Name: André Witter MCIOB
Employer: Willmott Dixon Construction
Project: St Agnes Church of England Primary School, Manchester
Contract: NEC option C
When a construction manager convinces a public-sector client to build the country’s first primary school out of structural timber panels, it’s clear that he inspires an exceptional level of confidence and trust.
André Witter was the construction manager for this innovative project. Set challenging sustainability targets by the client, he proposed the structural timber panel system to meet them. Walls, floors and roofs were made of internally exposed cross-laminated timber panels, with external cladding of brick and blockwork.
Made in a Swiss factory, the panels eliminated production waste (all byproducts go to biomass or are reconstituted in products such as particle board) and site waste. They also acted as a carbon sink during the growth of the timber, were recyclable products and could serve as a biomass fuel.
The client was brave enough to go for the ground-breaking design, and it was the start of a powerful alliance. André rapidly established the good relationships that drove the integrated project team.
To keep on top of the design, he kept tight control of planning and scheduling, and always remained flexible. He constantly monitored the schedules to ensure he achieved the target six-week programme reduction possible with the construction technique.
He also made value engineering an integral and ongoing aspect of the whole construction process. For example, he used steel floor beams instead of timber in non-exposed areas to reduce the depth of the floor structure and thereby lower the overall height of the building. Combining the demolition and bulk excavation packages brought substantial savings, as did other subcontractor negotiations. It all combined to cut £160k off the project budget.
And just as unusual as the construction materials on this project was one of the outcomes. Enthused by his visit to the Swiss panel factory, André conceived of using the project as an educational aid. An interactive DVD, ‘Magnus Goes to St Agnes’, tells the story of a woodlouse that decides to follow the trees he lives in on their journey from the Swiss forest to help build a school in Manchester.
Value: £5m