Building an inclusive built environment, brick by brick
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01 May 2019
Meet Learie Gonsalves, Chartered Building Surveyor and one of the Directors at One Building Solution Ltd.
I started working in the industry in 1988 as a trainee Architect for a Housing Association and then progressed to work for Leicester City Council and Warwick District Council. While working there I obtained a degree in Building Surveying and became a Chartered member of RICS. I further progressed my career and worked as a Senior Building Surveyor at EC Harris Ltd (Arcadis), CBRE then lastly Pick Everard before setting up One Building Solution Ltd in November 2015.
Learie Gonsalves
What attracted you to building surveying as a career?
The career afforded me the opportunity to:
- develop a broad range of skills and competencies, while exposing you to new work that you could get involved with
- meet varying sectors and clients
- travel / work abroad and possibly re-locate
- continue the skills and qualification I obtained in architectural design and continue to deliver this as part of my business
- become a member of well known, established, industry and worldwide professional organisation
- set up my own business.
Why are you passionate about encouraging greater diversity into the profession?
RICS is a global brand working in diverse communities throughout the UK. Therefore, there needs to be a drive and better reflection of this in RICS and building consultancy generally. I have enjoyed and had a fantastic career in surveying and I believe that more people from diverse backgrounds should be encouraged to pursue a career in surveying.
In return, I believe there should be better representation in the industry at all levels as well as discovering talent amongst a group of potential surveyors that may have not considered surveying as a career without a prompt or some sort of guidance.
What difference can involvement with Reach Society make?
The Reach society can offer a platform for the RICS to exhibit at their career fairs / employability days where future talent maybe discovered. It will also give those attending a chance to possibly consider a career in surveying. The Reach Society may also provide direction, advise, links and possible partnership arrangements in reaching the diverse community.
