Block Podcast

Podcast No.11 is finally hear folks. It's been a while since we recorded the last podcast, mostly down to the fact everyone's been very busy lately - is that a good sign? On the podcast we discuss lots of topics around the construction industry, especially looking at the current state of the property market and discussing how things are improving on a number of fronts. BLOCK PODCAST No.11 We are joined by the usual team for the latest recording, the participants are as follows: Kenneth Martin, Managing Director, Block Architects Evelyn Laurie, Principal, Red Marketing John Stobbs, Director of Operations, Sap Service UK Gordon White, Managing Director, fatBuzz Ltd We've been hearing about signs of recovery in the construction industry for some time but is there now real evidence that things are improving and property is starting to move? On this podcast we hear about real construction projects that are up and running and, we chat about various government initiatives now in place to help property buyers. W

In Podcast No.10 we revisit BIM and we discuss the changing role of an architect, some green stuff and we share some mince pies! Joining us on the podcast are regular guests Evelyn Laurie, Principal, Red Marketing, Kenneth Martin, Managing Director, Block Architects and Gordon White, Managing Director, fatBuzz Ltd. We also welcomed a new guest on the podcast, John Burrow, Director at Archetype Services. We start the podcast by asking John Burrow about the current situation with the adoption of BIM systems in the architects community. This follows on from Block Podcast No.9 when we discussed BIM from the development perspective with Prof. Bimal Kumar. Following on from this opening chat we cover a whole range of issues in the conversation that includes the following: Are requests for BIM technology increasing? Archetype's integration of BIM technology Are Local Authorities requesting BIM at the tendering stage? Ownership - Are we any closer to a resolution of this issue? Is the timescale for the introduct

In Podcast No.9 we discuss Building Information Modelling. We were fortunate enough to have Prof. Bimal Kumar, Glasgow Caledonian University, School of Engineering and the Built Environment join us to explain the Building Information Modelling. Also joining us on the podcast are regular guests Evelyn Laurie, Principal, Red Marketing, Kenneth Martin, Managing Director, Block Architects and Gordon White, Managing Director, fatBuzz Ltd Building Information Modelling is a hot topic but, it is still very much misunderstood, even within the construction industry. Bimal Kumar provides a very clear explanation of BIM and how it will impact the construction industry in the future. Bimal takes us through the four levels of BIM and highlights why the achievement of Integrated BIM (Level 3) is still some way off.  Recent legislation states, by 2016 all public sector projects must utilise Level 2 BIM procedures; we explore how feasible this is and, what needs to be put in place to enable

Podcast No.8 was recorded immediately after No.7 so, we have the same team of experts discussing the general state of the construction industry, some of the latest updates with regard to regulations and, a very interesting chat about Smart Metering and the benefits for homeowners and businesses. BLOCK PODCAST No.8 We have a wealth of experience and expertise round the table which makes for compelling listening; the participants are as follows: Terry Hawksby, Business Development Manager, Ewgeco Mike Smith, Sales, Director, Gerer8 Power Ltd Stephen Lynas, Land & Development Manager, Hadden Construction Ian Clark, Marketing Manager, Ewgeco Evelyn Laurie, Principal, Red Marketing John Stobbs, Director of Operations, Sap Service UK Also on the podcast we have Kenneth Martin, Managing Director, Block Architects and Gordon White, Managing Director, fatBuzz Ltd As with podcast No.7, the discussion was lively with lots of useful information for anyone interested in property from homeowners to construction indu

Podcast No.7 is a very interesting podcast indeed; not just for people involved in the construction industry but also for homeowners and people considering building a home in the future. It's packed full of useful information on Solar Energy, Biomass, up to date building techniques and the most recent changes in regulations. BLOCK PODCAST No.7 We have a full house with 8 people taking part in a lively discussion around the construction industry. We have a wealth of experience and expertise round the table which makes for compelling listening; the participants are as follows: Terry Hawksby, Business Development Manager, Ewgeco Mike Smith, Sales, Director, Gerer8 Power Ltd Stephen Lynas, Land & Development Manager, Hadden Construction Ian Clark, Marketing Manager, Ewgeco Evelyn Laurie, Principal, Red Marketing John Stobbs, Director of Operations, Sap Service UK Also on the podcast we have Kenneth Martin, Managing Director, Block Architects and Gordon White, Managing Director, fatBuzz Ltd As you can ima

These Episodes were recorded on the 27th February - here are the participants: Evelyn Laurie, Principal, Red Marketing Gill Joy, Director, Intend Development John Stobbs, Director of Operations, Sap Service UK Also on the podcast we have Kenneth Martin, Managing Director, Block Architects and Gordon White, Managing Director, fatBuzz Ltd EPISODE 6 This is an interesting discussion about how the construction industry is adopting social media and, what they could be doing to improve their marketing and existing services with the adoption of Web 2.0 technology; here are some of the key topics: Is the construction industry using social media effectively? Creating content internally vs using an agency Twitter as a powerful search tool Twitter for building awareness and finding collaborators Augmented reality - is it a viable alternative to model making? 3D printers vs Fly-though video QR Codes - some innovative uses within the construction industry Episode 6 concludes with a brief discussion about the new Permit

These Episodes were recorded on the 27th February - here are the participants: Evelyn Laurie, Principal, Red Marketing Gill Joy, Director, Intend Development John Stobbs, Director of Operations, Sap Service UK Also on the podcast we have Kenneth Martin, Managing Director, Block Architects and Gordon White, Managing Director, fatBuzz Ltd EPISODE 5 We discuss lots of different aspects of procurement in the construction industry, here are some of the key topics: The complexity of the process Are SME's getting their fare share? BBA Accreditation and the cost of being registered Quirky.com and crowd funding for product development Are the contracts profitable or, are companies buying the work? How good id you bidding? Do you review and fine tune failed bids? The Glasgow Construction Forum Scottish Procurement Construction Linked In Group There's lots of great chat in this Episode and lots of useful information for anyone involved in the procurement process, it's well worth a listen.

It's early December and we are now at Block Podcast No.4, we've been very encouraged with the response and feedback from the initial podcasts. We are continuing to look for people to take part in future podcasts and, for your suggestions of topics you would like us to discuss on future episodes. If you would like to take part or suggest a topic please contact Kenneth Martin who will be happy to chat through your ideas. Episode 4 of the Block Podcast was recorded on the Thursday 1st December 2011and we were delighted to welcome back some guests along with one new one - here are the participants: William Hume, Director, Terrenus CDH John Stobbs, Director of Operations, Sap Service UK Also on the podcast we have Kenneth Martin, Managing Director, Block Architects and Gordon White, Managing Director, fatBuzz Ltd As usual, we covered lots of topics during our open and lively conversation and we hope that there's something in the podcast for you. To help you decide, we've listed some of the topics/questions t

Audience numbers continue to grow for the Block Podcast and we are extremely happy with the reaction to Episode 2 and the feedback we have received via Twitter and email, please continue to tell us what you think of each episode and any suggestions you may have for the future. We are also keen to hear from anybody who would like to take part in future podcasts. Episode 3 of the Block Podcast was recorded on the Tuesday 27th September and we were delighted to welcome back some guests along with one new one - here are the participants: Evelyn Laurie, Principal, Red Marketing Fraser Duff, CEO Terrenus CDH John Stobbs, Director of Operations, Sap Service UK Also on the podcast we have Kenneth Martin, Managing Director, Block Architects and Gordon White, Managing Director, fatBuzz Ltd We covered lots of topics during our open and lively conversation and we hope that there's something in the podcast for you. To help you decide, we've listed some of the topics/questions that were asked and answered during the

We are extremely encouraged with the response to Block Podcast Episode 1 and with the number and variety of people who have expressed an interest in taking part either on a regular basis or, periodically when their area of expertise is required. episode 2 of the Block Podcast was recorded on the Friday 5th August and we were delighted to welcome some guests along to take part, let us introduce them to you: Evelyn Laurie, Principal, Red Marketing Paul McComish, CEO McComish Group John Stobbs, Director of Operations, Sap Service UK Also on the podcast we have Kenneth Martin, Managing Director, Block Architects and Gordon White, Managing Director, fatBuzz Ltd As you will probably gather, we had great fun recording the second episode of the podcast with some lively discussion and the odd bit of humour! We hope we have captured some really interesting content for you, here's some of the things we discuss during the podcast: • Live organ donation - nothing to do with building design or property by we thought

In the first edition of the Block Podcast, Kenneth Martin and Gordon White dicuss the plans for the podcast and the type of things that will be covered in future episodes. We are also looking for participants for future episodes and we discuss the type of people we would like to have as regular annd periodic contributors to the podcast. We are looking for anyone who is interested in the property market from architects to interior designers, property developers to landlords and town planners to quantity surveyors. We are happy to consider people for regular contributions and people who can offer relevant expert advice on subjects we are discussing. We will discuss building design and perhaps feature some newly constucted buildings, we will leook at legislation and how it affects the inductry. We also want to look at technology within the building industry and the use of social media and the part it plays within the inductry.