Currie & Brown

Today, we’re celebrating Terrie Chan, People and Administrative Director in Asia Pacific, who is marking her 30th anniversary with Currie & Brown. Terrie shares her thoughts on her incredible milestone below.

The UK has one of the oldest and draughtiest housing stocks in Europe. 29 million homes need retrofitting by 2050 if we are to meet our carbon reduction targets. The government has launched several policies and programmes to fund retrofit projects. Over recent months though, serious and systemic issues with works carried out under these schemes have come to light. In many cases these fail to achieve minimum quality standards and industry guidelines – and in some instances, present significant health and safety risks. We’re working with industry partners to assess the quality of retrofit works in London and Birmingham. We’ll be inspecting over 300 homes to assess the overall quality of recently installed external insulation systems. These must be suitably assessed, designed and installed to achieve intended outcomes, such as reducing heat loss and improving comfort for occupants. A robust ventilation strategy that promotes optimal indoor air quality is also key. Stefan Gerrard, Associate, comments: “Retrofit works are essential to decarbonise our existing buildings. But, they must be carried out in line with industry standards and guidance, and with the right level of oversight to be considered safe and effective. We look forward to working with our partners to identify substandard works so that these can be remedied and increase consumer confidence in retrofitting our housing stock.” #Retrofit #UKHousing

The exciting vision for the 230 Newmarket Road office project has reached a major milestone, with planning consent granted by Cambridge City Council. Our local team in the UK provided cost management services, giving clients certainty amid fluctuating costs and evolving regulations. 230 Newmarket Road is the gateway to Railpen’s 1m sq ft Beehive initiative, the first step in a masterplan to create a new business district. We’re supporting Railpen through early masterplan costing. Thanks to the hard work of Steve Trevena and his team in driving forward our work in #Cambridge, part of the UK’s Golden Triangle. Ridgelift Leonard Design

With a busy pipeline of projects in Saudi Arabia due to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 programme, we're growing our team. Helene Roberts is moving to Riyadh as a Director after 7 years in our UAE and UK businesses. Helene will play a key role in strengthening our business across Saudi Arabia as we continue to deliver ambitious projects for our clients. Craig Finlayson, Regional Managing Director in Saudi Arabia said: "We are delighted to welcome Helene to our leadership team as our newest director. Her exceptional track record in cost management will be invaluable as we continue to grow our consultancy services in the Kingdom. Helene’s wealth of experience will enhance our approach to delivery and client relationships." Talking about her new role, Helene said: “I look forward to bringing my experience to the team, working alongside talented colleagues, and being part of Saudi Arabia's ambitious vision for the future." #SaudiArabia #CostManagement

The ripple effects of California’s wildfires are being felt far beyond the state’s borders. National construction costs, particularly for lumber, will rise up to 15% as supply chains grapple with disruption and reduced demand. Tariffs are adding to the uncertainty and squeeze on costs. Proactive planning, strategic sourcing, plus diversity and flexibility in materials will be key to reducing costs and avoiding delays. Find out more in our analysis, here: https://lnkd.in/eh6W_T6B #MarketTrends #SupplyChains #Uncertainty

As AI usage increases in healthcare environments, there are key things to think about to make AI integration a success. If you want to use AI in your healthcare organisation, you’ll need: ✅ effective strategic planning ✅ robust cost control ✅ strong project management. Infrastructure, operations and financial management must be ready to support the integration of new technologies. Working with experts from other Sidara collaborative companies, our global healthcare lead Helen Pickering has identified the key areas where AI will have the most impact. She also highlights the five factors that could be the key to successful AI implementation.

The election of a new coalition government in Germany marks a pivotal moment to boost productivity and economic growth. This signals a long-term approach to managing the economy and stabilising the construction sector. After continuing inflation, supply chain volatility, labour shortages, and rising materials costs, the industry needs clear policy direction and steady investment. Our Managing Director in Germany, Marc Kirschbaum, highlights defence spending and infrastructure modernisation as key drivers of new opportunities. However, overlapping projects could strain capacity and escalate costs. Meanwhile, sustainability initiatives may shift, but EU regulations will keep eco-friendly practices at the forefront. High-growth areas like pharma and advanced IT will also fuel demand, raising competition for skilled labour. For more of our insights on what the election results mean for the construction industry in Germany, check out Marc’s full article here - https://lnkd.in/ehA7Hv7m #Germany #Construction

We have become members of the The UK International Healthcare Management Association (UKIHMA), a national membership health sector organisation that provides expert, integrated healthcare solutions to clients around the world. We have joined UKIHMA’s special interest group (SIG) of healthcare infrastructure experts to share our project management, cost management and advisory expertise. As members, we’ll be working with NHS specialists, academics and other private sector professionals to support health service providers in emerging and established markets. At a time when global healthcare projects are facing significant challenges, there is an acute need for fresh thinking. We look forward to sharing our expertise and developing innovative solutions that improve efficiency, enhance patient outcomes and set new benchmarks for excellence across healthcare projects. Find the full news story here: https://lnkd.in/etRNb8SY #Healthcare #NHS

Today marks International Women’s Day. This year's theme, #AccelerateAction calls for real, tangible change to support the social, political and economic advancement of women to achieve equality. Today we reflect and celebrate, but also acknowledge the commitment we must all make toward achieving an equal, inclusive, and diverse world for all. Thank you to all our people who have got involved this year. From running webinars on unconscious bias, rolling out menopause training worldwide and of course, showing solidarity with our annual pose collage - we're proud to play our part at Currie & Brown.