Dylan Simmons First-Class Honours Degree

Congratulations to Dylan Simmons, Assistant Building Surveyor, who has achieved a First-Class Honours Degree in Building Surveying from London Southbank University! As we celebrate this significant achievement, Dylan discusses his journey since joining calfordseaden in 2018 as a Trainee Building Surveyor, his dissertation on the Building Safety Act, and advice to those who are at the beginning of their professional and academic careers.

Dissertation

I began my course at London South Bank University in September 2019 and studied alongside my apprenticeship. My dissertation was titled ‘Unintended Consequences of the Building Safety Act 2022 in relation to Refurbishment of Existing Buildings’.

The overarching aim of the project was to ‘establish if the Building Safety Act is likely to influence social housing providers by pushing them away from refurbishment and into regeneration projects’. Alongside the primary aim, were four objectives:

1. Establish what factors led to the introduction of the Building Safety Act 2022
2. Identify what the intentions of the Building Safety Act are
3. Compare the driving factors for regeneration and refurbishment
4. Identify why the Building Safety Act might affect Social Housing more than other sectors

I chose to do my dissertation project on the Building Safety Act, due to the context surrounding the Act and the popularity of the topic. Additionally, I was interested in the topic as I was doing a lot of Building Safety Case work at calfordseaden, which meant I could seamlessly implement the theoretical and practical elements into my work and studies.

The key findings of my research were many respondents to the questionnaire were aware of The Act but not aware of the obligations placed on them. I also found that social housing is likely to be affected by The Act, as there is a high percentage of this form of housing located in buildings which fall within the scope of The Act.

Balancing Work and Study

The biggest change during my course was getting married and having two children! My course being mostly coursework-based and not exam heavy was helpful. Having my dissertation topic and my workload being focused on the same area was beneficial, as I was able to apply the theoretical side I would learn at university into my day-to-day work, and vice-versa. Choosing a topic I was interested in also helped, as it made the research and learning a lot more enjoyable.

Support from calfordseaden

Throughout my university course and dissertation, everyone at calfordseaden was extremely supportive and helpful. I am particularly thankful to my three key mentors, Alex Burton, Charles Hingston, and Alison Hann, who provided guidance and encouragement over the five years. Barry Hall also provided me with valuable insights on the Building Safety Act, which was useful during my research project. Additionally, the feedback from colleagues who participated in my questionnaire was positive and greatly contributed to the reliability of my research. My colleagues always made themselves available to provide support if required and I would like to express my gratitude to those colleagues.

Advice and Future Plans

For those considering the apprenticeship route, I would highly recommend it as you reap the benefits of hybrid learning. When it comes to deciding on the topic for your dissertation, I would advise choosing an area you are interested in, something that relates to your day-to-day work, and a topic where knowledge, data, interest, and support is available.

I am now working towards my APC with the aim of sitting the assessment next year. calfordseaden has a great support programme available for future candidates, with useful regular workshops.