‘Constructing the Future – Buildings, People & Planet’

@NPTCGroup presents first in series of original talks, ‘Constructing the Future- Buildings, People & Planet’.

Construction and Building Engineering Students from NPTC Group of Colleges are in for a treat this Spring as the College has been successful in organising several high profile guest speakers to deliver a range of innovative virtual presentations.

Guest speakers from a wide range of backgrounds will be featured in this original series; from the likes of Wales’ most famous referee Nigel Owens MBE, renowned names in Construction like Mark Famer and Ty Mawr Lime, to inspirational speaker Jamie Denyer, plus many more.

Kicking off next week is Mark Farmer’s presentation; ‘Constructing the Future- Buildings, People & Planet’, accompanied by Andy Sutton from Optimised Retrofit and the College’s very own Principal and Chief Executive Officer Mark Dacey.

In the first of a series of events aimed at tackling the challenges of the construction industry, key speakers will discuss many of the major features that influence a sustainable construction and built environment.

With the call for all buildings to be net carbon zero by 2050 (and all new buildings from 2030), to help keep global temperature rise below 2 degrees, the construction industry faces significant challenges.

The event provides a platform for everyone with a remit for sustainability in the construction sector to learn and develop ideas towards greener and more efficient buildings.

Key speaker Mark Farmer has over 30 years of experience in construction and real estate and is a recognised international commentator on a variety of industry- and policy-related issues. Mark authored the Farmer Review, an influential 2016 independent government review of the UK’s construction labour model entitled ‘Modernise or Die’. In 2019 he was appointed as the government’s Champion for Modern Methods of Construction in Housebuilding. A member of the Construction Innovation Hub Industry Board, the Construction Leadership Council Senior Advisors Group and a board member for Construction Scotland Innovation Centre, he is also a national co-chair of Constructing Excellence and a trustee of the MOBIE educational charity.

On top of this, Mark is an Honorary Professor at The University of Salford’s School of Built Environment and holds honorary doctorates from the University College of Estate Management and the University of Wolverhampton.

Andy Sutton is a Chartered Architect and former president of the RSAW. He was worked delivering low/zero carbon schemes for nearly 25 years, both in private practice and with the BRE for a decade. During his career, he led the design & construction of a number of multi-award winning and published schemes, including the Barratt Green House (Code 6 true zero carbon), the Maes-Yr-Onn farmhouse (off-grid), and the Cwmbach Retrofit for the Future (first residential solar transpired collector). Andy also conceived and delivered the LENDERS project that has subsequently been specifically adopted as UK Government policy in the “Clean Growth Strategy”, and he continues to sit on a number of governmental advisory boards around housing.

Mark Dacey, a Chartered Building Surveyor, is Principal and CEO of NPTC Group of Colleges, which includes provision across a third of Wales, South England, and Asia. Prior to becoming Principal, Mark served as Lead Inspector with responsibility for Construction and Engineering with the Office of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector (OHMCI) now Estyn.

The virtual talks from this impressive lineup are not just open for college students, with a number of local construction companies and businesses invited to take part.

Finishing off the talk will be a Q&A session where staff, students and employers have the opportunity to ask Mark & Andy about their careers in the industry and anything construction related.

Ian Lumsdaine, Director of Studies, is delighted that such an accomplished range of speakers have agreed to present and said:

‘’It’s such a fantastic opportunity for our students to learn, and gain valuable insight from such high calibre speakers.  Mark Farmer and Andy Sutton are experts in their relevant fields and highly respected in the construction industry.  Hearing from such experts reinforces the learning students receive in College and inspire young people to expand their horizons.  I for one am looking forward to this series of talks!”