The ground-breaking author, Alexandra Steed, talks to Jackie De Burca in a series of four podcast episodes that delve deeply into her brilliant book. She has also generously agreed to give away 10 copies of her book.  The first episode offers great insights into the concepts you will discover in this book. The author explains some of the core principles that are featured. De Burca speaks to her in detail about Part 1 of Portrait to Landscape-A Landscape Strategy To Reframe Our Future.  There is a wealth to learn and discuss about this ground-breaking book. So every podcast ..read more

In this enlightening episode of the Constructive Voices Podcast, Jackie De Burca talks to Dr. Ciaran Byrne, the Director of National Retrofit in Ireland. He offers invaluable insights into the country’s experience to date and the future of retrofitting in Ireland. About Dr Ciaran Byrne Dr. Ciaran Byrne is currently the Director of the National Retrofit Directorate in Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). In this position, his key priority is to build the National Retrofit Directorate within SEAI and design the business and financial model capable of mobilising the effectiv ..read more

Welcome to another episode of Constructive Voices! Today, we have an exciting guest with us, Panu Pasanen, the CEO and founder of One Click LCA. Panu is the brilliant mind and driving force behind this innovative lifecycle assessment and environmental product declaration software. Used in 170+ countries, this is a tool that can help you fast track built environment sustainability. About Panu Pasanen Panu Pasanen is the CEO and sole founder of One Click LCA, the world’s leading software platform for life-cycle assessment (LCA) and environmental product declaration (EPD) in con ..read more

In under half an hour, learn how you and your colleagues can reduce plastic consumption in the construction industry. Jackie De Burca speaks to Neal Maxwell, a highly successful construction company owner who sold his business to allow him to focus on showing others how to reduce plastic use. His story was originally featured in one of the world's top newspapers: The Guardian, by Henry McDonald. Henry then brought the story to Constructive Voices.  Discover how Maxwell's organisation, Changing Streams, has developed over the last few years to bring valuable resources to the built env ..read more

In the first of a new series of short but insightful conversations with construction industry thought leaders, Steve Randall is joined by René Morkos of Alice Technologies. Are you ready to explore the cutting edge of construction technology?  René shares his remarkable journey, from hands-on construction projects around the world to pioneering AI applications in the industry. Learn how AI is not just changing, but revolutionising the way we plan, simulate, and execute construction projects. Find out how René's work is paving the way for a more efficient and cost-effective future, an ..read more

Welcome to Constructive Voices. In Episode 1 of Season Three, we explore the urgent shift within the construction industry towards more sustainable practices, particularly in the face of the UK government’s net-zero targets.  The construction industry is seeking environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional cement due to its significant carbon footprint, with the UK government setting net zero targets for the sector. A promising innovation in this field is Cemfree by DB Group, a binder made from waste material through alkali activation, offering an 85% reduction in carbon ..read more

This episode features Yaron Dycian, co-founder of WINT, who discusses the integration of AI in water management to combat water scarcity and climate change. WINT employs AI algorithms to monitor water flow patterns in buildings, identifying anomalies that indicate leaks or damage, which can result in substantial water savings and reduced carbon footprints. The system is designed to alert staff to these issues promptly, which is crucial given that about 25% of water in buildings is wasted, contributing to significant carbon emissions and financial losses, such as the $100,000 annual waste ..read more

“I never really saw engineering as the career for me and it wasn’t really pushed. When I was studying subjects like art, science, maths, those subjects were always my passion from school all the way up to college. But I was always looking at different career pathways like medicine, going into maths, or even going into marketing and media. And it wasn’t until I did lots of different work experience placements, that I realized that engineering really was the career for me.” This intriguing quote above is from this episode’s guest, Melissa Ahmed, who is talking to Emma Nicholson as part of t ..read more

“I grew up seeing my Dad as my role model. And he is a civil engineer. So I saw him working with interesting tools and software. I remember he had this huge table with massive white papers. It had scribbles of buildings all over it, and a ruler that was taller than me. He also had sketches on his computer. He had lots and lots of books. And all of this really fascinated me. I would even do pretend play when he was not looking.” The wonderful quote above is from this episode’s guest, Dr. Zenan Ahmed, who is talking to Emma Nicholson as part of the series Focus on Female Engi ..read more

Tune in to this podcast episode that could be life-changing for you, someone you love, or friends at work or on the next site you go to.  Jackie De Burca talks to Bill Hill, chief executive of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity. The charity has been in existence since 1956 and has evolved immensely over the decades. The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity and its extensive network are doing phenomenal work through a variety of channels and initiatives. This episode investigates their work and how it has resulted in 125 active rescues to date. Active rescues refer to pe ..read more