Building the Future Commission: review of April

Some of the commission’s activity in April included:

• Our first commissioner in-person meeting took place on 25 April, while a meeting with our young persons’ advisory panel happened online the same week, and we expect to report back on both discussions more fully next week.
• For our project delivery stream we looked at the link between contractor margins and poor productivity and put forward a radical idea from an industry leader on how to reverse the cycle of low margins, lack of investment in R&D and productivity levels
• For our net zero and energy stream, we talked to an engineering firm advocating for the use of stone instead of concrete in modern structures.
• We published our first regional roundtable debate in the East of England in partnership with Constructing Excellence (dates for future regional debates can be found by clicking this link to our commission home page). 

This month, we kick off commission coverage with today’s interview with Taylor Wimpey’s Jennie Daly, who talks about where she believes housebuilding firms to improve and what can be done about the planning crisis.

Later this month we are also planning to:

• Publish a mini series all about AI - how firms are currently using it, predictions for future applications and looking at if AI is coming for your job 
• Explore how design codes could be implemented to help create the communities people want to live in.
• Talk to RLB about its involvement with the Manufacturing Technology Centre
• Interview more industry leaders and big thinkers on construction trends

The team is working on lots more ideas that have been pitched to us, and we welcome more suggestions from readers. One way to get involved with the commission’s work is to send in a submission through our Ideas Hub - this is an online form explaining your big and idea and what impact it would have. 

You can follow our progress using #BuildingTheFuture on social media.