Name: John Penn
Employer: Wates Construction
Project: Chelmsley Wood Town Centre Redevelopment, Solihull
Contract: JCT 1998
There was no doubt who led this project. John Penn firmly established his position at the outset, setting up a regime of meetings that regularly brought together the client, consultants and design team. A believer in getting bad news out in the open so the whole team could help resolve it, John’s honest approach helped build and maintain good relationships.
He recognised early on that the steelwork for the structural frames was key to timely delivery, and encouraged designs to be signed off and orders placed. When a major tenant variation subsequently arose, requiring substantial alteration to the roof steelwork, he was adamant that steel procurement should not be delayed to allow the change to be implemented. His tenacity in arguing for continuing the programme and modifying the works afterwards won the day, and ultimately proved the right approach.
What set John apart was his willingness to become engrossed in finding alternative solutions to avoid potential delays and to control costs. For example, the rooflights were designed to sit on a cavity wall in a flat roof area, which would mean internal scaffolding and working within a shaft, creating a difficult roof interface. John pushed through a design enhancement of a preformed lightweight upstand that reduced site labour.
He also recycled demolition materials as hardcore for the car park to save time, money and lorry movements. And his decision to deconstruct rather than demolish the pedestrian footbridges that went over occupied properties as well as roads reduced the impact of the works on local businesses.
Value: £36m