Projects under £3m

Client: Cine UK
Project: 10-screen cinema fit-out, Huntingdon
Form of contract: JCT Design and Build
Contract final account: £1.7m

Charles Amoo-Gottfried's expertise in the specialist field of cinema fit-out led to him being appointed to head up this job while he was completing another fit-out for the same client. He began to develop a shortened programme based on his own progress and labour records from his current contract.

His outstanding achievement on this project was designing and preparing his own planning matrix, which his organisation is considering using on other, similar short-term contracts.

Amoo-Gottfried planned and controlled progress on site using a rolling three-week programme, which he updated every two weeks, having secured the commitment of the various subcontractors concerned. In turn, he always ensured that each subcontractor had a clean and tidy working area and continuity of work. He also encouraged subcontractors to look after and to chase each other – in effect, to work as a team.

He also developed a simple progress and availability schedule that highlighted which areas had become available ahead of programme and which items required urgent action before a following trade could start work.

The schedule was extended to include a simple sign-off system so that all trades, and the client, knew what work had to be finished for an area to be signed-off as completed.

This careful attention to detail on programme and progress matters was the main reason for the contract finishing a week early, despite starting four weeks late. Amoo-Gottfried's team also had to complete some of the works left by the base-build contractor.

Amoo-Gottfried's planning and programming skills stood out on this project, enabling him to produce a good quality job in a short timespan.

With his specialist knowledge of cinema fit-out and experience gained on similar contracts, Amoo-Gottfried quickly gained the confidence of the client. This included paying special attention to the stringent fire regulations in cinemas and to the projection chamber and auditorium requirements.

The client and the client's agent were impressed with Amoo-Gottfried's "unflappability" at all times and his ability to provide a solution to a problem before it became a serious obstacle to progress. His laid-back approach and rapport with all levels of people in the contract, from suppliers to the client, was also key to his success.

Martyn Wright, Wates Construction, Cambridge

Client: BT
Project: Office refurbishment, Cambridge. Complete strip-out of one floor to create a new call centre
Form of contract: JCT Intermediate
Contract final account: £2.1m

This contract was for the refurbishment of one floor of a dowdy 1960s office block to form a new call centre to control all trunk traffic in the country. The works consisted of phased internal demolition, new partitions, extensive mechanical and electrical services and general finishings, and was carried out while the floor was occupied.

The whole of the works was split into three separate phases over an 18-month period, with each phase tendered as a separate contract. The first two contracts were competitively tendered, but by the third, the client was keen to retain Wright and his team. At the start of the contract the call centre monitored all trunk calls in the South-east. By its end the centre handled the entire country. It was essential to the client, therefore, that the centre should continue operating uninterrupted throughout construction and that completion dates should be achieved.

Wright's success lay in his detailed planning and supervision. The client was also impressed by his "outstanding professionalism and caring approach to his customer", and his habit of "going that one extra step to gain customer satisfaction". Indeed, the project would not have been possible without a good relationship between Wright and the call centre management. His liaison with the client was noted as one factor that made the project a success.

With construction work taking place in and around a working call centre and within a difficult and confined space, there was inevitable disruption and inconvenience to the call centre's employees from time to time. However, one of Wright's citations recalls his "tactful, supportive approach . . . and his excellent interpersonal skills in maintaining diplomacy with the occupants, who were faced with a major disruption to their working environment".

It was also imperative that the working area was kept as clean and free from dust as possible, as there was a lot of expensive and sensitive computer equipment in use. Wright isolated the constantly moving construction works from the call centre, and through clever programming and phasing made sure that a workable environment was maintained at all times for the call centre staff.

A robust health and safety regime was essential on site to protect the client's staff. This was particularly true during one phase of construction, when Wright had to provide access through the construction works for the client's staff so that they could reach an area that had been "land-locked" in an earlier phase.

Several of Wright's citations refer to his emphasis on health and safety, and his care and attention to detail in this area enabled him to achieve an accident-free site.

The completed call centre is unrecognisable from the original, and the client is delighted on all counts.

Martin Kent, HBG Special Contracts, London

Client: Kings College, London
Project: Refurbishment of Kings College Chapel, including conservation, decoration, new mechanical and electrical installation
Form of contract: JCT Intermediate
Contract final account: £486,000

The chapel at Kings College, tucked away just off the Strand in London, is a gem of Victorian design and decoration, but it was in dire need of a face-lift when Martin Kent was appointed to lead the refurbishment. The extent of the decoration work is immediately apparent (just look at a small section of wall deliberately left in its original condition). Less obvious work includes new mechanical and electrical systems in the floor and ceiling voids, refurbished pews and new flooring in the aisles.

The work was timed for completion before the start of the new academic year in October but, with the college in use throughout the project, Kent had to ensure minimum disruption to college life. Limited space for accommodation and storage was expected. So was a difficult access for all materials — through a window at first-floor level, across a temporary walkway constructed over the main staircase, across a public area and into the chapel. But the use of the Great Hall as an examination room immediately below the chapel was not anticipated.

Once the contract was under way, Kent discovered that the scaffold he had planned to use was too heavy for the floor of the chapel and there was a risk it would cause the floor to collapse. The scaffold was redesigned to ensure that its weight would be taken by the walls and the floor would be protected.

Although the contract was not noisy in itself, the installation of mechanical and electrical services and the erection of a complete birdcage scaffold are not quiet operations, and Kent was regularly advised of the college's need for an imminent quiet period.

By starting work early and finishing late, Kent ensured minimum disruption to the college's programme, at the expense of his own ease of working. Deliveries were scheduled accordingly, so there were no noisy lorries or cranes operating while exams were under way. He put himself out for the college and inspired his team to follow suit.

A measure of Kent's success on this project is that he received no serious complaints throughout the contract. This was largely due to his regular liaison with the college authorities, the technical team and the dean of the chapel. In fact, he estimates that about a third of his time was spent in ensuring that his work did not adversely affect the college.

Kent is immensely proud of what he has achieved on this contract. His awareness of the sensitivity of the project resulted in no damage to the chapel and an impressive health and safety record. The result is visually stunning and is a testament to his close and detailed supervision of this challenging project.