Name: David Brinded
Employer: Morgan Ashurst
Project: Dussindale Primary School, Norwich
Contract: JCT 98
Experienced, patient and approachable, David Brinded was the inspirational choice for this long awaited and politically sensitive project. It was the first school to be built in Norwich for 30 years and had been planned for a decade.
David’s calm and commitment inspired trust and confidence in the client, the consultants and the design team. He has worked his way up from the tools and the breadth of his technical experience and flexibility of attitude enabled a partnering approach that owed little to the formal contract and underpinned constructive dialogue to resolve all project issues.
His gift for communicating effectively at all levels was accompanied by a gentle humour and an unfailing ability to keep things in proportion not always found on construction sites. When problems arose and plans had to be altered, David simply considered what needed to be done and how to achieve it. Articulate – and firm when necessary – with site operatives, suppliers, consultants, politicians and neighbours alike, he was constantly polite and upbeat.
He always looked well ahead, taking the initiative in calling co-ordination and design development meetings where he would quickly establish the key issues and implications. He then led the resulting debate to arrive at options for practical and timely resolution.
He brought the neighbours onside by giving them his 24-hour contact details and taking care to minimise the impact of the site on their lives. Accordingly, he installed low-level site accommodation, and kept the roads mud-free by paving as much of the site as he could with crushed concrete. The site was continuously dampened down during dry spells and David offered local residents the opportunity to have their cars and windows washed.
With a lifetime in construction, David knew the immovable completion date could only be met on this fast-track build by taking advantage of a slight but crucial opportunity to set up the site ahead of the original timeline. He convinced the design team, and from then on maintained the momentum through to handover – on time and on budget – by constantly encouraging, cajoling and leading from the front. His success was marked with a promotion from site manager to project manager during the course of the project.