Finalist |
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Category: Restoration Name: Simon Byford Company: Sir Robert McAlpine Project: HBOS, The Mound, Edinburgh Contract: SBCC with quantities and contractor's design |
Unfailingly courteous and instinctively collaborative, Simon Byford also has the courage to stand by his convictions. His resistance to the imposition of the suggested 12-month construction period as unrealistic won this contract for Sir Robert McAlpine in the first place. His scrupulous honesty in the face of some hideous subsequent structural surprises pulled the team together in identifying and implementing solutions.
To restore this 200-year-old building to its former glory, Simon had to remove a floor inserted into the original great hall along with other mezzanine additions. He also took out nine lifts (none of which served all eight floors), replacing them with an all-floors duplex model.
The unexpected is only to be expected in such an environment, but nasty surprises happened on a regular basis on this project. The discovery of asbestos brought the programme to a crashing halt for six weeks. It transpired that the great hall's southwest pier was not supported below floor level. Chimney flues were found to riddle vertical masonry elements so extensively that they were effectively hollow. In the face of each horror, Simon was unfailingly calm and rational, ensuring that the impetus of the project was never threatened.
And it wasn't just Simon's quiet assertiveness and complete control that brought this project through. It was also his innovative approach to technical problems that won the confidence of the client that extra budget and programme were needed to carry out the stunning internal transformation it sought in its iconic building.
It was Simon who proposed building the duplex lift shaft off a transfer structure at ground level while simultaneously commencing work on the basement level. His solution brought enormous programming and buildability benefits.
Being over budget and over time (even when it is no fault of the contractor) is enough to damn many a project as a failure. That Simon has concluded this one in triumph, to the praise of client, architect and every other interested party, is a tribute to his construction manager excellence.
