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鈥淭here鈥檚 always a risk birds will fly into the blades and get chopped up,鈥� says Gleeds quantity surveyor Arlo Mills as he stirs sugar into his tea. 鈥淪o, if you鈥檙e thinking about putting wind turbines in a nature reserve, you need to do a study on bird kill to find out what the potential risks are.鈥�

Dead birds are not a topic you would expect QSs to get excited about, but it鈥檚 some of the work taken on by Mills and graduate trainee QS Tom Beney as part of becoming Gleeds鈥� experts in sustainability. Both self-confessed 鈥済reenies鈥�, their main role is to research the costs and sustainability options open to developers, from basic paper recycling to solar panels and the not-so-bird-friendly wind turbines.

Mills and Beney had varied backgrounds before becoming sustainability experts. Construction graduate Mills, 35, joined Gleeds two-and-a-half years ago after spending several years on a management-training course with Sainsbury鈥檚 and working as an mechanical and electrical QS. Beney, 28, completed a degree in zoology from Newcastle University before taking an MSc

in environmental economics. He went on to work for a wind farm developer before joining Gleeds 18 months ago. He is now studying for a MSc in quantity surveying at South Bank University alongside working at Gleeds.

It was a chance conversation with a senior partner after only eight weeks at the firm that led to Beney taking on the sustainability role. After explaining his interests and ideas, he was paired with Mills and the two set about researching sustainability options and developing a cost-management service. A year later, Mills and Beney have established themselves as the key information source at Gleeds regarding sustainability.

Credit: Bohdan Cap

鈥淲e spend a lot of time just informing people,鈥� explains Beney. 鈥淧eople think the green option is very expensive, so we just work through the options with them. Very often we can find things that are cost-neutral, or even save money.鈥�

Changing government legislation and growing interest in corporate social responsibility mean sustainability is becoming a key element in developments. Mills says many sustainability principles have been available for years, but people need to be helped to create a 鈥渕ore structured agenda鈥� so their sustainability targets become reality.

鈥淲e often get sent briefs to look at what sustainability options can be added to developments, whether their targets are realistic and what alternatives we can suggest,鈥� says Mills. 鈥淚t is possible to achieve all of their objectives, but you have to have a structured approach and split it into manageable portions.鈥�

I don鈥檛 expect people to follow my lead but it鈥檚 better they consider what I鈥檓 saying and doing and don鈥檛 stick two fingers up at it

Tom Beney, Gleeds graduate trainee

The pair say they have come up with a core set of options they can suggest to firms that are interested in sustainability. 鈥淟ooking at minimising waste is a key thing,鈥� says Beney. 鈥淔rom the domestic level, such as having recycling bins for glass and paper, to construction, a lot can be re-used.鈥�

It is not just other firms that Mills and Beney are encouraging to think about sustainability. The pair have given Gleeds鈥� office in central London the once-over to see how the firm could think more carefully about its sustainability practices. After speaking with the facilities manager, Beney and Mills drew up a wish list of the measures they wanted to introduce at Gleeds.

鈥淲e have put in place a number of practices,鈥� Beney says. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got recycling bins on every floor, light sensors in communal areas and we buy low-carbon energy from good carbon sources. I also try to walk up to my office on the fourth floor rather than use the lift.鈥�

But does Beney and Mills鈥� status as Gleed鈥檚 resident greenies irritate colleagues who don鈥檛 want to use the stairs?

鈥淚 don鈥檛 expect people to follow my lead,鈥� Beney says. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 better they consider what I鈥檓 saying and doing and not stick two fingers up at it.鈥�

Beney鈥檚 working life is a careful balancing act between his sustainability and QS duties. 鈥淚 spend a lot of time researching because of my inexperience in the industry, but I have to continue with my studies and other work. I can鈥檛 let any of it suffer.鈥�

Beney says he sees a lot of people who joined the company at the same time as him who are doing pure quantity surveying and have lots of projects on the go, but says he does not feel he is missing out.

鈥淚 have to balance it out, but my work is exciting 鈥� it鈥檚 what gets me up in the morning. Everybody at my level comes to us for information, so there鈥檚 no resentment. I鈥檓 doing different work. Arlo and I can add value to their working day, and that鈥檚 great.鈥�