Building Standards And The Reality Of Construction

Behind the Built Environment · Oct 21, 2026 · 23m

Building standards set out what good looks like. Delivering better buildings depends on how those standards are understood, applied and supported by practical competence.

In this episode of Behind The Built Environment, David Frise, Chief Executive of BESA, speaks with Ant Burd, Director at BSI Standards.

Ant explains how standards are developed, how they support building regulations and why contractors, residents and the wider supply chain should help shape them. The conversation explores the gap between good paperwork and sound judgement, the pressures created by cost-driven procurement…