Managing Director Receives Danish Award

Trevor Mole, Managing Director of Property Tectonics and President of The Association of European Building Surveyors and Construction Experts (AEEBC) receives an award from the Danish Constructing Architects, Konstruktørforeningen (KF), for his work for free movement of building professionals in Europe.

The prestigious award, known as the constructors prize (Konstruktørprisen) was presented to Professor Trevor Mole, president of AEEBC at the Constructor’s day conference (Konstruktørdag) of the Danish Association of Constructing Architects in Horsens, Denmark on the 25 October. Professor Mole was handed the award by the Mayor of Horsens and former Danish government minister Jan Trøjborg for his very special efforts in striving to ensure that Danish constructing architects have the right to practice their profession in other countries.

Fifty seven year old Trevor Mole based in Manchester is managing director of Property Tectonics one of the most important medium sized construction and property consultants in the UK. He is also a visiting professor at the University of Salford which has a reputation for being one of the leading centres of excellence in built environment research and education in the world.

Trevor Mole is President of the Association of European Building Surveyors and Construction Experts (AEEBC) where he is leading the fight for mutual recognition and the free movement of European Building Professionals. Cross border restrictions prevent professionals from one country moving freely to practice in another. For example highly qualified building surveyors in the UK and constructing architects in Denmark are not able to do the same job in Brussels. This is because the Belgium government only allows those described as architects to do certain types of work and therefore capable construction professionals from outside Belgium who are described differently are caught up in confusion over titles and descriptions. There is a total lack of a common language. Therefore Danish constructing architects, UK and Irish building surveyors and many other professionals from across Europe who have different titles are locked into a communication trap that restricts them to their own country.

KF has for many years worked hard to give constructing architects the opportunity to exercise their profession in other countries and KF president, Gert Johansen said in presenting the prize, "If it were not for people like Trevor Mole, the European ideals of free movement and mutual recognition would not apply to us as constructing architects. It restricts business opportunities and free enterprise because competition is curtailed by restrictive national rules, bureaucracy and language confusion."

Gert Johansen continued, "We are, figuratively speaking, akin to the people at a Tower of Babel struck down with no common language, common rules and common goals, and it is therefore a joy for me that the Constructor’s Award this year is being given to Trevor Mole for the great work he is doing as president of AEEBC speaking out to European politicians and rallying support to get these barriers removed. This is consistent with the European concept of a single market and systems which guarantee the freedom of movement of people, goods, services and capital and all that means in making Europe more competitive."

Trevor Mole was clearly touched when receiving the prize and in his acceptance speech thanked KF wholeheartedly for the prestigious award which he was greatly honoured to receive. He went on to say that he felt the award was also an acknowledgement of the efforts of all the people over the years who had worked so hard to further the objectives of the AEEBC and therefore he was also proud to receive the award on behalf of the Association.

The picture shows the award-winner, AEEBC President Trevor Mole, along with KF President Gert Johansen and The Mayor of Horsens, Jan Trøjborg. The constructor’s award this year is a water colour signed by the architect Henry Voss. The picture inspired by Pieter Breughel comes from the Old Testament and depicts the destruction of the Tower of Babel which aptly was one of the world’s first recorded sky scrapers and whose ruin heralded a confusion of language that prevented people cooperating and working together. The award also included a ceramic sculpture created by the famous Danish artist Gunhild Aaberg.

Photographer: Gregers Kirdorf

The Konstruktørprisen (constructor’s award) is awarded once every two years to individuals, companies or projects that have achieved something extraordinary and that relates to the work and objectives of constructing architects and the theme of the Constructor’s Day Conference.

Former recipients of Constructor’s award include

Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke (Relief NGO, working in 3rd World countries)

Arkitektgruppen Aarhus (for sustainable building - became later Denmark’s largest architectural company by the name of Arkitema)

Jytte Abildstrøm (for sustainable building - Danish actress building her own theatre)

MT Højgaard (for implementing lean construction - the largest Danish contractor)

Building Defects Fund (for working to reduce defects in building)

Constructing architect Andreas Foldager (for his role in implementing digital construction)