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Tune into the Building Brum podcast and hear from Programme Director Conor Nolan as he talks with developers, contractors, architects and planners about developments across the region and the changing trends within the industry.
The Building Brum podcast is sponsored by reality capture and point cloud modeling specialists ScanTech Digital, Solus, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of commercial floor and wall tiles and Sunbelt Rentals with over 1,500,000 items of equipment- they are the largest providers of equipment hire in the UK., Solus
64 Episodes
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To mark International Women’s Day on the Building Brum podcast, we’re joined by Poppy Deakin, Assistant Project Manager, and Emily Melville, Health, Safety & Wellbeing Manager both apprentices at Overbury. Straight out of school, they quickly became involved in some of Birmingham’s most significant developments, contributing to major schemes ranging from delivering workspace for global financial organisations to Arup’s new Birmingham headquarters at One Centenary Way. Landmark projects. R...
Are we finally past the turbulence? Three years into the Building Safety Act, we ask the question everyone’s thinking: is the high-rise market stabilising — or are we just better at coping with the chaos? With Weedon Architects Dave Vanderson and Pareto Projects Kuli Bajwa, we explore why Gateway 2 can still feel like a postcode lottery, and whether confidence is truly returning across the country. We get straight into the pressure points: shifting expectations on design detail, stretched reg...
The past year has tested the construction and property industry like few others in recent memory. Rising costs, political uncertainty, cautious investment and sweeping regulatory change have all combined to create one of the most challenging operating environments in decades. We sit down with James Watts and Alison Kilby of Arup to take an honest look at what 2025 and the past 12 months really felt like on the ground. Drawing on their experience advising major developers, public sector ...
We are joined by Nick Gibb Joint Managing Director of BSN Group. Nick took on this new role after spending 30 years at Willmott Dixon, where Nick helped to build one of the region’s most successful Tier One contractors. Nick's now stepped into an owner-led, entrepreneurial role, leading BSN Group's ambitious growth strategy. In this episode, we’ll be talking about what that transition has been like, how BSN operates in a market where project viability is increasingly challenging, and why the ...
Today on the Building Brum Podcast, we’re exploring development more regionally: how the public and private sectors can work together to deliver places, unlock land, and drive long-term economic value. At the centre of this conversation is the Warwickshire Property & Development Group — a unique local-authority-owned company operating commercially to generate income that supports frontline services, while also shaping the future of the county’s built environment. It’s a delicate balance b...
Building Brum host Conor Nolan sits down with Joanna Lee-Mills, Partner at Ward Hadaway, examining one of Birmingham’s most urgent challenges: affordable and social housing. Joanna brings nearly 25 years of experience in housing, planning, and development to help unpack what “affordable housing” really means for families across the city, how Section 106 agreements shape delivery on the ground, and why—despite major funding announcements—social housing supply still lags behind demand. We...
In this episode of the Building Brum Podcast, we’re joined by Simon Delahunty-Forrest, Birmingham City Council’s newly appointed Director of Planning and Development, to discuss his vision for the city’s future. Having played a key role in shaping Birmingham’s planning and regeneration story over the past 35 years, Simon reflects on how the city has evolved through the Big City Plan and Our Future City Plan 2045. Looking ahead, we explore the next wave of regeneration — from Smithfield and La...
In this episode of Building Brum, we explore one of Wolverhampton’s most remarkable regeneration stories, the transformation of the long-vacant Royal Hospital site into becoming the heart of a thriving new neighbourhood, the Royal Quarter. Once closed in 1997 and left derelict for nearly two decades, the former hospital and its surrounding land, along with adjacent sites (former bus depot and SJ Dixon and Son decorating shop) have been reborn through an almost decade-long partners...
In today’s episode, we sit down with András Kárpáti, CEO of Cordia UK, to explore the company’s journey from its roots as BlackSwan Property to becoming a key player in Birmingham’s regeneration story. András shares how both he and Cordia — as part of the internationally renowned Futureal Group — chose Birmingham out of all of the other cities in Europe and came to invest in the UK, and why Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter became the focal point for transformative development. We unpack the str...
In this episode of the Building Brum Podcast, we’re joined by key members of the team behind Three Chamberlain Square — Alex Housden from MEPC, Owen Doherty from Weedon Architects, Michael Gosling from Cundall, Chris Hucknall from Sir Robert McAlpine, and Laurence Vickers from AtkinsRéalis. Together, they reflect on the collaborative journey that brought this landmark commercial development to life. From navigating logistical challenges and maintaining momentum during critical stages of const...
In this special International Women’s Day episode of Building Brum, we sit down with the team at MUSE Midlands to discuss the progress, challenges, and future of gender inclusivity in the built environment. Joining us on the podcast are Lisa Turley, Jonathan Ashcroft, Elliot Sellars, Cate Howe, Marcus Harrington, Laura Lucock and Sara Luhar. Together, we explore what an inclusive workplace looks like, the impact of having a female Managing Director at the helm, and whether the industry is doi...
On today’s episode, we’re joined by key figures behind Walsall’s Renaissance — and exploring how major regeneration and investment across the Black Country is creating positive change. Special Guests: Councillor Adrian Andrew, Associate Leader of Walsall Council, has been instrumental in shaping the borough’s £1.5 billion regeneration programme.Neil Smith, Land and Partnerships Director at Keepmoat, leads on housing regeneration in Willenhall.Simon Raiye, Head of Midlands Region for HBD, a na...
In this special episode of Building Brum hosted by Northspring, we’re joined by seven guests from across the construction industry who are taking on an incredible challenge this March—trekking and dog-sledding 180km across the Arctic Circle to raise money for charity. Amidst their intense training schedules, Scott Lydon, Rachael Fahey, Simon Jesson, Paul Davis, Emma Sculthorp, Anthony Watson, and Andrew Foster share their motivations for embarking on this seven-day journey through the froze...
Joining us on the Building Brum podcast today is one of Birmingham’s rising stars, Moe Ali, Associate Director and asset management lead for Bruntwood SciTech Birmingham portfolio. We had the pleasure of speaking with Moe about Bruntwood SciTech’s ambitious vision for growth and its commitment to investing in Birmingham. Exploring their plans for 2025 and beyond, we discuss the steps being taken to create citywide innovation ecosystems. From Cornerblock to Enterprise Wharf, we delve into Brun...
Today we’re in Wolverhampton, joined by James Dickens, Managing Director of Wavensmere Homes; Councillor Chris Burden, Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs, and Skills and Rebecca Bennett-Casserly, Corporate Director of Development at Walsall Housing Group (whg). Together, we explore how Wolverhampton is driving economic growth through ambitious housing developments and regeneration projects. The City of Wolverhampton is leading the way with multi-million-pound investments in social hous...
Ryan Bennett, Managing Director of Solus, and James Hughes, Founding Director of Fabric Design & Build, join the Building Brum podcast to discuss their grand designs and the evolving market trends shaping the region. They delve into the rise of luxury, high-end residential projects across the Midlands, exploring the factors driving this growth. The conversation also highlights how Birmingham and the wider West Midlands are capitalising on opportunities created by London's land values. The...
Mike Lally, Project Manager, Founding Director, and Entrepreneur, joins the Building Brum podcast to discuss what it’s like running a business in Birmingham. Mike and his team at Cadence are pivotal to some of the city’s most ambitious projects, including Digbeth’s latest regeneration led by Steven Knight and Stanhope, featuring a new film studio and the iconic MasterChef set. As the founder of Cadence—a true Birmingham startup success story—Mike shares insights on launching a business, secur...
Today’s podcast revisits our Placemaking Through Regeneration event recently held in partnership with the CIOB. Hosted by Howells in the heart of Digbeth our sold-out event featured some of some of the city’s leading business leaders, visionaries and construction and development champions who are helping to shape the city’s skyline. As the city and regions grow, so must the communities within them. On today's podcast we explore the importance of regeneration from Great Charles Str...
Executive Director of SuperTech West Midlands Hilary Smyth-Allen recently joined us on the Building Brum podcast to talk about all things technology, growth and collaboration. Supported by key organisations across the Midlands including Bruntwood SciTech, CBRE and West Midlands Growth Company. Hilary shared her insights into how SuperTech WM is fostering collaboration and innovation within the professional services tech cluster in the West Midlands, with a focus on building a vibrant ec...
Seddon Director of Operations Andrea Wilson joined us on the Building Brum this summer to discuss all things preconstruction through to delivery. As Director of Operations for Seddon’s Property Services, Andrea leads the Midlands division delivering a wide range of schemes across several frameworks. We explore the importance of strong relationships within the industry and how this leads to successful projects through timely delivery by trusting your partners and mitigating delays and risks. T...
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