Name: John Phillips
Employer: BAM Construction
Project: St Stephens, Hull
Contract: JCT 98
This project, part of a scheme to create a stunning new gateway to Hull, has almost certainly put an end to John Phillips’ career as an onsite construction manager. Not because of any failure, but because of sheer non-stop achievement. John was promoted to construction director during the course of this project, whose extraordinary success represents the pinnacle of the site-based phase of his career.
Having started life as a £75m scheme with a 90-week contract, St Stephen’s just grew and grew. John superbly judged the rescheduling of project criticalities to absorb the huge variations of a 124-bedroom hotel and a 50,000 square foot mezzanine floor in the superstore in the mall.
So effective was his management that he needed only a two-week extension of time to ensure the best project outcome for the client without placing HBG at greater financial or contractual risk.
A promoter of collaboration, openness and the can-do culture that focuses on solutions rather than problems, John harnessed the team to deliver value-engineering rather than cost-cutting. He protected the client budget while maintaining the critical aspects of aesthetic and function.
For example, he constructed a key retaining wall during the enabling works to support early diversion of high-voltage cables. He changed the majority of the original continuous flight auger piles to driven piles cast insitu to avoid the production of contaminated spoil. And he incorporated temporary steelwork in the permanent design to make it easier to build the scaffold.
He appointed champions for the key construction disciplines. And as the scope of works ballooned, he expanded the retail team and formed further groups to deliver the new elements. He also persuaded the client and designers to set up teams to mirror his, which, co-ordinated by John, ensured integrated delivery.
Rather than hide behind the curtain of company procedures, John always considered the mutual benefits and pitfalls of an action and consistently provided sound advice on the way forward. His non-contractual and non-confrontational approach brought solutions rather than standoff.
Despite a massive 33% increase in project value, John achieved practical completion on the agreed schedule. His excellent co-ordination of fit-out, stocking up, end-user training, and testing and commissioning allowed the shopping centre to open the day after practical completion and host 40,000 shoppers.