Finalist |
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Category: Projects
£4-7m Name: Ian Davidson Company: Trak Build Project: Berystede Hotel, Ascot Contract: JCT 1998 with contractor's design |
Of the many skills that Ian Davidson successfully deployed on this project, making the client feel he was on their side was probably the key. For Ian was building it not just in the grounds of a prestigious hotel complex, but also off the back of it.
Built on sloping ground at the rear of the hotel, the new structure's first floor shared a common wall with the hotel's ground floor. The hotel was to remain open for business during the construction period, and it stressed it wanted no disruption to its operations or aggravation for its guests.
In Ian the client got a construction manager who delivered exactly what was required. He screened off the working zone with wicker-faced solid hoarding panels. And he made sure the subcontractors fully appreciated the working constraints and business environment, while driving progress and quality. Hotel residents made very few complaints during the works and the client's appreciation was clear.
As well as mastering the client interface, Ian provided some exceptional technical input. He omitted the first-floor screed topping specified in favour of a high-quality slap float finish to hold the programme and maximise floor-to-ceiling height. He also put a lot of value engineering into the M&E package – boiler specification, ventilation and alternative fittings.
But his most impressive technical achievement was proposing the drainage solution. The original intent was to deal with the downward slope of the site by building a contiguous piled retaining wall complete with capping beam and then undertaking a 4m reduce dig.
Encountering considerable amounts of groundwater in the enabling works, which would have overwhelmed the predesigned drained cavity, the team came up with all sorts of suggestions: sisal render, damp-proof membranes, etc. All were costly and failed to address the cause of the problem. Ian came up with the ultimate solution, a deep land drain that offered a long-term cost-effective measure and tied in with the programme.
A superb team leader and team player, Ian handed over this facility to the highest standard of quality, to budget and on schedule (indeed, Ian was able to let fit-out begin four weeks early) to a delighted client.
