Name: Vince Finnegan
Employer: Wates Interiors
Project: 169 Union St London Fire Brigade , London SE1
Contract: JCT 98
During his career, Vince Finnegan has completed larger projects and more prestigious works, but this is the one he is most proud of. Why? Because his determination to run a collaborative team delivered success in the teeth of adversity.
It all seemed straightforward enough: the strip-out of offices in a century-old building and renovation as an HQ for London Fire Emergency Planning Authority, amounting to a £7.3m job. Having won the tender, Vince then proceeded to develop the construction strategy for a 32-week project.
He held co-ordination meetings to impart a clear vision to the whole team of what was expected and cascaded the message down the supply chain to ensure their full co-operation. He paid particular attention to getting the IT/audiovisual package right – the telecoms and videoconferencing facilities provided a critical link with the wider fire services.
But then it all went wrong. The existing M&E and building fabric turned out to be inadequate. The boilers, pipework and pumps were simply not good enough, requiring a new plant room installation, while the poor quality of the floor slabs made chemical rather than mechanical fixings necessary.
By this stage the original fit-out programme had gone out the window. It then got worse. Severe flood damage in summer storms wrecked the services and flooring already installed in the basement. Vince needed to dry and disinfect the area, and start all over again.
Vigorous reprogramming and resequencing, firm co-ordination of subcontractors, and a refusal to panic (despite having to submit over 600 requests for information and undertake 350 client variations) brought Vince through. Even more crucially, his open and honest approach in communicating the issues and determined leadership of a team that constantly worked for each other combined to triumph over the disasters.
Vince handed the project over on budget and within the timeframe originally set by the client, allowing a headquarters migration to proceed as planned. The client, well aware of the scale of the challenges encountered by the project, was delighted.