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Category: Projects £7-10m Name: Leslie Henson Company: Willmott Dixon Construction Project: Castle Rock School , Coalville, Leicestershire Contract: NEC option C |
Les Henson turned in a stellar performance in virtually every aspect of construction management on this project. Not having designed a new secondary school for 25 years, the client had limited awareness of commercial pressures, time scales and financial constraints. Fortunately, Les had the insight and ability to turn this project into a construction manager's triumph.
Halfway through the project, the client urgently requested completion 14 weeks ahead of schedule. The request came after a structural survey of the existing school had led to the closure (a year early) of half the buildings, with classes transferred to mobile units set up on the school playing field.
Considering the client's goals to be his own, Les agreed where perhaps many would have refused. He rescheduled the programme, condensing construction elements, bringing trades onsite sooner and overlapping their work. And while allowing the client to begin its fit-out ahead of construction completion threw up logistical issues, it enhanced his already strong relationship with a client for whom this school was part of a contract for four new builds with Willmott Dixon.
Les also successfully overcame a four-week delay caused by problems with the new school's timber glulam frame. And he undertook extra remediation works (a £100,000 cost uplift that had to be contained within the budget!) to provide a level plateau for an all-weather sports pitch.
Les kept close financial control through cost plans and individual package sign-offs, early warning notices to client and design team, and proactive best value solutions. And value engineering was as much about functional and design improvements as it was about costs.
For example, Les changed the main school roof from tongue-and-groove boards with insulation to more thermally efficient structural insulated panels (SIPs). And jettisoned the tongue-and-groove boards and polycarbonate for the library roof in favour of the superior appearance and natural daylight gains of a fully glazed structure.
Confident, enthusiastic and determined, Les overwhelmed the client and the stakeholders with an outstanding feat of project management.
