Mark Thompson Group - Barbados

My second vocational visit in Barbados was to an architect's office, Mark Thompson of the Mark Thompson Group. We started with a driving tour to view some of his completed projects. The Mark Thompson Group has been very successful and has many beautiful projects throughout Barbados.

We ended up at his office, which is a historical building, the "Ronald Tree House." It's a beautiful two-story home, now converted to office spaces, which houses Mark's company, a massage therapist, and a quantity surveyor's office.

Keith Browne, me, Mark Thompson

Which leads me to my second vocational visit of the day: Keith Browne, quantity surveyor. This profession isn't practiced much in the states under that title, but he essentially is an estimator/budgeter/appraiser all in one.

Quantity surveying includes creating a large document of all the individual costs involved in a construction or remodel project. It can be time-consuming, but is very helpful for the contractors to tender (bid). This practice is more common in the UK as well. Keith's company does quantity surveying among other things.

They also specialize in project management, contract review, and valuations. To be a chartered quantity surveyor, there is a three-year program, then two years of training, and a final assessment test. Keith also completed his MBA, which has aided him in running his own business and managing a team.

Heidi Ellis