Laura Jevons is a director in our Cost Management team in London and has been with the business for almost eight years. Having worked across a number of sectors in the early part of her career, she specialized in the Culture sector just over 10 years ago and now works with a number of ‘household names’ across the U.K. including the British Museum, the Science Museum Group, the Natural History Museum, the Barbican, the Eden Project and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry.

I think I was always destined to be a quantity surveyor (QS). My father started out his career as a QS too before going on to be the Managing Director of a contracting firm in the Midlands which he retired from last month. As a young child I would play ‘offices’ with the rolled-up drawings, scale rule, calculator and take off paper that he brought home from work. I also remember helping him sort out subcontract tenders one weekend at his office.

When I left school, however, I went on to study Biochemistry at The University of Leeds but fairly quickly realised that wasn’t the career for me. So, after seeing an opportunity advertised at the careers fair in my final year, I reverted to what I knew and went to play ‘offices’ for real, doing bills of quantities working for a small QS practice in Leeds, who also sponsored me through a master’s degree in quantity surveying and Commercial Management.

What is your favorite ArchTam project that you’ve worked on and why?

I love the iconic and brutalist architecture of the Barbican Estate in London, especially the way that the 44-story residential towers still dominate the surrounding skyline and the maze that is the Highwalks. I’ve always said it was one of my favourite buildings. So when the RFP for the Barbican Renewal Project came out, I was quick to offer to lead and, naturally, was excited when we were appointed to deliver the cost management.

The project is a masterplan development that will see the refurbishment of the 40-year-old, Grade II listed Barbican Arts Centre so that it continues to meet the needs of 21st century audiences. The aim is to bring the deteriorating estate up to the modern standards required for world-class cultural venues, improve accessibility, energy performance and sustainability and connect better with the City and the local community.

I lead the cost management team, coordinating a number of workstreams for the first phase of the project including the foyer refurbishment, the redevelopment of the restaurant block, renovation of the Lakeside Terrace, renewal of the conservatory, the largest Glasshouse in London, plus a major infrastructure replacement program.

As the building is Grade II listed, one of the main challenges in refurbishing and modernising the space has been ensuring that the original design intent of the architecture is maintained and that interventions are sympathetic to the building’s heritage status. An example of this is the bespoke design being developed for the light fittings which are being upgraded from tungsten to LED. They will be specially manufactured to match the existing, original fittings while improving energy efficiency. Further, the façade design has been carefully considered to ensure that u-values meet current thermal insulation regulations but that the slim profile of the glazing frame is maintained to match the existing facade. As cost consultants we have therefore had to ensure that budgets are appropriately set, engaging early with the specialist supply chain to market test our rates and also consider the impact on procurement, ensuring orders are placed to meet long lead times for specialist and bespoke manufacture.

As with any cultural institution, funding is a challenge. Having initially developed an aspirational long term masterplan scheme at RIBA Stage 0/1, we have worked with the Barbican and the design team throughout Stage 2 to prioritise key works for the first five years. We therefore divided our cost plan up into smaller packages of work, assessing issues such as operational criticality, audience experience, sustainability enhancements and logistical implications, then produced a cashflow forecast to help consider affordability. This process has ensured that critical works are being addressed first and having supported the Barbican through the business case development, we have just been awarded funding from the City of London for the first phase of work. We’re currently progressing through RIBA Stage 3, hoping to see the first projects start on site in 2027.

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.

Working in the Culture sector, most of our projects provide a positive impact on the community. Through either placemaking or through improving accessibility to both performing and visual arts, we help to build community, provide education, strengthen social cohesion and support economic growth.

One project in particular though stands out in this regard and that’s the Eden Project Dundee.

We are appointed as cost managers from RIBA Stage 2 onwards, to support this transformative project to provide a new visitor destination, which will see the remediation of a former gas works in Dundee, Scotland into a biodiverse attraction. It also acts as part of the Dundee Waterfront masterplan helping to regenerate the old, industrial, Dundee waterfront, addressing local challenges outside of the site boundary including public access and lack of amenities. Extensive public realm surrounding the site, a pedestrian bridge joining the Eden Project to the waterfront and improvements to transport connections will catalyse wider transformation within the area to create a vibrant local community, grow the economy, provide new educational opportunities and promote health and well-being for both residents and visitors to the area.

The attraction itself also provides community benefit, seeking to engage people with the wonder of our living world, our dependence on it and the threats that it faces. New, iconic venues, including a re-purposed gas holder will help fuse experience, performance, education, art and research aiming to encourage reflection and action in relation to the climate emergency our precious planet faces.

Sustainability has been the key theme for the project, which will be an exemplar of regenerative design, achieving carbon neutrality, delivering net biodiversity gain and strengthening the health of the natural world. The design therefore maximises circular economy principles and includes for both in-situ and ex-situ re-use along with the use of recycled materials obtained from other projects such as structural elements and glazing. To allow for this, grid sizes of the buildings have been safeguarded to accommodate the type and dimensions of these recycled units. Options are also being considered to sustainably grow timber, locally for use on the scheme. As part of the process, we have therefore had to engage with the local supply chain and sustainability consultant for advice, and market intelligence and testing of these innovative solutions.

The collaborative efforts made by the project team saw planning permission for the project granted in June 2024 and we continue to develop the Stage 3 / 4 design while investment and funding for the project is secured.

Share a piece of career advice.

Try to enjoy work as it’s a major part of your life. It is more fulfilling and rewarding if you are passionate about what you do. So do something you love if you can. I feel very lucky in this regard!

And always remember — it’s nice to be important but it’s more important to be nice.

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Vincent Liebenberg has around 20 years of experience working across multiple sectors including infrastructure, theme parks, residential and hospitality projects across the globe including in London, Dubai and Egypt. He and his team of quantity surveyors and cost managers are responsible for the management of project and internal cost and commercial tasks, and provide both pre- and post-contract services in public sector, mixed use, commercial, residential, and industrial projects as part of project management-construction management or only construction management services. 

Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry. 

From a young age, I knew I wanted to work in a sector that would provide me with a varied and challenging career — and more importantly, the opportunity to work internationally. My original plan was to pursue medicine, but my older sister sparked my interest in a career in construction when she decided to study quantity surveying. After completing my degree in South Africa, I immediately moved to London to begin my career. 

What I really enjoy about this sector is the variety of work; you can choose to specialize in a specific sector, or you can move across sectors and locations. I thrive off variety and challenge, so I knew from the beginning the latter approach would suit me better. 

As you jump between financial and contractual issues on projects, you must adapt and be like a chameleon. I really like moving across sectors as it allows you to find your sweet spot. Diversifying within a new field as an individual also helps stimulate growth and most likely you’ll be on a steep learning curve.  

What has been great at ArchTam is the opportunity to work with our Centres of Excellence across the globe. This ensures a truly collaborative approach and positively impacts the success of a project. Being able to draw from specialist design, high-rise, urban development, sustainability or new technology teams, to name a few, allows us to offer our clients the expertise which might not be available in a domestic market. Similarly, sharing improved strategies, risk assessments, and situational awareness in real time strengthens the business lines across ArchTam. 

What is your favorite ArchTam project that you’ve worked on and why? 

It’s hard to pick just one, so there are two I’d like to highlight. The first being the YVIE Complex, which was the reason I joined ArchTam. It’s an incredibly complex landmark project in Amsterdam-Noord, the Dutch capital’s coolest neighbourhood.  

Once complete, the YVIE complex will be a foremost venue for conferences and other events in Europe. Situated in the fast-growing Overhoeks district in Amsterdam-Noord, the YVIE complex contains a residential and hotel tower that will be the third tallest building in Amsterdam. It is a real privilege to have the opportunity to contribute to a project of this scale that will transform the city’s dynamics. 

I’ve also enjoyed the challenge of the project. Our scope spans project, contract, construction and design management, health and safety oversight, planning, cost control, and quality control. We are also managing design and scope changes, claims assessment, negotiation of revised contract terms, closing final accounts, overseeing the contractor’s schedule, and tracking milestones against onsite progress. 

This project survived the economic crisis caused by the pandemic, as well as exceptional inflation and, consequently, time delays. It’s a “feather in the hat” for the project team and our client to have overcome the compounded impact of these unprecedented events. 

The second project I want to highlight is short and fast-paced compared to the YVIE Complex project. Our cost management team was approached to conduct an asset appraisal for a client in Singapore. Our client lead was based in London, and I supported from the Netherlands. It’s a great example of a triangle of collaboration across three different geographies. Projects like this provide variety and hone dormant skillsets. A lot of the projects that I work on have long lead times, so I really enjoyed having something new and quick to turn around. This project is proof that the pandemic evolved the way we can collaborate on remote projects of any scale, as it gave me the opportunity to work with different colleagues and clients across the globe.

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community. 

I would again like to highlight the YVIE complex project, which aims to make Amsterdam Central a destination point. People commuting to the YVIE complex will approach the development by ferry, which provides a perfect photo opportunity with the cityscape in the background.  

It’s a project that looks at future mobility, aiming to improve the daily commute, and create a get-together point on the other side of the city. It will transform the area, improving the quality of life of the community and bringing new people to the location to visit, work and live. This project is an enabler of future footfall to a new region masterplan, which can only happen if you have anchor attractions. 

Share a piece of career advice. 

Find a career that will suit your character, as this will ensure its longevity and your enjoyment. For me, that’s a career that provides a variety of working environments, balancing being in the office and on site. 

Finally, as per a quote from Sir Richard Branson, I’d suggest sticking to the edge rather than becoming conversant in the middle. It will, more likely, lead you to take on new responsibilities and aid your career progression. 

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