- What is your role at J. & W. Lowry?
The overall responsibility for J. & W. Lowry’s development projects.
- How did you become a Quantity Surveyor?
My grandfather and father were both quantity surveyors so perhaps it’s in the blood. Interestingly, neither my grandfather nor father encouraged me to become a quantity surveyor. However from a young age I was always interested in construction projects and at school my preferences in academic subjects were certainly more maths and sciences focused.
It wasn’t my first choice to be a quantity surveyor and initially, I started a degree in Construction Management, however soon found that it wasn’t what I’d expected. After my first year of university, I left and began working at J. & W. Lowry, where I was fortunate enough to experience various roles - one of which was an assistant quantity surveyor.
During my time at J. & W. Lowry I became more and more familiar with construction, and I particularly enjoyed the strategic aspect and commercial focus of quantity surveying.
At 21, I decided to go back to university to study quantity surveying, so I phoned up Northumbria University to apply for the BSc degree in quantity surveying but unfortunately I wasn’t eligible for the September intake of the BSc.
However, they advised that there was space on the foundation degree. The offer arrived in the post and I accepted. I really enjoyed the course, was awarded the Foundation Degree with Distinction and then I continued into the Bachelors of Science degree in which I was awarded a First Class Honours and the QS economics prize.
The next step to becoming a quantity surveyor is becoming a Professional Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors which I received in 2018.
- What do you enjoy most about your role?
The role is different day to day, I still enjoy construction projects and turning ideas which have started out as architectural sketches into buildings in real life.
I enjoy all the hurdles along the way; everyday is certainly a school day and I’m sure I’ll never stop learning. However, the thing that I enjoy the most is seeing the benefit and enjoyment of the completed project for the end user.
- Which companies or individuals do you find inspiring within your industry?
There are so many to choose from including; my university professors, companies that I’ve been fortunate enough to work for, people I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked with along with people outside of work have all inspired me along the way.
I wouldn’t want to name drop but those people know who they are. I would also, say that I have long been focused on development in the care sector and the frontline care staff who are there day after day making peoples lives better always inspire me.
- How do you see the future of J. & W. Lowry ?
It was founded in 1848 by John and William Lowry and it’s been through some changes along the way. Most recently the company has moved away from the role of a general contractor into the role of property development and development management which we plan to continue to grow.
- What does your typical day at J. & W. Lowry look like?
A large proportion of my time is spent on early-stage analysis of sites to investigate the viability of a particular site, coupled with stakeholder engagement.
- What advice would you give to anyone keen to work within your industry?
The construction sector is one of the largest in the world and there are many routes into the industry. Quantity surveying is just one of those routes and it might not be for everyone.
From my personal experience quantity surveying has been a great career choice offering fantastic opportunities and an exciting career path.
I would advise anyone who is keen to progress in any industry that they should get as much experience early on and find what they enjoy, set some goals for where they want to be in the next 5, 10, 20 years and then work out what steps they need to achieve along the way to reach those goals.