Top 5 Podcasts to start listening to this year
Azmina shares their top five built environment podcast recommendations and favourite episodes.
In today’s day and age, we have literally thousands of podcasts on every subject from news, arts, technology, health and more, available to us at the tip of our fingertips. There are a number of apps that can be used to subscribe and listen to podcasts, and what’s more the majority of them are free.
To put it into numbers, there are currently 850,000 active podcasts, with over 30 million episodes. The average weekly podcast listener listens to an average of 7 shows a week.
Podcasts are a brilliant way to get inspired and expand your horizons by learning more about ideas that intrigue and interest you. They can also help you stay educated and informed about your hobbies and areas of interest and assist with personal and professional development and growth.
As our lives becomes busier, podcasts are becoming incredibly popular, because they allow us to multitask. I believe that they are a brilliant way to explore topics that I find interesting while going about my daily life, be it commuting, exercising or cooking dinner.
These are my top 5 podcasts, as well as my favourite episode from each podcast that I truly recommend listening to.
Best For Aspiring Architects
Another Architecture Podcast by George Bradley
Listen on Spotify
George Bradley, director of Bradley van Der Straeten Architects in London, interviews designers of extraordinary residential projects. George brings expertise and enthusiasm, but ensures that the projects are presented in simple, easy to understand terms.
In episode #3 Terrarium House with John Ellway, the listeners learn about how John Ellway transformed his rundown Brisbane cottage into a lush plant-filled sanctuary that defines inside outside living.
Best for the design-passionate
99% Invisible by Roman Mars
Listen on Spotify
This podcast presents deep dives into design topics such as architecture and urban planning as well as other more unusual subjects that demonstrate how design permeates every aspect of modern life. Roman delivers the podcast in a narrative journalistic manner, whilst exploring untold stories of architecture and infrastructure.
In episode #361 Built on Sand, author Vince Beiser takes the listeners on a journey through the omnipresent use of sand in construction and the threats of an increasingly low supply. This episode also touches on the environmental impacts of using the planet’s finite material resources.
Best for latest tech insights into the construction industry
The ConTech Crew
Listen on Spotify
Hosted by construction technology entrepreneur James Benham along with Josh Bone, Rob McKinney and Jeff Sample, this podcast discusses innovation and construction tech topics including hardware, software, devices and apps.
Episode #238 You Can’t Boil the Ocean All At Once features Mallorie Brodie, the CEO and Co-Founder of Bridgit Solutions who currently have two products in the market. The first is Bridgit Field which is for punch-list managing and the second is Bridgit Bench for resource planning. Construction drawings, more use examples for AI and Hilti concrete sensors are also discussed in the episode.
Best for project and programme management insights
Connecting Construction by Matt Sprague and Evan Hill
Listen on Spotify
Hosted by the Evan Hill and Matte Sprague of e-Builder, each episode in this podcast stars contractors, analysts and programme managers who give the listener insights about working at their respective businesses.
Episode #7 Steve Jones of Dodge Data and Analytics features Steve, the senior director of Industry Insights at Dodge Data & Analytics who discuses model-based integrated digital workflows, reality capture and model-driven automation amongst many other topics.
Best for health and wellbeing
Live More, Feel Better by Dr. Rangan Chatterjee
Listen on Spotify
Dr Chatterjee, one of the most influential GP’s in the UK, believes that health has become overcomplicated and his aim is to simplify it. In this podcast, he talks with leading health experts about health life-hacks and exposes common health myths.
The new year is a time for making resolutions and creating goals, as discussed in episode #145 How to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones with James Clear. James is the best-selling author of Atomic Habits and explains to listeners what habits are and how to optimise them.
About the author
Azmina is currently studying Construction Economics and Management MSc at The Bartlett. With a background in architecture, she enjoys exploring the architectural diversity around London. On her weekends, Azmina enjoys a long run or bike ride to take in the sites of London.
