Craig MacDonald is a Chartered Building Surveyor with over 20 years of experience in property and construction sectors. He specialises in construction technology and building pathology in the Australian commercial real estate sector. He’s a fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the current chair of RICS Member Engagement Group in Queensland, Australia, registered APC Assessor, and counsellor to APC candidates.

Craig is the author of the narrative non-fiction book, "The Building Detective: A Journey Into the Hidden Stories of Property, People, and Problem Solving", which is the starting point of this conversation. He shares the inspiration behind this book, his journey from Scotland to Australia, how storytelling can transform the profession and why surveying is a big adventure.

What We Cover:

• The motivation and process behind writing The Building Detective, Craig’s surveying journey, and how he moved to Australia.
• Insights into the APC qualification process and the role of mentorship
• The differences in surveying practices and standards between the UK and Australia
• How storytelling and technology shape the future of the profession

Resources Mentioned:

• The Building Detective by Craig McDonald https://amzn.eu/d/3QPXtCq
• #117 Alice Graham - Visibility and Technology in Quantity Surveying RICS Information on APC - Assessment of Professional Competence
• Watch the podcast video and read the blog here - https://www.lovesurveying.com/blog/the-building-detective-surveyor-hub-podcast-craig-macdonald

Connect with Craig McDonald:

• LinkedIn: Craig McDonald
• Instagram: @buildingdetective

Connect with Marion Ellis:

• • LinkedIn: Marion Ellis
  • Instagram: @love_surveying
  • Facebook: Love Surveying

Emma Fletcher is Low-Carbon Housing Director at Octopus Energy and the current Chair of the RICS Residential Professional Group Panel. After qualifying in rural surveying, she moved into housing and regeneration, focusing on affordable housing and sustainability. She is passionate about community resilience and has established a district heat network in her village.

In this podcast, we talk about Emma's varied career in surveying, but also what it means to take the opportunity to do the hard work and ultimately turn your passions into a career. We discuss her role as a Low-Carbon Director and what decarbonising means on the housing level, how she set up a community land trust in her village, her experience in rural surveying and her involvement with Residential PGP at RICS.

What is Covered:

• (00:00) Introduction to Emma and her Low Carbon Housing Role at Octopus
• (04:39) What decarbonising in housing means
• (10:12) Zero bills and why you need a funeral plan for your boiler
• (14:18) Maintaining curiosity and networking with surveyors
• (16:38) Why Emma set up a community land trust in her village
• (24:06) The challenges of the rural path in surveying
• (31:35) Emma’s experience with housing associations
• (43:35) Chairing Residential PGP at RICS
• (56:29) How to adapt to all the changes, innovations and new technology

Resources:

• Octopus Energy https://octopus.energy/
• Connect with Emma Fletcher on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmafletchercambridge/
• Book: Map of a Nation: A Biography of the Ordnance Survey https://www.amazon.com/Map-Nation-Biography-Ordnance-Survey/dp/1847082548
• Learn more about RICS Residential Professional Group Panel https://www.rics.org/about-rics/corporate-governance/professional-group-panels/residential-property
• Buy me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesurveyorhub

• The Surveyor Hub Community - Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.surveyor.hub.love.surveying/

Marsha Ramroop is an engaging and compelling speaker and former BBC journalist and leader. She’s a global award-winning inclusion strategist, and author with a passion for driving change in the built environment. She sees the sector as an opportunity to influence the creation of a more inclusive world. Marsha was the inaugural Director of Inclusion and Diversity at the Royal Institute of British Architects. She is the author of the book “Building Inclusion: Practical Guide to Inclusion in Architecture & the Built Environment,” published by Routledge.

Today, we talk about what cultural intelligence matters in surveying, and we discuss the importance of an inclusive perspective in policies, procedures and practices, which benefit all demographics. Marsha discusses her career transition from BBC to RIBA, highlights the need for systemic changes rather than identity-led initiatives to foster inclusion, and in her book, she advocates for actionable steps to address diversity and improve organisational culture.

What we Cover:

• (00:00) Marsha’s background and experience in radio journalism
• (11:12) The role of Director of Inclusion at RIBA
• (22:50) The difference between diversity and inclusion
• (25:13) What are inclusion led strategies in organisations?
• (35:24) “It’s inclusion for all, or it’s not inclusion at all”
• (37:48) Marsha’s experience of writing a book and why it serves as a practical guide
• (44:22) What cultural intelligence is and its practical applications
• (53:40) How to deal with mistakes and receive feedback
• (58:17) Marsha’s hopes for the impact of her book

Resources:

• Book: Building Inclusion: Practical Guide to Inclusion in Architecture & The Built Environment, by Marsha Ramroop https://www.routledge.com/Building-Inclusion-A-Practical-Guide-to-Equity-Diversity-and-Inclusion-in-Architecture-and-the-Built-Environment/Ramroop/p/book/9781032564838

• Connect with Marsha Ramroop on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/marsharamroop/
• RIBA - Royal Institute of British Architecture https://www.architecture.com/
• Buy me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesurveyorhub

• The Surveyor Hub Community - Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.surveyor.hub.love.surveying/