23 January 2025 - Adam Meyrick, Construction Manager at Galliford Try Construction, and a student on the Master’s in Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment (IDBE), shares his experience of studying the programme and details what a day looks like during one of his residential workshops in Cambridge, UK.
My day begins with…
An early morning trip to the Wolfson College gym. With music from a 90s Mancunian duo playing live through the headphones and kettlebells in hand, I feel energised, ready to take on the day. I head back to my room for a shower and pack my bag before meeting my friends and course-mates for breakfast. Suitably full of oats and protein in the form of Selwyn College's widely celebrated sausages and eggs, we stroll to the engineering block as a group to commence today's lectures.
The workshop starts with…
A trio of lectures that make for an insightful and invigorating start to the week. The learning theme for this week is ‘working environments’ within the built environment, and to give a flavour, today's talks gave insights into workplace trends and behaviours, the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, and discussion around driving sustainability through government policy. The professors and doctors presenting gave insight into their latest research, whilst inviting us to ask questions and challenge the narrative presented to us. Rich and engaging discussions are always guaranteed in this class of diverse and experienced professionals.
Between sessions we…
Are free to take advantage of all that Cambridge has to offer. Whether that be an intellectual fix at the Fitzwilliam Museum or a caffeine top-up in Fitzbillies (two titans of the ‘Fitz’ name here in Cambridge), the city is our oyster. Today, however, I head over to the Judge Business School for some fine cafeteria lunch. Joined by my course-mates, we inevitably get to work de-briefing our learnings from the morning sessions over lunch. We are often excited to share our thoughts and ideas, challenging each other’s thinking. We do talk about other things though, I promise.
After lunch we…
Meet with our project teams to commence our week-long interdisciplinary practical studio project. The studio projects provides a change in format from the lectures in the morning, we get to work collaboratively each day, working towards fulfilling an intriguing but challenging brief. This week, that brief entails analysing and proposing sustainability-focused changes to the working environments within the University's own real-estate portfolio. Our group is looking at the Department of Engineering. And at weeks-close we will be presenting our ideas back to members of the University estates team – something that I feel a bit nervous about but is also an important part of the learning here: how to stand up and communicate.
After sessions finish, I have the opportunity to…
Collaborate and network! With today’s practical project session wrapping up at 6pm, there’s still plenty of time left in the evening. A mental debate unfolds in my mind like a game of tennis. On one side, 'player one’ argues for heading back to my room to eat and rest, in preparation for tomorrow. On the other side, ‘player two’ lobbies for going out with my course-mates to celebrate the end of a thought-provoking but demanding day with a sit-down meal. ‘Player two’ ultimately prevails with a sublime cross-court backhand. That’s how I find myself at Pizza Pilgrims, where conversations flow, and new connections and bonds are formed over dinner.
I am inspired to…
Advance my dissertation research following this workshop. My complex but important topic is titled: 'The Senedd, Westminster, and COP: A Study of Devolution, National Building Regulation, and International Policy in the Context of Wales.’, I take away numerous ideas, concepts, and perspectives delivered by the lecturers and my peers throughout the week, which I am excited to experiment into my research. I will also take this week’s learnings back to my workplace and continue to drive sustainable practices and messages within my sphere of influence. In addition, through an incredible session taught by Simon Bucknall, Director of The Art of Connection, this workshop has also demonstrated to me tools that can improve team management and communication, and I leave excited to trial and share these with colleagues in my workplace.
