‘It’s time to go when the projects you worked on are being redone …’ Core Five’s James Clark on Davis Langdon, starting afresh and why he’s off to see the world

By Dave Rogers2025-05-06T06:00:00

The joint founder of one of the firms that emerged out of Davis Langdon’s sale to Aecom talks to Dave Rogers about that deal, why it was the making of many and the importance of taking nothing for granted

James Clark can’t help but notice that time has marched on. One of the founders of London cost consultant Core Five, he is going through a list of the projects he would later work on after joining Davis Langdon as a graduate QS in the late 1980s.

“Chiswell Street, Bunhill Row, Plough Place…” He trots them off in quick succession. “I looked after Woolgate Exchange for [property investor] MEPC.”

It is pointed out to him that it has recently been redeveloped, this time by Mace for Stanhope. “Another one,” he sighs. “It’s another reason why I have to retire. Too many of the projects that I built are being redone. It’s depressing.”

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