"We’re used to surveying buildings. This time, we looked at ourselves."

B Corp Insight from Richard Farrey. 

In our line of work, you learn to look beyond the surface. A building can look impressive but need some attention behind the scenes. The useful questions are about how it performs, how well it’s looked after and whether it’s fit for the future. There was some of that thinking behind our decision to pursue B Corp Certification.

We’ve always wanted Silverstone to be a business people feel good about working with and working for. That means giving clients honest advice. It means looking after our people, building lasting relationships with our clients and taking responsibility for the decisions we make.

B Corp gave us a framework for examining how we operate and the impact we have. How do we support our people? What do we contribute to our communities? How do we consider the environment? And how do we hold ourselves accountable as the business grows?

Pursuing certification meant making room for those questions. The way we run the business deserves the same attention as the work we deliver.

What does it mean for our clients? Certification adds independent recognition of the business behind our advice. It gives clients another way to understand our principles and what matters to us as a business. There’s a natural connection with the work we do. Building decisions have consequences that last well beyond the end of a project. A maintenance plan can help an organisation look after its estate for years. A well-considered refurbishment can give an existing building a useful new chapter. Clear advice can help a client understand where to invest and where to leave well alone. We see those decisions up close. We know that responsible choices need to work in the real world, with real budgets and competing demands. That’s where good building consultancy earns its keep.

B Corp keeps the wider responsibilities firmly in the conversation. It gives us a reason to keep asking questions about our own practices, to listen to colleagues and to look for improvements. For our team, I hope certification brings a sense of pride in the business they help shape every day. Our reputation comes from their work, their judgement and the way they treat people. That deserves recognition.

We’re really proud to have achieved certification. But anyone who works with buildings knows that passing an inspection doesn’t mean you can forget about the maintenance. We’ll keep looking at where we can improve, taking action and sharing our progress.