Since stepping into the role of RLB Global Chairman in June, I have reflected on how RLB operates globally with a single focus. While each region, country and office has unique characteristics, together we work towards a unified goal of creating a better tomorrow.
As I write this introduction, three months into the post, it occurs to me how similar many of our markets are at the moment – dealing with economic instability, the after-effects of the pandemic, labour and material shortages and the energy crisis. And with these macro issues come other localised challenges, opportunities and solutions. Yet, at RLB, how we draw on our pool of global talent to collaborate, how we work with our industry bodies and organisations within each of our regions, and how we talk to other industries to share best practice and innovation is becoming more important than ever.
RLB’s history covers nearly 240 years of delivering solutions and successful outcomes within the built environment. We have helped to build roads that bring social mobility, hospitals, schools and other public spaces that service communities, and homes and offices where those communities live and work. We have created inspiring buildings where World Cup and Olympic events are staged. We have helped to build data centres that power our communications and connect across the regions.
And as our world grows bigger, as we build vertically into the skies and even into the metaverse, it also becomes smaller as time and technology allow us to come together with those far away.
This Perspective magazine is our way of sharing insights into the important work of RLB, both with external stakeholders and internally within our own teams. It looks to the future of how we navigate the built environment, how we bring imagination to life for our communities, while putting each of those communities within the context of our bigger world.
This issue, the second for 2022, includes insights ranging from how small infrastructure can make a big difference, to the future of skills, to how we shift mindsets to build resilience.
We hope these articles offer food for thought and reflection. I, for one, feel privileged to read these stories of how we are collectively building a better future.
PERSPECTIVE INSIGHTS
The future of healthcare facilities
There are many factors involved in the recent evolution of healthcare, but one thing is for certain: Covid-19 exposed major deficiencies and sped up the need for innovation. Many of the critical issues healthcare systems are facing today, however, have…
Mega mind shift
In a developing country, economic climate change and compliance with regulations and legislation within the construction industry have proved to be major stumbling blocks for property developers. To exacerbate the natural state of affairs, the Covid-19 pandemic was announced in…
Delivery of crucial infrastructure projects in a heated market
The world’s infrastructure gap is growing. It’s estimated by the Global Infrastructure Outlook to be in excess of $15 trillion, driven by growing populations, change in demand, and the need to replace aged existing assets for both public and private…
Navigating uncertainty in the short term
Whether here in the UK, or across the world in Oceania, there can be no doubt that those in the built environment have moved from advising clients on certainty of outcomes in the long term to navigating uncertainty in the…
Reducing financial risks for the lender
Financing construction projects can be a risky business for many reasons. Major risk to schedules and budgets are all too common – amounting to what can be a costly minefield for developers and in turn pose risks for construction lenders.…
Digitalisation in Hong Kong’s healthcare developments
The prevailing pandemic is a wake-up call for governments around the world. The healthcare infrastructure in most if not all countries or regions is grossly inadequate or outdated to cope with the impact of any major healthcare crisis. Even before…
How small infrastructure can make a big difference
A new hospital or a highway attracts headlines and political headspace in Australia. Institutional investors are increasingly on the hunt for childcare, student accommodation and social housing assets. But other types of social infrastructure are often overlooked, despite being the…
Energy security: The latest challenge for the power-hungry data centre sector
‘Energy security’, i.e. access to reliable, continuous and affordable power supplies, was a concept that didn’t demand a huge amount of attention prior to the Russia/Ukraine conflict. However, with the ongoing instability in the energy market and concerns around over-reliance…
Rethinking stadiums
Almost 50 major league stadiums will turn 30 by 2030, leaving team owners, municipalities, and investors to decide whether to renovate or replace, as has been the case for six of them already. But whether it’s new from the ground up,…
Managing construction inflation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030 is building entire cities in a bid to future-proof its economy. Yet, when Vision 2030 was announced in 2016, nobody could have imagined events that would unfold. COVID-19 has been far reaching…
Why the future is in five dimensions
The future of 5D BIM has been a long time coming. Way back in 1962, engineer and internet pioneer, Doug Engelbart, painted a clear picture. The architect of the future, Engelbart wrote, would begin each project by entering “a series…
Future skills: Building a better built environment
The skills required in our industry are evolving daily and with digitalisation, many jobs are now being replaced with more efficient ways of working. However, unlike in other sectors, the built environment will always be dependent on people and as…
Project managers: Know your workforce
The number of considerations that go into starting a construction project are almost too numerous to count. Contracts, materials, labor, deadlines, even weather, to name a few. They vary from project to project and any one of them can change…
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