Social value in practice: an summer internship at Akerlof

Hi, I am Nothemba Gulubane, a final-year architecture student at the University of Manchester. This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to intern at Akerlof, where I worked on various projects related to building consultancy in urban areas.

My passion lies in designing and developing the built environment to enhance the quality of life for communities. This involves designing environments that are comfortable, safe, progressive, practical, and welcoming for all community members—buildings that significantly enhance the daily lives of their users.

During my eight weeks at Akerlof, I worked on projects involving hospital development, property investment, development and operations, railway transportation, engineering, real estate investment, and architecture. Akerlof also facilitated my participation in a course with the Supply Chain Sustainability School, focusing on Fairness, Inclusion, and Respect Training.

My primary focus was on creating strategies for innovative social output to help organisations enhance their social value. I engaged in a local needs analysis, graphic design, social impact report research, policy research, and data analysis. This hands-on experience taught me about ethical construction planning and the benefits of modern construction methods as safer, more sustainable alternatives.

One of the most rewarding aspects was gaining insight into the industry’s culture of social value, which emphasises wellness and human ethics. I also had the chance to connect with professionals across the industry, building relationships that I hope to nurture in the future. Meeting with senior leaders in both the private and public sectors provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities of embedding social impact into the work of their organisations. Hearing about this directly deepened my understanding of community development through the addition of social value to projects.

My advice for future interns and placement students is straightforward: be open-minded, eager to learn, and unafraid to ask questions. For teams hosting interns, providing background information and guidance on expected responsibilities can be invaluable.

Akerlof’s progressive and nurturing work environment made this experience truly fulfilling. It will always hold a special place in my heart, and I encourage others to seek similar opportunities

Jamie Hillier

Partner
Contact
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jamie.hillier@akerlof.co.uk
07791 718 377

With a penchant for tweed and jackets with leather arm patches, Jamie began his career as a quantity surveyor, before climbing the ladder to lead major projects for a Tier 1 contractor.

Eventually expanding his book collection beyond copies of SMM7, Jamie has interest in a broad range of subjects linked to delivering better outcomes for society and the environment.

His strategic insights on MMC and behavioural science have made their way into numerous government, industry and academic publications, including the Construction Playbook, Transforming Infrastructure Performance Roadmap to 2030, the Platform Rulebook and the RIBA DfMA Overlay.

John Handscomb

Partner
Contact
Linkedin Twitter
john.handscomb@akerlof.co.uk
07305 486 581

Construction is in John’s blood. Learning from his father who was a planner and project manager, John began his career by working on some iconic projects in both the public and private sector.

As a procurement expert and integrator of new ways of working, John has pioneered the integration of platform principles, DfMA processes and supply chain within over £5bn projects in the last 15 years, for some of the largest building programmes in the UK. Despite his considerable expertise, John keeps it simple, communicating complicated ideas with ease and helping to equip the industry with new knowledge and skills.

Outside of Akerlof, John enjoys his executive role with technology start-up ScanTech Digital, spending time with his family, taking trips down the football, playing a bit of golf with friends and the odd pint. 

Our name is shared with George Akerlof, a Nobel Prize-winning economist.

His seminal paper, Market for Lemons, demonstrated the devastating consequences of making decisions under the conditions of quality uncertainty and unequal information between buyers and sellers, increasing the chance of buyers ending up with a ‘lemon’.

This 50-year-old concept continues to retain parallels within the construction industry.

Through our insight and experience, we can rebalance this information asymmetry on behalf of our clients, levelling the playing field to deliver better outcomes.