A day in the life: Building Surveyor Davinia Potterton 

Chartered Building Surveyor Davinia Potterton works at RSK Group company FR Consultants, a façade-risk and fire safety consultancy that provides wide-ranging services for complete legislation compliance. Davinia’s role is diverse and can range from managing and overseeing the external remediation of high-risk buildings to advising on construction plans for existing or new builds. 

The scope of Davinia’s job is so varied that no day is ever the same, which is something she finds very appealing about the role. 

“My role varies dramatically from week to week, so there’s no such thing as a typical day. I generally work in the office three days a week and the other two from home. A day in the office would start with me checking my emails before writing a ‘to-do’ list and prioritising tasks with the shortest deadlines. 

“One day I could be reviewing photographic and video evidence of through-wall construction to compile a fire risk appraisal of external walls (FRAEW) report in accordance with PAS 9980, and on another, I could be on-site, reviewing the progress of one of our remediation projects, inspecting the quality and compliance of the installation of the cavity barriers and fire stopping. 

“My job is varied and I am very versatile when it comes to aspects of the construction industry. For example, I recently spent five nights surveying a large shopping centre in Bracknell to review the condition of the timber cladding across the whole complex. The diversity of projects I work on is why building surveying was such an attractive career to me.” 

One particular highlight of her role is peer reviewing other consultants’ reports and proofreading. 

“It might sound a little unusual, but I love finding mistakes, and this relates to two aspects of my job in particular. The first being when I peer review other consultancies’ external wall system (EWS1) forms and FRAEW reports. Sometimes I can see that people don’t fully understand the EWS1 process and I enjoy being able to share my knowledge and expertise with them to help them gain a greater understanding. 

“Secondly, I quality-assess reports for FR Consultants before they go to our clients. If I find an error, it’s a positive thing, because we don’t want any of our documents to leave the door without being factually correct. At FR Consultants, we take great pride in delivering a high standard of work and I’m more than happy to do my bit to ensure that happens.” 

Davinia says that while working in a male-dominated environment could be cited as challenging, she has felt empowered thanks to her achievements in her career thus far. 

“In 2021, I was among the first cohort to undertake the ABBE Level 6 Award in External Wall System Assessment exam, which gives me the authority to assess and sign EWS1 forms for buildings below 18 metres tall. There are currently fewer than ten females in England that have this qualification and so as a female working in the construction industry in a particularly niche environment, I feel really empowered.” 

For Davinia, however, the fast-paced changes in legislation after the Grenfell disaster were a challenge she had to overcome and one that required up-to-date knowledge and understanding. 

“No job is without its challenges and after Grenfell, I had to ensure that my knowledge and understanding of updated legislation, such as the Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Building Safety Act 2022, were reflected in my decision-making when reviewing the risks to an occupied building.” 

The surveying team at FR Consultants is made up of eight people and with remediation work covering the length and breadth of the UK, several members of the team are remote, travelling to the office once a month. 

“It’s important that we catch up as a team and we have a bi-weekly coffee and catch-up video call just to say hello and check in with each other. This has really cemented a strong bond and friendship between us and has strengthened our working relationships. 

“I’m looking forward to undertaking the next stage in my career development once the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors completes the second stage of its external wall system training. This will give me the authority to sign the relevant forms for buildings over 18 m with combustible materials in through-wall construction. I can’t think of anything better than developing your knowledge and having the opportunity to strengthen your career. 

“FR Consultants has recently been accepted as a FRAEW assessor on the Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS) panel, which was introduced by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to remediate fire safety risks in the external wall systems of residential buildings between 11 and 18 metres high in England. It’s a really exciting opportunity for us and has created another great workstream for our company. 

“I’m looking forward to my future as a surveyor and seeing what’s in store for FRC. There are lots of opportunities to develop and I enjoy being part of the team that is dedicated to making Britain’s buildings safe.”