The Ministry of Justice has appointed a raft of consultants to work on the government’s first BIM trial project

Special report BIM

Quantity surveyors Faithful + Gould and Sweett Group, structural engineer URS and architecture practice HLN will all work on the design and delivery of an 180-cell extension to Cookham Wood prison in Kent.

Building understands Interserve, Galliford Try, Kier, Willmott Dixon and Wates have all been shortlisted for the contractor role, with an appointment expected this week.

The project is the first level two BIM trial project to be delivered under the government’s construction strategy.

It is also thought to be the first project in the world to be tendered using a BIM model, after the Ministry of Justice supplied bidders with a basic BIM model to adapt and build upon in their submissions.

Faithful + Gould will act as project manager on the project, while Sweett Group will act as QS.

The Ministry of Justice is the first government department to trial level two BIM ahead of the technology’s roll-out across all public sector projects by 2016.

The department will use the technology on three other trial projects – the refurbishment at Chelmsford Prison and existing projects at the £150m Oakwood Featherstone Prison and the £5m Aberystwyth Law Court.

Cookham Wood is a prison for 15-17 year olds that was originally built in the 1970s.