Leading Through Change: AI, Talent & Technology in the Built Environment

Architecture and engineering firms are no strangers to navigating change and growth challenges. From evolving technologies to shifting workforce dynamics and rising costs, firms are navigating an ongoing period of transformation.

But what if the very challenges that could be holding your firm back—AI, skills gaps and rising costs—are also the key to its next wave of growth?

Recently, Deltek's Pouline Wagtberg hosted an expert panel, “Business in the Built Environment”. The panel discussed the current landscape, the role of technology and AI and the importance of attracting and upskilling the right people. The panel included:

• Ben Goode, CEO, LSI Architects
• Dave Grant, Managing Director, Scitech
• Professor Sadie Morgan OBE, Founding Director, dRMM
• James O'Callaghan, Founding Director, Eckersley O'Callaghan

You can watch the full discussion for a detailed look at how top business leaders are evolving to meet today's challenges and opportunities. Or read on for the highlights.

The Challenges Firms Face are Daunting, but They're Not Insurmountable

Project-based businesses need to become more agile, resilient and adaptive to growing economic and societal pressures. And while the current landscape can feel incredibly difficult to navigate, you can adapt your business model to remain successful for today and tomorrow.

Dave talked us through some of the key trends he's seeing in the industry:

"There's a lot of societal change. The social, environmental and governance expectations for customers and internally are hugely significant now. A lot of investment needs to go into these aspects."

"I think the global economic landscape being much tighter is actually an opportunity to improve and to help push diversification, resilience and risk management."

"Investment in training and digital technologies is critical."

"One of the things that we also see as a huge challenge is changes in customer behaviors," Dave added. "On the face of it, customers demand high value, and they want innovation, collaboration and communication. However, at the same time, we are seeing an increasingly transactional approach to professional services, and we see some customers getting increasingly distant from decision-making."

"The headwinds are particularly strong at the moment, but there have always been some to an extent. And how our business evolves is key," said James. "You've got to stay fairly focused on what it is that you are good at delivering and build a culture around that. Having those foundations enables you to pivot when you need to."

James continued: "Ultimately, it's about providing the best service you can and understanding what it is that your client actually wants as opposed to perhaps what you think they want or they need."

Technology and AI Create Both Complexity and Opportunity

The 6th Annual Clarity Study shows that AI is of rising importance to project-based businesses, but cybersecurity and disaster recovery remain the top priorities.

A&E firms identified a number of emerging technologies as crucial to organizational success.

People recognize that technology and innovation are key drivers of profitability and growth, but they are conscious about keeping data secure while implementing new tools.

Ben discussed how the nature of technological developments has evolved over time. "Change used to be quite linear; you could go through a pattern. But now it happens all over the place, constantly. It's all around you. If you want to be successful, change needs to be cultural."

"On its own, tech isn't enough," he added. "It's got to be combined with investment in people and teams. Technology only gets adopted if it makes people feel safe and it makes their lives better… You need to give them the right tools, but also give them the skills to use them effectively."

"AI's infinite amount of opportunity and choice means that we now have to be incredibly good at editing," explained Sadie. "We have so much data, there's so much content that we now need to sift through. And if you're not careful, you will just get lost in the fog. We need to be very, very careful about how we use AI because if we lose that humanistic ability to really understand and connect to what it is that we are doing, we are in danger of losing a lot of opportunity as well as gaining it."

"We see AI as genius interns," Ben added. "They don't know anything, so you have to have comprehensive input at the start, and you have to check their work thoroughly at the end. But they can go away and do some really magical things."

You Can Only Grow Your Business If You Bring Your People with You

Building and maintaining your team is one of the most important differentiators for a successful company. But doing so is easier said than done. The Clarity Study found the most effective way to empower young team members throughout their careers was by promoting a culture of collaboration and innovation.

"People are our core asset. In many ways, as a consultancy, they're our only asset. We have to value them as such," explained James. "Our role within leadership is to create this environment that people want to be a part of. The most successful way for us to achieve this is to have the most engaging projects possible, deliver them in the best way we can and create a shared ambition among everyone. That shared ambition brings everybody together around an essential belief that we're trying to do great work and support great architecture."

"And when you have talented people, it's about nurturing them," James added. "It's about investing in them. It's about building systems that enable them to be able to communicate and learn. Encourage them to be able to talk to each other—be it all over the world or even on the next desk—and reach out to each other when they need to. Different people have different leanings within an organization, and that's great. So as long as you understand where they are, then you can get the most out of them."

Ben shared his advice on how to successfully upskill your team: "Focus on skills, not on competencies. Collaborative learning is incredibly powerful and relatively inexpensive. It's the most effective way. So, get people together in your business, help them understand each other, help them communicate, help them work better, help them share ideas and feed them a little bit of skills."

Level Up Your Leadership: 3 Expert Tips You Can Use Today

1. "Look outside of your workplace. I've had several different roles that I continued to do whilst working at dRMM, and it was the best thing I've ever done because it gave me a different perspective that I could bring to the organization." – Professor Sadie Morgan OBE, Founding Director, dRMM
2. "Build your team. Not just your team internally, but your team externally, and those people that you can ask questions of. Leading a business can be really, really lonely. So, get some support around you and pay it forward. Help people as much as you can and you'll get it back." – Ben Goode, CEO, LSI Architects
3. "Be resilient and recognize what your weaknesses are. And have people around you to support those." – James O'Callaghan, Founding Director, Eckersley O'Callaghan

The pace of change is accelerating—but so are the opportunities to lead with purpose and vision. As our experts remind us, while technology continues to reshape how we work, it's people who will define what we build and how we grow.

Watch the full discussion to hear more about how industry leaders are shaping the future of the built environment, and how your firm can be part of that transformation.