Name: Stephen Forshaw
Employer: Interserve
Project: Parliament House, Edinburgh
Contract: NEC 3
An old hand at undertaking complex refurbs in live environments, Steven Forshaw was the perfect choice for this job. In the multi-phased and still ongoing project, he has so far completed each handover ahead of programme, accumulating a seven-week gain in the process.
With 14 live courts continuing to operate in the 16th century building, it was critical to ensure that the refurb did not affect them. Steve even employed a full-time onsite fire alarm engineer because any disruption caused by false alarms would have proved horribly expensive.
Noise in particular was always going to be an issue, so before going onsite Steve brought in sound engineers to carry out a series of tests. With the vulnerable areas identified, he was able to protect them with acoustic partitions. This cut works noise to acceptable levels, allowing the courts to get on with their day-to-day business while Steve got on with his. It also reduced the visual impact of contractors on the site and helped keep them separate from the building’s users.
Steve’s adoption of a traditional design negated the need for complicated temporary works and shoring as load-bearing walls were removed to create new chambers for the judges. He also came up with the idea of refurbishing the judges’ rooms earlier on to allow the main contract works to start earlier than planned, shielding the judges from the greater disruption that would entail.
As well as delivering the first phase of the project early and bang on budget, Steve put great effort into defining and driving a quality paradigm. He spent hours personally showing all the subcontractors around the site to ensure they understood the intricacies involved in the works. And he built a judge’s chamber onsite, which even incorporated heating and lighting, for the users to view and confirm their acceptance.
Value: £7m