Name: Nick Hilton MCIOB
Employer: Morgan Sindall
Project: Nottingham Science Park Phase Two, Jessy Boot Way
Contract: JCT 1998
When a client undertaking its first project makes the winning of awards its top priority, the construction manager has good reason to swallow hard. Yet Nick Hilton hit the target in spades, with the project taking everything from sustainability prizes to design medals to building awards.
A key theme was Nick’s formidable relationship building skills. His open and honest approach and regular meetings to establish the key drivers convinced the client it had made the right choice. The regeneration developer now has Nick working on another of its projects and has asked Morgan Ashurst to be its construction partner on a bid for a development scheme.
The lead project architect is also recommending the contractor for other work, while the concrete frame, M&E and groundworks subcontractors have been promoted to preferred status on the Morgan Ashurst supply chain because of the great relationships developed on this project.
Nick brought the programme needs and the design output into alignment by working closely with the designers to ensure that timescales were deliverable. He made sure the design scope was clearly allocated so each party understood their role and there was no room for misunderstanding.
What was even more impressive about Nick’s project leadership was his assured handing of sequencing, buildability and value engineering. When the client requested early completion of 1.6 acres of wetlands, including a lilypad boardwalk, Nick revisited the works logic and timber procurement to deliver.
With one of the two buildings £1.5m over budget, he suggested changing the floor-to-ceiling heights of the undercroft and teaching rooms to allow for future expansion. It saved £1.2m in avoiding the costs of futureproofing the foundations, the frame and so on.
Asked to upgrade the access ramp and floorslabs to take a forklift, Nick re-evaluated room use. By judicious juggling of room uses, he reduced the scope of the upgrade to just one workshop and 25% of the ramp.
He also developed a standardised facade scheme that still, as required by the design, looked random but saved money and limited waste by reducing the number of window types. Likewise, he realised that the boardwalk design concept of individually distinct lilypads could be achieved by standardising on just three shapes and using orientation changes to achieve the unique appearance.
Value: £17.7m