Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics: The Varying Degrees of Truth in the Built Environment
23/02/2026
By Philip Webb, Chief Executive Officer, Health and Wellbeing 360
A System Designed for Cost, Not Accountability
In a system where the players are brought up on a focus upon cost, through pressure to submit the lowest tender, increasing margins by reducing costs and moving quickly to the next project with little accountability for the last job, is there any wonder about a question of public trust in the construction and engineering sector? New build, retrofit – it gets viewed the same. Is this because of people’ actions or is the system they work in to blame?
Let’s look at the system – it heavily favours a CAPEX over OPEX model and has done so for decades. It’s contributed to ever escalating health care costs as our buildings – public spaces, places of work, schools – struggle to perform to aspiration leading to implications for occupant health and wellbeing, escalating health and social care demand and spiralling costs. Short term financial gain can contribute to short, medium-and long-term population pain. Systems collapse around us leading to debacles like Grenfell.
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