With a portfolio of more than 28,000 buildings and structures, the National Trust offers a rich and varied career path for construction professionals, as four building surveyors reveal.
Like many occupations in construction, building surveying has traditionally been a male-dominated profession, but times are changing. If you were to take a look behind the scenes at the work being carried out by building surveyors at the National Trust’s 28,000 buildings and structures, you will find many of the projects are managed, led or delivered by a growing number of female built environment professionals.
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As a progressive organisation, with an ethos of “For ever, for everyone”, the trust has aimed to create a work environment that attract the best talent from all parts of society. And this is evident, right from the top of the organisation, with the leadership of Dame Helen Ghosh as director-general.
The National Trust encourages equality in its workforce across the whole country and in all disciplines. The resourcing team, working with hiring managers across the organisation, is focused on recruiting staff with the right attitude, to help the trust to continue to move forward as an employer of choice for all.
Here, four female building surveying professionals who work for the trust describe their experiences of working for the organisation and the range of projects they encounter.
Sarah Bowers MCIOB: ‘Wildlife comes first’
After being a member of the National Trust for eight years, Sarah Bowers joined the team in 2008 as regional building manager for the east of England. She was attracted by the possibility of working on “amazing buildings from brick kilns and ice houses to grade I-listed buildings like Blickling Hall [in Norfolk], or [Humphry] Repton landscapes like Sheringham Park”.
Bowers has since risen to the role of consultancy manager/lead building surveyor and worked on many interesting properties. The refurbishment of the lifeboat house on Blakeney Point on the Norfolk coast (below) was a highlight – and challenge.
“The work had to be carried out from October to April to avoid the ground-nesting birds, but the building is very exposed: access was along a 3.5 mile-long shingle ridge, so winter was not an ideal time to be recladding,” recalls Bowers. “However, the wildlife comes first. We also had to encounter the seal breeding season, with seals blocking the route or hiding under the building.”
The outcome was worth it, though. “The rangers, who live here from April to October, now have a wind- and watertight building, with photovoltaic power and woodburner to keep warm, plus new kitchen and office area, with a lovely lookout to keep an eye on the birds and seals,” she says.
Bowers is keen for others to follow in her footsteps: “It is an exciting industry that never stays still. There is always new technology to learn, new ways to tackle problems.
“Do these changes apply to a conservation charity? Definitely,” she says, citing safer ways to access hard-to-get-to places, returning to sustainable heating system like wood fuel, using thermal-imaging cameras for identifying draughts or damp patches, or robots to scan and record buildings.
She adds that her role brings plenty of job satisfaction: “It comes from completing a project, creating a unique product or solving problems. And working with people who are passionate about their discipline, where they work and the work they do.”
Colette Cuddihy: ‘A world of wonder’
Colette Cuddihy, a project manager working at Dyrham Park in South Gloucestershire (below), has found conservation a “world of wonder” after being convinced to return to construction after several years out of the industry looking after her family.
“I had only ever worked with concrete and steel before,” she says. “But I read a lot of books, had some great mentors, made a few mistakes and have been happily hooked ever since.”
Cuddihy began her career with the National Trust as an operations surveyor responsible for short-term cyclical and response repairs. It was a relatively small portfolio, but covered a huge variety of work.
She recalls: “Every day was different: great properties, fascinating conservation challenges, from thatching to toilets, holiday cottages, boilers, car parks – the list is endless.”
This variety has given Cuddihy the opportunity to work with the National Trust’s network of specialists in subjects that range from newts, archaeology and trees, to renewables, paint, environmental control, fundraising and marketing.
Cuddihy concedes there can be difficulties with working for a charity: “There is never enough money. But generally I get a feeling that the work I am doing is for the greater good. Each property I save or prevent from deteriorating feels like an achievement.
“And I am learning all the time,” she concludes.
Stephanie Hall: ‘A constant learning curve’
The uniqueness of its buildings makes working for the National Trust “a constant learning curve”, says Stephanie Hall, a project manager at the Wimpole Estate in Cambridgeshire.
Hall joined the charity in 2010 as a building surveyor in the Midlands (east) region. Belton House in Grantham (above), the first property she worked on, will “forever be my favourite property”, she says.
Part of her remit was to create the trust’s first indoor play area.
“It was a really challenging project with a lot of components: indoor play and café, gift shop, plant sales and transformer upgrade,” she recalls. “I decided to do the majority of the design and specification myself, along with contract administration and project management, so it provided the opportunity to gain a lot of experience and really challenge myself.
“We really felt the pressure to deliver an experience that was in keeping with the property and would appeal to our visitors.”
Hall appreciates the wealth of knowledge within the trust: “It’s really important to take advantage of all the knowledge held and not be afraid to tap into it,” she advises. “Admit when you don’t know something and seek the answer from colleagues. My old colleagues from the Midlands region still get a call every now and then if I think they can help, or simply to do a peer review of a document to make sure I haven’t missed something.”
She believes more women are entering the industry and advocates a hands-on approach: “Knowing how to plaster, tile etc myself makes it easier to pick up snags and have a more constructive conversation with a contractor.”
Sarah Dennett: ‘I believe in the cause’
“I wanted to work for the National Trust because I believe in the cause,” says Sarah Dennett, a building surveyor for the north-west.
“The opportunity to work for a charity was a big driving point. Visiting our buildings and being involved in their upkeep is a privilege. I want to spend my career making a difference – having an involvement in the protection and maintenance of our historic buildings and places.”
Dennett describes a huge variety of projects within her portfolio: “I have been involved in all sorts of small projects that I have designed, procured and overseen, ranging from underpinning a 1800s boathouse on Lake Windermere, drainage repairs around a 14th century tower, lime pointing a castle and work to stop a slurry tank leaking on one of our farms.”
The downside of the job is that choices inevitably have to be made: “The worst part is not having enough resources, money and time to carry out all of the works needed on my portfolio,” she says.
