Projects £7m - £11m

GOLD and OVERALL CONSTRUCTION MANAGER OF THE YEAR 2008

Anthony Joubert
Construction manager
Camerons

Project: Liberation Place and Liberation Station, St Helier: construction of five-storey transportation centre and five-storey tourism office, completed in 75 weeks
Value: £10.5m
Contract: JCT

For more information on Joubert's project, see the article 'Construction Manager of the Year Overall Winner', linked below.

SILVER

Geoff Wright MCIOB
Project manager
BAM Construction

Project: Harrogate Royal Hall (pictured): restoration of grade II-listed building, completed in 89 weeks
Value: £8.2m
Contract: NEC option C

Geoff Wright’s approach never fails to impress clients. On this project, he insisted that the first project team meeting be held on the floor of the Royal Hall so that everyone could take in its atmosphere. The meeting set the tone of complete engagement on this renovation scheme that has resulted in a widely-shared pride in the results.

Pride and ownership in the project was further stimulated by Wright’s open-book, proactive and collective approach. He ensured the on-site team always listened to the client and offered constructive dialogue and enthusiasm rather than grudging acceptance.

From the outset, Wright sought the buy-in of key subcontractors and their early involvement in developing ideas and project sequencing. This led to a number of important value engineering solutions that greatly contributed to buildability and the budget.

For example, he proposed stitch repairs to perished structural beams, avoiding the need to dismantle cupolas, roofing and facade stonework. He saved the clinker concrete floors and marble staircase by inserting new structural steelwork for them. And he eliminated many temporary works altogether by reclaiming and reusing existing stonework.

The value offensive, allied to Wright’s close collaboration with the client team and well-founded financial forecasting, released funds and gave the client the cost confidence to fund extra works.

Just as important was Wright’s command of project access, which allowed the client to maximise sponsorship potential. By underwriting the logistics, insurance, fire and security systems, he enabled the Royal Hall to host mid-project visits from the Prince of Wales (plus 300 potential sponsors) and a black-tie performance of Beloved Clara on the birdcage scaffold, which raised £1m.

Choosing the right people and putting them in the right environment with the right information was the cornerstone of his quality control regime, backed up with constant work reviews.

The leaking roofs, rising damp, delaminating plaster and failed structural floors were triumphantly transformed by a construction manager who exudes professionalism.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Glenn Batchlor (GB Building Solutions) for Smyth House, St Andrews Hospital, Northampton
Mike Baynham ICIOB (Carillion Building) for the SWALEC Cricket Stadium, Cardiff
Edward Challis (Morgan Ashurst) for Shipbuilding Facility Hall B2 extension, Portsmouth Naval Dockyard
Malcolm Emmerson ICIOB (Geoffrey Osborne) for Roberts Building, Front Extension, University College London
Nicholas Heath MCIOB (Willmott Dixon Construction) for Loughborough Courthouse
Paul McCrorey MCIOB (Sir Robert McAlpine) for Hazelwood School, Glasgow
Stephen Pearce (Wallis Interiors) for Church House, Great Smith St, London SW1