Cornwall Club

Giles is the current Chair of the Hub, an experienced Architect with a wide range of key skills and knowledge across a broad spectrum of sectors from healthcare, research facilities, housing, education – schools to higher education, extending to city centre regeneration and has worked on schemes with values ranging from £1 million to £45 million.

Giles qualified in London and worked for BDP for over a decade before relocating to the Southwest in 2011. He was elevated to Partner of Bailey Partnership in 2017. Giles has led on the Cornwall Council Basic Need Programmes since 2015, delivering over 3,500 pupil places, as well as the Property Programme Projects such as the successful Aerohub Enterprise Zone, Plot 2, pilot scheme and housing schemes at Mitchell, Penventon and St Buryan.

Giles’ experience and excellent communication skills enables him to engage well with clients and stakeholders to develop briefs, identify design solutions and to convey and present them in a succinct manner assisted by his growing local team.

See LinkedIn Profile HERE

Lewis begun his career as a Junior Surveyor working for utility providers in Cornwall. After a successful career spanning project, operations and then estate management, he made the transition into business development for a well-known Cornish contractor.

Through hard work and determination, he became a company Executive in his early thirties and transformed the business into a preferred contractor.

He quadrupled the average value of new business enquiries and took the company to market leading status. He gained valuable insight working with Savills, Knight Frank and a number of national brands delivering many successful high value luxury residential projects.

Recognising an incredible opportunity, in 2018 Lewis joined the team at Classic Builders as Business Development Manager. He works in the company’s SMT to develop the business and strengthen its distinct presence across a multitude of markets. Operating from Taunton to Land’s End, Lewis has a detailed understanding of the opportunities and challenges presented to the South West construction industry.

Lewis is passionate about collaboration, improving working standards, eradicating workplace inequality and normalising discussions around mental health. He joined the Construction Excellence South West Cornwall Hub to support his home county, improve the prospects of all those associated to Cornwall’s construction sector and to shine a light on the county’s incredible supply chain.

When not living and breathing all things construction, you’ll find Lewis restoring a classic car, volunteering for a charity or exploring Cornwall’s countryside.

Birgit joined Constructing Excellence in 2015, as a Landscape Architect involved in construction projects in the South West and acknowledging the need to further best practice and sustainability in projects. Initially helping with admin and membership support, she acted as Chair from Sept 2018 to Oct 2020, and currently remains a committee member. She is a Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute, with over 20 years professional experience, and currently chairs the LI South West Branch.

Her current role at Cornwall Council in the Planning and Sustainable Development Service is to act as Senior Project Lead for the West Carclaze Garden Village project, providing Cornwall Council client representation for the first phase delivery of this flagship scheme in Cornwall, including administration of government funding streams supporting the project, governance, and maintaining relationships with other project sponsors and within the Council. The Garden Communities programme is run by Homes England.

See LinkedIn Profile HERE

I work for WWA, based in our Truro office but working across our 6 offices in the UK, and lead on the strategic development priorities within the company.

These priority areas include our comprehensive B Corporation accreditation which assesses business impact on the triple-bottom-line across People, Planet and Profit, and sets out a roadmap for future improvements – this being a first in Europe for a company delivering cost and project management services in the built environment. I also had led on our innovation of a solar canopy and electric vehicle charge point product, which will be launched in 2020.

My background and wider ongoing work is based on delivering large-scale regeneration and place shaping projects for Clients including local authorities, higher education clients and in the private sector, as well as working in shaping sector strategy, policy and implementation plans to support construction sector priorities.

If there is a big challenge which can create great outcomes for communities and the environment then it’s the type of project I love to work on.

See LinkedIn Profile HERE

I currently work as a Sustainability Consultant at Hoare Lea. My role involves the delivery of assessments, such as BREEAM, WELL and FitWel, producing sustainability strategies and charters, and undertaking whole life / embodied carbon assessments.

I recently completed the MSc Sustainable Environmental Management degree at the University of Plymouth alongside working at Hoare Lea, graduating with a Distinction in December 2022.

Prior to my current role, I have worked as an on-site surveyor for a subcontractor and then as a pre-construction coordinator for a Principal Contractor, so I have experience working on both the design side and construction side of a project.

In addition to my role within Hoare Lea, I engage in various industry networks. I am seconded to the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) half a day a week as the Local Network Co-ordinator for Bristol and the South West, assisting with delivering the UKGBC messages at a local level. I am the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) Tomorrow’s Leaders (TL) Representative for the Cornwall and Plymouth hub. I am also a member of South West Woman in Construction (SWWIC).

Mark is a Senior Project Manager for Morgan Sindall based in Cornwall. Born and bred in Cornwall, he has nearly 30 years’ experience in the construction industry, starting out with a masonry apprenticeship and progressing to senior management level on high budget building projects. In his position at Harrington Homes, he is involved with developments from land acquisition stage right through to post-completion, bringing his expertise to each stage.

He has a wealth of knowledge across all sectors, from bespoke single houses to large scale volume building and everything in between. Throughout his career he has built strong working relationships with a multitude of clients and developers, as well as local supply chain members.

With strong technical and commercial knowledge, he is passionate about innovation, best practice, and is driven to achieve the highest standards on site in quality and health and safety, delivering within budget and programme.

See LinkedIn Profile HERE

Sarah has a keen interest in Cornish development. Having grown up in the county, she returned when the opportunity to work on local Cornish schemes with Arcadis arose.

Whilst in the throes of finishing off her construction management honours degree this summer, she is currently leading on the project management of the first phase of Langarth Garden Village as well as undertaking the PMO lead role for the wider scheme.

She will be the G4C committee representative and will help encourage other young people across Cornwall to join our great industry.

Jo has over 10 years experience in the construction industry as a chartered Quantity Surveyor with the RICS, and Construction Manager with the CIOB. As a construction consultant Jo has gained extensive experience in a wide range of projects in public and private sectors as a Quantity Surveyor, Employer’s Agent, Contract Administrator, Project Manager, and Construction Manager.

With experience in both consulting and contracting, in 2021 Jo founded Pink Pebble Consulting, a surveying firm focussing on the delivery of luxury residential, historic, and community projects. Jo works with clients from around the world to deliver their projects from feasibility stage through to building operation.

Jo is passionate about advocating for women in the construction industry. Jo is an RICS APC Mentor, STEM Ambassador, and Associate Tutor at the University College of Estate Management. In 2022, Jo became a non-executive director of Girls Assemble CIC, a dedicated workshop based in Cornwall offering girls and young women aged 9-25 the opportunity to build the world they want to live in, providing classes in carpentry, welding, architecture, engineering, and activist art with an emphasis on STEM subjects.

Sarah has over 10 years’ experience within construction and consultancy, having previously worked in bid management, marketing and business development roles for global organisations and SME’s in the South West of England.

Sarah has more recently undertaken a career change, working within a Project Management role, whilst undertaking a master’s degree in construction management. She has worked within Estates Operations for the NHS, delivering Minor New Works and Capital Backlog projects. Since joining Arcadis in 2021, she has expanded her experience across the public sector, working on community and schools’ projects in Cornwall.  

Sarah is passionate about promoting opportunities for women in construction and has held roles as Vice Chair/Chair of Women in Property (Devon & Cornwall) and is now part of the Arcadis Gender Affinity Group.

See LinkedIn Profile HERE