好色先生TV

鈥楨very day is different鈥�

Name Damian Bateman
Job Principal QS, Franklin + Andrews

When I tell people what I do for a living, often they think it鈥檚 just about counting bricks but actually it鈥檚 a very varied job. Twenty, maybe even 10 years ago, perhaps there was a lot more counting and measuring but these days it鈥檚 different. OK, so you might spend a couple of days in the office doing cost plans, but then the next you鈥檒l be out on site talking to architects and engineers, or going to meet all sorts of different people with different views.

For instance, I鈥檝e been working on the London Olympic bid and that meant I got to go round Lords and Wimbledon, behind the scenes where you wouldn鈥檛 normally get to see, then the next day I was sitting down with the transport people and the police, who are advising on security, to get their input. I鈥檝e also recently been working on a retail project with some concept designers who had a very different take on things from anyone I鈥檇 worked with before.

There isn鈥檛 really an average day, it doesn鈥檛 ever get monotonous 鈥� there鈥檚 boring elements, the same as any job, but you always know they鈥檙e not going to last very long.

It鈥檚 always satisfying when the tenders come back and they鈥檙e within your costs. It makes you feel good to know that you鈥檝e advised the client correctly. And, of course, with London 2012, there鈥檚 the knowledge that you鈥檙e working on a major world event, and hopefully contributing to winning it for London.

鈥業鈥檓 working on the Freedom Tower鈥�

Name Tom Jaske
Job Vice-president, Hanscomb Faithful & Gould

I enjoy the variety of jobs that I work on at any one time. Right now we have some nice ones in house: I鈥檓 working as cost consultant with the Lower Manhattan Trade Corporation on the redevelopment of the Twin Towers site in New York, which includes the 1776 ft Freedom Tower. I鈥檓 involved in five or six projects at any one time and new ones can come my way as often as once a quarter.

Also, my actual role can vary: in the pure cost-estimating world, you get a set of drawings and only have to give a set of costs, but sometimes clients want more services such as a performance schedule, for example.

At other times in my career I鈥檝e done pure financial work and project management, among other roles, but I鈥檝e always worked in jobs that demand an analytical approach because I enjoy making the abstract simple: taking a set of drawings, or even sometimes just a concept, and turning it into a detailed costing.

鈥業t can be nail-biting stuff鈥�

Name Nick Andrews
Job Associate, Davis Langdon

Cost estimation work can be nail-biting stuff: you put your neck on the line with an estimate and you鈥檙e waiting for the response to the tender; you鈥檝e done everything you can to get it right; and then when the OK comes back and it鈥檚 all been a success, it鈥檚 a real buzz.

I moved to Cornwall from London about 12 years ago for a quieter life, but it hasn鈥檛 worked out that way 鈥� I鈥檝e ended up working on lots of exciting projects including the Eden Project, the Beach development of luxury flats in Carlyon Bay and the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth.

Being a QS is something you can enjoy on all sorts of levels. It鈥檚 not just the academic side, the contractual and legal stuff, there鈥檚 also the practical side, being involved in different types of construction 鈥� on the Eden Project we revived some old-fashioned techniques such as cobbing but we also used state-of-the-art technology. You get to work with interesting clients, and you鈥檙e mixing with all sorts of different disciplines, from architects to contractors.鈥�