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Category: Projects £25-50m Name: Graham Sturge Company: John Sisk & Son Project: Wembley Arena, London Contract: JCT 1998 with contractor's design |
A three-month delay in the supply of design information at the start of this project was an accurate harbinger of the difficulties to come for Graham Sturge. The original architect was replaced by two new practices – which took another three months to establish the final construction design. Then, with six months gone but virtually no production onsite to show for it, he had to incorporate £8.5m of variations for an opening date just nine months down the line.
It was the hairiest of scenarios and makes Graham's determination to consistently go the extra mile for the good of the project and working relationships even more impressive. He acted as the conduit for challenges and resolutions for the entire project team and successfully built a culture of openness, honesty, trust, flexibility and the sense of a common goal.
From the outset, Graham wanted to ensure that this technically difficult bespoke refurb of a Grade II-listed structure on a traditional contract did not become confrontational. When challenges arose, he didn't immediately go for an extension of time but looked to alternative methods to achieve the programme. By practical completion, he had reprogrammed the project 19 times and changed its methodology and sequencing five times.
To ensure the still-evolving design would not incorporate details that hampered progress, Graham assisted the design team and involved key subcontractors at an early stage, constantly focusing on buildability to keep production rates up. By treating the project as design and build, he achieved the completion date and value for money.
Knowing the client's budget was under pressure, he proposed innovative solutions to ensure that enough funds were available for critical activities. His successful value-engineering suggestions included a resin floor for the entrance area, external precast concrete panels, and the steel framework in the service yard.
Instead of allowing costs to escalate to meet the critical production targets, Graham was open and honest about the project's commercial aspects. In return he received fair treatment from the client and final account agreement three months before project completion.
