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Thrive In Construction with Darren Evans

Darren Evans

98 episodes

5 days ago

Send us a text How do you design buildings where safety, sustainability, and education all come together? In this episode of the Thrive in Construction Podcast, Darren Evans talks with Kevin Higgs, Development Director at Happy Days Nurseries, about creating early-years environments that prioritise safety, learning, and sustainability. After a career in property and retail development—including nearly a decade at Tesco—Kevin joined Happy Days Nurseries to help shape spaces that support both...

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Send us a text How do you design buildings where safety, sustainability, and education all come together? In this episode of the Thrive in Construction Podcast, Darren Evans talks with Kevin Higgs, Development Director at Happy Days Nurseries, about creating early-years environments that prioritise safety, learning, and sustainability. After a career in property and retail development—including nearly a decade at Tesco—Kevin joined Happy Days Nurseries to help shape spaces that support both...

Show more...

Episodes (20/98)

Thrive In Construction with Darren Evans

Ep. 92 Build Test Solution's Luke Smith on Measurement, Retrofit & the Future Home Standard

Send us a text How do we close the gap between how buildings are designed and how they actually perform? In this episode of the Thrive in Construction Podcast, Darren Evans talks with Luke Smith, CEO of Build Test Solutions, about his journey from architectural technologist to industry innovator—developing new tools that make it easier, faster, and more accurate to measure real building performance. Luke explains why measurement must become mainstream if we’re serious about net zero, retrofi...

5 days ago

53 minutes

Thrive In Construction with Darren Evans

Ep. 91 Designing Spaces for Learning | Kevin Higgs on Safety, Purpose & Net Zero

Send us a text How do you design buildings where safety, sustainability, and education all come together? In this episode of the Thrive in Construction Podcast, Darren Evans talks with Kevin Higgs, Development Director at Happy Days Nurseries, about creating early-years environments that prioritise safety, learning, and sustainability. After a career in property and retail development—including nearly a decade at Tesco—Kevin joined Happy Days Nurseries to help shape spaces that support both...

1 week ago

37 minutes

Thrive In Construction with Darren Evans

Ep. 90 Andy Hay on Sustainability’s Next Chapter & Leadership in Uncertain Times

Send us a text How do we keep moving forward in an uncertain world? And what does true leadership look like in sustainability and construction? In this episode of the Thrive in Construction Podcast, Darren Evans speaks with Andy Hay, Managing Director at Hollis, about leadership, adaptability, and thriving through change. From starting his career at Adidas to leading one of the UK’s most respected real-estate consultancies, Andy shares powerful lessons on agency, mindset, and the courage to ...

2 weeks ago

35 minutes

Thrive In Construction with Darren Evans

Ep. 89 Rethinking Risk & Change: Bryony Coombs on Construction Innovation

Send us a text How can AI, emotional intelligence, and better communication transform the future of construction? In this episode of the Thrive in Construction Podcast, Darren Evans sits down with Bryony Coombs, civil engineer and Director at ALICE Technologies, to explore how innovation, inclusion, and risk-taking are shaping the next generation of the built environment. Bryony shares her journey from graduating as a civil engineer to becoming a leader in construction technology. She refle...

3 weeks ago

50 minutes

Thrive In Construction with Darren Evans

Ep. 88 Retrofit, Data & Community: Mark Allen on Future-Proofing Housing

Send us a text How do we retrofit homes to be sustainable, affordable, and truly comfortable for the people living in them? In this episode of the Thrive in Construction Podcast, Darren Evans speaks with Mark Allen, Head of Technical Services at Fortem, about the challenges and opportunities in retrofitting social housing and delivering on the UK’s net zero commitments. With decades of experience in retrofit, asset management, and technical strategy, Mark explores how to move beyond complia...

1 month ago

39 minutes

Thrive In Construction with Darren Evans

Ep. 87 How Octopus Energy Is Powering Net Zero Homes | Emma Fletcher

Send us a text Can we truly create homes with no energy bills while tackling climate change at scale? In this Thrive in Construction Podcast episode, Darren Evans speaks with Emma Fletcher, Low Carbon Homes Director at Octopus Energy, about her journey from rural surveyor to national leader in sustainable housing. Emma shares the bold innovations behind Octopus Energy’s Zero Bills homes, reflects on her pioneering work building one of the UK’s first rural district heat networks, and explains ...

1 month ago

38 minutes

Thrive In Construction with Darren Evans

Ep. 86 Future-Proofing Housing: Mohamed Gaafar on Solar, Storage & Net Zero

Send us a text How do we make the energy transition accessible, affordable, and scalable for millions of homes? In this episode of the Thrive in Construction Podcast, Darren Evans speaks with Mohamed Gaafar, CEO & Founder of Gryd, a company transforming the way new homes access renewable energy. After a career designing large-scale energy and infrastructure projects across the UK, Saudi Arabia, and beyond, Mohamed left consultancy to build Gryd—an innovative model that installs solar and ...

1 month ago

46 minutes

Thrive In Construction with Darren Evans

Ep. 85 Unlocking Development: Rights of Light & Future-Proofing with Barney Soanes-Cundle

Send us a text How can the construction industry balance legal risk, sustainability, and innovation while designing buildings for people? In this Thrive in Construction Podcast episode, Darren Evans speaks with Barney Soanes-Cundle, Senior Associate at Hollis, to explore how rights of light, ESG, and technological change are reshaping modern development. With nearly 10 years’ experience in Neighborly Matters and a passion for creating better, future-proof buildings, Barney breaks down...

1 month ago

42 minutes

Thrive In Construction with Darren Evans

Ep. 84 Mental Health & Leadership in Construction: Vee Holt on Real Support

Send us a text Mental health isn’t a weakness, it’s the foundation of strong teams and sustainable careers. In this Thrive in Construction Podcast episode, Darren Evans speaks with Vee Holt, Mental Health Trainer at St John Ambulance, who brings personal experience and professional expertise to the vital topic of mental health in the workplace. From overcoming their own struggles with anxiety and depression to training hundreds of professionals across industries, Vee shares practical strate...

2 months ago

46 minutes

Thrive In Construction with Darren Evans

Ep. 83 Digital Twins & Resilient Leadership: Nathan Marsh on Infrastructure’s Future

Send us a text How do you lead teams, embrace technology, and deliver sustainable infrastructure in a rapidly changing world? In this Thrive in Construction Podcast episode, Darren Evans talks to Nathan Marsh, Chief Digital Officer and a visionary leader in the infrastructure sector. From his early days in elite sport and military service to shaping major infrastructure projects, Nathan shares unique insights into resilient leadership, digital transformation, and purpose-driven careers. Key...

2 months ago

45 minutes

Thrive In Construction with Darren Evans

Ep. 82 Concrete, Carbon & Change: Nia Bell on Net Zero Construction

Send us a text Concrete is the backbone of modern construction—but it’s also one of the largest contributors to global carbon emissions. In this episode of Thrive in Construction, Darren Evans speaks with Nia Bell, Programme Manager at the Climate Group and lead of the ConcreteZero initiative. Nia shares how her team is working with global industry leaders to create a market for low and near net zero carbon concrete, driving real-world change in one of the world’s most carbon-intensive indus...

2 months ago

1 hour 11 minutes

Thrive In Construction with Darren Evans

Ep. 81 One Step at a Time: The Mindset for Tackling Big Projects and Bigger Goals

Send us a text From summiting Kilimanjaro to delivering some of the UK’s most complex heritage renovations, Jamie Mills lives by one rule: one step at a time. In this episode, Jamie shares how this mindset applies to business, charity, and sustainability, and why breaking down big goals is the only way to achieve them. You’ll learn: • How endurance challenges prepare you for business setbacks • Why culture matters in high-performance construction teams • How to keep moving...

2 months ago

53 minutes

Thrive In Construction with Darren Evans

Ep. 80 Why Legacy Thinking Is the Missing Piece in Sustainable Architecture

Send us a text Most developments are built to sell fast, but what happens when you design for the next 500 years instead? Jerry Tate, founder of Tate+Co Architects, reveals why a legacy mindset changes every decision in the design process. In this episode, Jerry unpacks how long-term ownership, regenerative principles, and human-centred design can transform housing, universities, and public spaces. He explains why short-term profit thinking limits sustainable progress and how to build places ...

2 months ago

53 minutes

Thrive In Construction with Darren Evans

Ep. 79 The Blueprint for Zero-Carbon New Builds: Energy, Heat Pumps, and Smarter Design

Send us a text The net-zero future depends on new builds designed from the start for low-carbon energy — not retrofitted later. In this episode, Mark Lufkin maps out the standard for net-zero-ready new builds: smart electric heating, embedded controls, and performance-first energy planning. This is the future of UK homes — and it starts now. You’ll learn: • Why energy usage matters more than low emissions after the build • Key role of heat pumps within an entire energy system • How thermal ...

3 months ago

53 minutes

Thrive In Construction with Darren Evans

Ep. 78 Why the Construction Industry Is Losing the PR Battle and How to Win It

Send us a text Despite building everything around us, construction remains misunderstood by the public and too many leaders are afraid of the spotlight. In this powerful episode, Leanne Tritton, founder of ING Media and Co-Founder of Don't Waste Buildings, reveals why the built environment struggles to tell its own story and what must change. From the fear of unscripted interviews to the missed power of podcasts, this is a call to arms for confident, human storytelling. We explore: • Why tr...

3 months ago

49 minutes

Thrive In Construction with Darren Evans

Ep. 77 Why BIM Never Delivered What It Promised, And How To Fix It

Send us a text BIM was meant to transform construction. So why did it stall? In this episode, Graham Kelly breaks down the real story behind BIM’s rollout. From poor client understanding to bloated consultancy models, learn what went wrong, what’s still worth salvaging, and how new tools like AI could finally unlock the potential BIM was meant to deliver. We discuss: • Why BIM’s promise didn’t match the outcome • What’s useful about the BIM process today • How international markets are doing...

3 months ago

44 minutes

Thrive In Construction with Darren Evans

Ep. 76 Why Embodied Carbon Matters and How to Reduce It Without Sacrificing Performance

Send us a text Steel and concrete make up 11% of global emissions, but we’re still designing like that doesn’t matter. Natalie Black shares how her team at Enbee is dramatically cutting embodied carbon through design, detailing, and smarter material choices. This is a clear, honest look at what can be changed now and why the future depends on it. Key topics include: • The real carbon cost of steel and concrete • Why timber matters more than ever • How reuse, not just recycling, transforms c...

3 months ago

52 minutes

Thrive In Construction with Darren Evans

Ep. 75 Why Upgrading Homes Beats Building New, and What We’re Getting Wrong

Send us a text Governments love talking about new builds. But what if the real climate and housing solution is already standing? In this eye-opening episode, Anne Harper makes the case for upgrading existing homes and why retrofitting is faster, cheaper, and more scalable than building from scratch. With 80% of 2050’s homes already built, this is a wake-up call for investors, housing providers, and policymakers to stop overlooking what’s right in front of them. We break down: • Why upgr...

4 months ago

52 minutes

Thrive In Construction with Darren Evans

Ep. 74 The Science Behind Net Zero Buildings and What Engineers Must Know

Send us a text Net zero isn’t just a goal, it’s a system-wide shift. In this episode, Dr. Anastasia Mylona breaks down the science behind net zero buildings and what it really takes to deliver on their promise. From carbon calculations to human behaviour, this conversation uncovers the critical levers engineers must understand to move from theory to practice. Key topics include: • What makes a building truly net zero • Why systems thinking matters more than ever • The ...

4 months ago

56 minutes

Thrive In Construction with Darren Evans

Ep. 73 Only 16 Percent of Engineers Are Women, It’s Time to Shift the Balance in STEM

Send us a text In this powerful episode of Thrive in Construction, Darren is joined by Alexandra Knight, Founder of Stemazing, engineer, and advocate for diversity in STEM, to explore the reality of gender bias in engineering and the urgent need for change. Alex shares her journey from wallflower to purpose-driven leader, and reveals why, even today, many young girls still don’t know engineering is an option for them. Key topics include: • Why only 16% of engineers in the UK are women — and...

4 months ago

1 hour 3 minutes