Cover Story careful planning, collaboration and problemsolving. That might be an occupied building, a technically demanding refurbishment, a site with complex logistical constraints or a project involving multiple stakeholder groups.
The Wellcome Genome Campus, Lincoln’ s Inn and Red Bull are very different clients and environments, but they share a common requirement: they need a contractor who can understand an existing building, plan carefully and deliver around live operational requirements.
That is what successful delivery is really about. You can have excellent drawings and surveys, but once you start opening up an existing building there will inevitably be elements that could not have been fully anticipated.
Our role is to identify those issues early, communicate them properly and work collaboratively with the client, consultants and wider project team to find the right solution rather than simply presenting a problem.
We believe that approach, and our ability to deal with complexity without losing sight of the client’ s objectives, has been a key factor in our success.
How has the role of the contractor changed over Beardwell’ s 40 years? How have client expectations evolved?
The role of the contractor has evolved significantly over the past 40 years and is now far broader than it once was.
Historically, there was a clearer distinction between the client, consultant, designer and contractor, with each party operating within relatively defined responsibilities. Today, clients increasingly expect contractors to become involved much earlier in the process and to take a far more proactive role.
As a result, we are increasingly engaged in buildability, design development, programming, logistics, procurement, sustainability, compliance with building regulations and risk management long before work begins on site.
We see that as a positive shift. In our experience, the most successful projects are those where the contractor is engaged early enough to contribute its practical knowledge and expertise to the development of the project, rather than simply being handed a completed set of drawings to deliver.
What have four decades of working in challenging live environments taught Beardwell about planning, communication and client relationships?
Four decades of working in challenging live environments have taught us that you cannot over plan or over communicate.
Working within an occupied building is very different from operating on an empty
construction site. Delivering the physical works is only part of the challenge.
We need to understand how the building is used, when disruptive activities can be carried out, how materials and plant will move through the site, how critical services will be maintained and which operations simply cannot be interrupted.
The most successful project teams are those that take the time to understand these factors before work starts and continue to communicate throughout the project.
Good communication is critical. Clients are generally very understanding when they are kept informed and have confidence that the project is being properly managed. Challenges become much more difficult when they come as a surprise.
Ultimately, it is about putting ourselves in the client’ s position. We may only be working in their building temporarily, whereas they are responsible for operating it every day. Understanding that distinction influences the way we plan, communicate and deliver our work.
Can you take us behind the scenes of a project where Beardwell had to rethink its approach during construction, and explain how that problem-solving ultimately affected the outcome?
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