My Sustainable Building Consultant Career

Choosing sustainability as a career

Since my GCSEs, I have always found earth processes and climate change fascinating which strongly influenced my decision on which subjects to study throughout my academic years. It was not until I was studying for my undergraduate degree that I realised that choosing sustainability as a career path was extremely important to me.

A career in sustainability provides you with immense job satisfaction through making impactful decisions that have a positive effect on the environment. Working with sustainability professionals who have a common goal creates a sense of unity and pride in the work we do.

The company and the role

Darren Evans, as a consultancy, was introduced to me through my graduate job search. I explored positions in many consultancies, however, Darren Evans stuck out to me as a company that truly had a passion for their work and were dedicated to supporting clients with their goals. The graduate position that I applied for, and ultimately secured, was appealing to me because of the opportunity to tailor the position to my goals and aspirations. Additionally, the team is made up of incredibly well-versed and supportive consultants who I have been lucky enough to learn from.

My overarching goal for my career is to make a difference to people and the planet through the work my team and I do. I hope to achieve this through becoming a qualified BREEAM assessor and working on incredible projects that have sustainability at the core of their developments. I hope to gain the experience and knowledge to work as a BREEAM accredited professional to provide advice and guidance to clients so that their projects are successful. I also want to broaden my skill set to include energy assessments and life cycle assessments which I have been lucky enough to develop through opportunities at Darren Evans.

My experience so far

In the 3 months that I have been in this position, I have learnt from the administrative team about the ins and outs of the business which has given me a greater understanding of the company and the industry. I have worked on a variety of different BREEAM and HQM projects including residential and commercial buildings, which has expanded my knowledge of the assessment methods and allowed me to work closely with the clients to understand their goals for their sustainable buildings.  One project that I am currently working on is BARCODE, an innovation hub aiming to achieve BREEAM very good rating. I have recently visited the building to complete a site inspection with Mike; it was exciting to see the progress of the build and the potential it has.

Alongside these projects, I am being trained to use software such as Sketchup, Draftsight and FSAP to eventually work on embodied carbon lifecycle assessments and SAP assessments. This hands-on training has allowed me to progress faster and understand how and why things are done. It has also given me more confidence in my abilities and encouraged me to push myself out of my comfort zone.

Mentors

I am lucky enough to work with an incredible group of people who support me in many ways. My main mentors within the company are;

Charlotte Campbell- Burt

• Operations Manager with 14 years of experience in the industry, including years of experience working for the BRE as a BREEAM Consultant.
• Charlotte supports clients in achieving their goals and supports the team by solving problems and providing advice. 

Michael Brogden

• Director of the company who has 13 years of experience within the built environment and is qualified in SAP, BREEAM, Psi Values and HQM. 
• Michael works with almost all members of the team to help deliver projects and is there to make sure the team are happy and efficient with the work they are doing.

Brandon Wipperfurth

• Senior Sustainability and Energy Consultant who has a broad background in the construction industry including site experience and is qualified in SAP, CfSH, Psi Values and PHPP. 
• Brandon delivers specialised advice to clients and works on exciting projects, always with sustainability in mind. 

Darren Evans

• Founder of the company who has 19 years of business experience with a passion for delivering sustainable solutions. 
• Darren oversees the running of the business and communicates with clients to understand their goals and ensures the business has the resources to support them. 

An opportunity like no other 

A career with Darren Evans provides you with unwavering support and allows you to work with a team that is equally as dedicated to creating a more sustainable built environment as you.The highly trained consultants have plenty of knowledge to share to aid in your progression and can tailor the experience to your goals. Unlike other consultancies, Darren Evans provides clients with a wide range of services allowing you to work on exciting projects and learn new skills whilst doing so. The company culture is unlike any I have experienced before; the entire team works together almost seamlessly due to the shared passion for sustainability and their dedication to the clients.

Darren Evans has just launched an exciting and unique opportunity to join a training course that is designed to give you the skills and experience to begin a fulfilling career as a sustainable building consultant. You can learn from the wonderful professionals who are mentoring me and gain hands-on experience to give you the knowledge and confidence to succeed in the industry.

Please follow the link below to see the course prospectus and apply for your place on the 2022 intake!

Sustainable Building Consultant Course