Construction is a big industry – with output of over £100 billion it accounts for 8% of the UK’s GDP. The industry has been growing for ten years and demand is booming internationally. Increasing activity in China and India is especially significant, but cities all over the world are re-branding themselves via their skylines.

Making a building is complex and demanding. A great building only happens with great teamwork. Fortunately, the old adversarial character of the industry is dying out, but there will always be pressures because projects cost a lot of money. That is one of the reasons why Davis Langdon, renowned for bringing complex projects home to budget, time and quality, is in demand.

Sustainability concerns are changing the industry. Energy use in buildings accounts for 44% (300 million tonnes) of the carbon dioxide we put into the atmosphere annually – roughly the same as the carbon dioxide emissions from 100 million cars. Buildings last for about 60 years, so it matters that we ensure they use less energy from the start.