What is the most frustrating thing about working in the construction industry? Is it lengthy procurement processes, slow planning, the race to the bottom on price?, the lack of takeup of tech? Skills shortages? Perhaps it is the lack of progress on inclusivity or net zero? Or maybe something else entirely?

Since January this publication’s ambitious Building the Future Commission has been examining issues preventing the built environment from reaching its full potential. We’ve been looking at potential solutions and new thinking across eight work streams helped by our panel of 19 commissioners.

We wanted to get time the in diaries of our busy commissioners – who are all key figures from the world of business, policy, research and education – so we could bring them together in the same room with our editorial team and take soundings on the state of the built environment and what may be done to improve it.

The aim of hearing from the panel gathered at Gleeds’ offices in central London was to hear the germ of ideas that could help us on our journey towards coming up with a set of recommendations under a unifying theme in the commission’s final report, which will be produced after 12-months of work during this, our 180th anniversary year.