CIBSE President Fiona Cousins recently joined David Frise, CEO of the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), for an insightful conversation on the "Behind the Built Environment" podcast. During the episode, Fiona shared her unique perspective on the evolution of building services and her journey as an engineer, offering key insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the industry today.
In the discussion, Fiona emphasised the importance of broadening the focus of building services beyond traditional metrics like cost and efficiency, stressing the need to include critical considerations such as carbon reduction, biodiversity, and social value. She spoke about the growing demand from clients for decarbonisation and carbon neutrality, underscoring how these shifts are redefining best practices within the industry.
Reflecting on the lessons from her career, Fiona encouraged building services engineers to “lift their eyes to the horizon” and adopt a forward-thinking approach. “We’re brilliant at solving problems once they’re defined,” she noted, “but we often find ourselves addressing issues framed long ago. Today’s challenges call for new solutions, especially with all clients now prioritising decarbonisation.”
Fiona also highlighted the importance of designing with safety, climate resilience, and public health in mind, referencing the Grenfell Report’s impact and stressing the importance of integrating safety considerations into design. She encouraged collaboration between CIBSE and BESA on joint initiatives that can improve public awareness of how building services enhance lives, touching on topics from health and comfort to sustainability and wellbeing.
Watch the interview below