Construction site manager

Lowenna

  • Name:

    Lowenna Roxburgh

  • Gender:

    Female

  • Location:

    London, England

  • Occupation:

    St George Regeneration

  • Hobbies:

    Film, literature and travel

  • School/College:
"I make sure the construction team is set up safely and working up to spec. It's great when we achieve what seems the impossible, watching all the components of a job come together."

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What’s a nice girl like you…?
I know. People assume construction sites are rough, dirty, noisy, aggressive… But nowadays, health and safety is paramount, and with it comes a high level of order so we’re pretty clean and tidy. Also it’s my job to negotiate between the different trades and subcontractors, so communications are good and there’s not a lot of aggro.

What’s a typical day like?
It’s early! I’m in the office at 7am, organising plans for the day and tying up loose ends. Then I’m on site by 8am, and I’m there for most of the day. My job is to make sure the operatives are set up safely, working up to spec and meeting any other requirements. I walk around doing that while keeping an eye on the other trades too. I’m basically team leader, guiding everyone through a project, dealing with any problems that crop up and motivating the operatives when they’re a bit lacklustre. I also check on progress to see that we’re getting things done on schedule, and sort out any arguments between trades. Without me, things would be slow. In fact there’d be chaos.

What would you say to anyone wanting to join the industry?
Do it! I have such fun on site and it’s the biggest confidence boost. There’s a brilliant team atmosphere and it’s great when you achieve what seems the impossible, watching all the different components of a job come together, watching something grow. It’s an exciting industry too, as it’s constantly changing, and there’s a massive learning curve. I used to be a lifestyle manager, so quite different! But it made me realise I had a flair for renovations, extensions and so on. So I did an MSc in building surveying and here I am.

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