment.

A circular lens encourages businesses to consider the impact of potential future events on asset value, and how the assets might adapt to new circumstances. If Covid leads to reduced demand for office space, how can offices be re-purposed without expensive and wasteful deconstruction? This is not without problems, as the experience of New York showed when businesses relocated to mid-town Manhattan after 9/11 and offices were converted to residential use with mixed success.

The UK has also had mixed success in commercial to residential conversion, as highlighted by RICS research on Permitted Development Rights.

Since an introduction to the construction industry towards the end of the 20th century, the role of robotics is ever-growing with the technology facilitating its implementation.

In this WBEF episode of The RICS Podcast, Alan Muse draws on the expertise of a highly accomplished Doctor of Engineering, Professor Thomas Bock from the Technical University of Munich.

We hear how robots can be used safely alongside human workers to enhance construction, advance the decarbonisation agenda, and how they’ll link in with BIM and Digital Twins.

This episode of WBEF covers:

• The evolution of robotics in the construction industry
  
• Distinctions between robots & cobots, and how they can be used to enhance the sector
• Benefits and barriers to using robotics on-site and off-site
• Potential effects on the continued efforts to decarbonise construction projects.

The built environment plays a pivotal role in managing and mitigating climate risk, and our latest Communication on Engagement report for the UN Global Compact highlights some of the key actions RICS has taken to drive a more sustainable future in the built & natural environment.

On the latest episode of the podcast, Kay Pitman speaks with Global Sustainability Lead at RICS, Kisa Zehra, to break down that report, alongside the WBEF Sustainability Report from last year, plus a look ahead to this year’s report preceding COP27.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• The UN Global Compact and their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• How RICS is equipping the profession with skills, tools, knowledge and competence around sustainability issues
• ICMS 3, IBOS, the Built Environment Carbon Database, and other RICS initiatives contributing to sustainability in the industry
• Key findings in last year’s Sustainability Report, and an insight into next year’s report ahead of COP27

Welcome to a brand-new series of the World Built Environment Forum Insights podcast. We’re kicking off an engaging series of monthly podcasts with a look at openBIM and the future of digital twins with Fred Kloet.

Fred, Chair of FM and Open BIM and Director of Smart Workplace International, chats to host Andrew Knight about how a collaborative approach promises to boost movements like Net Zero & Build Back Better.

We hear about the opportunities presented by the advent of platforms like openBIM, and how a federated approach to data governance promises to revolutionise the impact of digital twins.

This episode of WBEF covers:

• The exciting fundamental principles behind Open BIM
• How Build Back Better and Net Zero challenges can be solved through federation over fragmentation
• Ethical issues around assets with people in them, and standards of data governance
• How integrating facility management data presents an opportunity to increase the value of real estate

Andrew Knight:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewknight3/

Fred Kloet:

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

In this podcast with Arup Senior Engineer Richard Boyd we explore how CEOs and their Board members can make sense of the Circular Economy in the built environment. 

A circular lens encourages businesses to consider the impact of potential future events on asset value, and how the assets might adapt to new circumstances. If COVID-19 leads to reduced demand for office space, how can offices be re-purposed without expensive and wasteful deconstruction? This is not without problems, as the experience of New York showed when businesses relocated to mid town Manhattan after 9/11 and offices were converted to residential use with mixed success. The UK has also had mixed success in commercial to residential conversion, as highlighted by RICS research on Permitted Development Rights.

The Circular economy in buildings is inspiring new business models such as Philips’ Signify, Kaer and Mitsubishi Electric. Respectively they offer light, cooling and vertical transportation as a service to buildings occupiers. This gives occupiers assurances on running costs (since they do not own the systems) and incentivises the providers to minimise resource use, maximise component longevity and ensure they can be remanufactured for future clients. 

Law makers are beginning to set Circular Economy performance standards. Denmark has a strategy to reduce GNP per tonne of material used. 

The Netherlands aims to be 100% circular by 2050 and Amsterdam aims to halve the use of virgin material per unit of economic output by 2030.

Read more:

https://www.arup.com/perspectives/publica

In our latest episode looking at the impacts of COVID-19, we bring together a panel of experts from across the globe to focus on urbanisation and the natural environment.

Ken Creighton, our Director of Thought Leadership guides our panel as they explore and examine the short, medium and longer term impacts may be and what opportunities have and will arise from the crisis.

Guests:

Mandakini Devasher, International Development Consultant: Water, energy, food, gender and climate change in South Asia

Davina Rooney, CEO Green Building Council of Australia

Will Waller, Arcadis Build to Rent Market Leader

Benjamin Towell, Senior Architect at Building and Construction Authority Singapore

In the second of our exclusive series looking at the impact of COVID-19 on the built and natural environment, this episode focuses on real estate and construction. 

Our Director of Thought Leadership and Future Practice, Ken Creighton is joined by a panel of experts:

1. Tina Paillet, Global Head of Asset Management, Head of UK and North America and Global Head of Projects and Technology, Generali Real Estate
2. Vince Clancy, Chief Executive and Chairman, Turner and Townsend
3. Janet Young, Chief Property Office, HM Government 
4. Chris Brooke, Immediate Past President and Chair, Governing Council, RICS and Co-Founder, Brooke Husband 

Recorded back in April, they discuss the current landscape for real estate and construction and explore and examine what the future might hold post-crisis.

As discussed in last week's episode on digital transformation, the industry has seen an acceleration in adoption of digitisation, but more must be done.

In this episode we speak to Jaan Saar, head of digital construction for the Estonian Government.  As many of you will know, Estonia is widely held up as the world leader in e-government and Jaan shares how this is being embedded in construction. 

Jaan references a website about Estonia's approach to e-government - visit here. 

The pandemic caused organisations around the world to accelerate their digital transformation plans as the need to work from home became a necessity, so what had been, for many a plan over the next few years was delivered overnight. So, what next for digital transformation? And what does it mean for the industry? 

In this conversation, our Director of Thought Leadership and Future Practice, Ken Creighton speaks to a panel of experts from across the globe to get their thoughts and insights on the future direction for digitisation and whether we have reached the tipping point where we will see large scale adoption of technology that for many has been viewed as being on the periphery.

Episode contributors:

Nikki Greenberg, Founder, Real Estate of the Future
Rupert Parker, Founder & Chief Executive, Building Passport
Paul Kirkpatrick, CTO, RICS

In this episode, Tim Smith, the World Built Environment Forum’s Global Director spoke to one of the globes pre-eminent thinkers on Urbanism, Bruce Katz. They discussed what Bruce thinks the future of urbanisation may look like in the post Covid-19 world. Below gives you an idea of his experience. 

1. He founded the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution
2. He served under Barack Obama in his first term as the co-lead for the housing and urban transition team and then served as the senior advisor to the HUD secretary for the first 100 days of the administration
3. Previously to that he served as Chief of Staff to the US Secretary for Housing and Urban Development under the Clinton Administration
4. He is currently the director of the Nowak Metro Finance Lab at Drexel University
5. Finally, he co-authored the New Localism: How can cities thrive in the age of populism 

As you will hear, the content of what was discussed is dominated by the US, with some references to Europe. However, what he does discuss will have relevance to most markets and regions. I hope you enjoy!

Recorded back in May, just as the full extent of the Pandemic was becoming evident, Ken Creighton, RICS Director of Thought Leadership spoke to former UK Chancellor Alistair Darling, Andrew Tilton, Chief Asia Economist with Goldman Sachs, Susanne Eickermann, German Real Estate Lead at PwC and RICS Chief Economist Simon Rubinsohn. 

They discuss the important need for global cooperation to deal with the crisis and the recovery, debate whether this is the end of globalisation as we know it, and explore what steps markets and governments should take to ensure a swift and sustainable economic recovery.

In this episode, our Director of Thought Leadership, Ken Creighton spoke to RICS President Elect, Kath Fontana, who is Managing Director, Public Sector, Critical Infrastructure and Capital Projects at MITIE. Kath shares her career journey, her experience of managing her team through the pandemic and offers her thoughts on the future of the workplace and wider social and environmental issues.

In this first episode, our Director of Thought Leadership, Ken Creighton spoke to RICS President, Tim Neal. In this wide-ranging conversation, they touched on Tim’s career journey, how the sector can and should respond to the current crisis and importantly the role of built and natural environment professionals in building a truly sustainable future.