Meet the guardians of our most beloved buildings. With Karen Gwilliams FRICS, Sam Wheeler MRICS, Joanne Williams MRICS & Jon Rowling #229

The RICS Podcast

The RICS Podcast
Meet the guardians of our most beloved buildings. With Karen Gwilliams FRICS, Sam Wheeler MRICS, Joanne Williams MRICS & Jon Rowling #229
Feb 15, 2026 Episode 229
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

In this episode of the RICS Podcast, Jon Rowling is joined by conservation experts Karen Gwilliams FRICS, Joanne Williams MRICS, and Sam Wheeler MRICS to explore what it takes to safeguard the UK’s historic buildings. 

We find out about the rewarding projects in heritage surveying, the growing skills gap in traditional crafts and conservation surveying, and how technology & AI are changing the future of the sector.

This episode of the RICS Podcast covers:

  • The rewarding nature of working on historic buildings
  • The growing skills gap in traditional crafts and conservation surveying
  • Practical pathways into a career in historic building conservation
  • How climate change, flooding, and extreme weather are affecting historic buildings
  • The evolving role of technology and AI in assessing, monitoring, and managing heritage assets

Jon Rowling

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-rowling-41a09329/

Joanne Williams

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanne-williams-364468b1/

Karen Gwilliams FRICS

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-gwilliams-8834a220/

Sam Wheeler MRICS

https://www.pha-building-conservation.co.uk/profile.htm

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors:

https://www.rics.org/uk/

RICS Podcast Page

https://www.rics.org/podcast/

Kieran Halliwell

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kdhalliwell/

Episode Artwork Meet the guardians of our most beloved buildings. With Karen Gwilliams FRICS, Sam Wheeler MRICS, Joanne Williams MRICS & Jon Rowling #229 39:15 Episode Artwork What it means to be a surveyor observing Ramadan. With Tomi Ayede, Amir Latif MRICS and Gohar Nawaz #228 29:11 Episode Artwork What does the Renters Right Act mean for landlords and tenants? With Sharief Ibrahim, Adrian McClinton and Mairead Carroll #227 36:48 Episode Artwork RICS Legal Landscapes: Navigating the complexities of natural capital with Kate Russell FRICS, Ben Sharples FRICS & Charles Cowap MRICS #226 36:31 Episode Artwork What makes an RICS Award-winning project? Lessons from the redevelopment of Newcastle’s Stephenson Building with Saba Nayab FRICS, Simon Allen MRICS and Paul Bagust #225 33:59 Episode Artwork RICS Legal Landscapes: What you should know about the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 with Henrietta Hammonds FRICS, Vanessa Griffiths MRICS, Tracey Hartley MRICS, and Katie Cohen #224 55:32 Episode Artwork RICS President Nick Maclean FRICS shares his aspirations for the profession in 2026 #223 27:52 Episode Artwork From the Archives: Valuing Freddie Mercury’s Auction with Ashley Stuart-Noble, Carey Wallace, Sarah Hodgson and Rachel Reilly #222 42:26 Episode Artwork RICS Legal Landscapes: Construction and Legal Change - ADR, Case Law and Practical Risk with Dave Hull MRICS, Guy Bolt MRICS & Kirsti Olson #221 37:36 Episode Artwork The RICS Sustainability Report with Susanne Eickermann-Riepe FRICS, Alexandra Faciu MA MRICS & Kisa Zehra #220 27:50 Episode Artwork RICS Legal Landscapes: Building Safety & Gateway 2 – Legal and Regulatory Realities #219 47:39 Episode Artwork The Harris Debate 2025: Ethical Surveying During a Housing Crisis #218 57:52 Episode Artwork Why Are You Proud to Be a Surveyor? with Morag Angus FRICS, Diana Massawa MRICS, Tim Kenny AssocRICS and Maarukh Abbas #217 36:27 Episode Artwork What Skills Should Be Nurtured for the Future of the Built Environment? with Kevin Keane FRICS, Jane Sykes MRICS and Babatunji Adegoke MRICS #216 37:01 Episode Artwork Surveying Insights: The History of the Profession with Professor Carl Chinn MBE and Suki Bell FRICS #215 38:58 Episode Artwork How Do Surveying Students Find Work Experience with Norman Hutchinson FRICS, Fiona Stoddard MRICS, Danny Waters (candidate) and Toby Stewart (student) #214 49:28 Episode Artwork Surveyors Leading SMEs: Resilience, Growth, and Influence with Jennifer Hobart MRICS, Dominic Doig FRICS, Zaman Sheikh AssocRICS and Sean Pearson AssocRICS #213 44:46 Episode Artwork Going for FRICS: How Do You Know You're Ready? with Tammy Harrison-Round FRICS, Chris Smith FRICS and Jamie Collins MRICS #212 45:22 Episode Artwork Member Profile: Thomas Haithwaite MRICS and Infrastructure in Peru #211 38:03 Episode Artwork Supporting Men’s Mental Health in Construction with Mark McBride Wright, Scott Pearshouse MRICS and Tomi Laguda #210 41:12 Episode Artwork Member Profile: Dorothy Natukunda MRICS and Uganda’s Standard Gauge Railway #209 51:01 Episode Artwork Dear Diary: What Should Be Included For Your APC with Steve Joel-Dicks FRICS, Alicia Styring MRICS and Adam Quinn #208 46:48 Episode Artwork Member Profile: Inoka Withana Gamage MRICS and the Central Interceptor Tunnel #207 30:43 Episode Artwork Transitioning from Education to Industry: What Are the Challenges? with Matthew Fedigan FRICS, Machel Bogues, Sybil Taunton and Lucy Day #206 43:44 Episode Artwork Member profile: redeveloping the Jewry Wall Museum with Emily Thorpe-Jones MRICS #205 35:45