Month: October 2013

“Talk Construction” and Design Management Seminar

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The Constructing Excellence in Yorkshire and Humberside seminar series continued today with its follow up event to the inaugural presentation on design held last month with RIBA with Design Management. The Centre for Knowledge Exchange team at Leeds Metropolitan University were delighted to welcome John Eynon, CIOB Ambassador and Author of “The Design Manager’s Handbook”, alongside Dr Andrew Platten Associate Dean at Leeds Met covering a CIOB themed and supported presentation.

Delegates packed the room at DLA Architectures’ office in Leeds centre and were treated to two presentations chaired by Cliff Jones, Senior Policy and Performance Manager  for Procure21+ at the Department of Health in Leeds.

Andrew who had kindly stepped in to cover the duties of Eddie Tuttle who was unable to attend did a sterling job of the presenting the CIOB’s current main initiative ‘Talk Construction’ which is to be held In London on 25/26th November http://www.talkconstruction.co.uk/. He asked the seminar group to consider not only attending the event but also to provide a context for its legacy here in the region and in particular the questions being posed by CIOB:

  • What are the biggest issues affecting your business?
  • What do you think about Construction 2025?
  • Results of this research will form part of extensive regional survey to members and results announced at the conference

Andrew invites all involved to either contact the CIOB through the website above or via a.platten@leedsmet.ac.uk

John’s presentation focused on the principles of the Design Management which includes the management of all project related design activities, people, processes, and resources and which enables the effective flow and production of design information. Using a  “Four step process” John noted that failure to properly address the project needs and brief fully before contract award would have a major impact on the management of risk throughout the build and handover stages.

The next event on  27th November sees an infrastructure themed event supported by ICE and focusing on best practice project management with keynote speaker Denise Bower of Leeds University and member of the Construction Industry Strategy Advisory Council, Yorkshire Water. For further details and booking information please visit the Centre for Knowledge Exchange (CKE) website here

About the Constructing Excellence Seminar series

Developed by the Centre for Knowledge Exchange, part of Leeds Metropolitan University, this exciting new programme aims to provide a regular focus on the most important and relevant aspects of the construction and property sector. Based on a breakfast seminar slot on the last Wednesday of each month, the series aims to bring construction leaders and practitioners together for networking and collaboration around a themed topic on each occasion. Each of our events will seek to bring in support from the various Institutions and professional bodies involved in the sector.

Celebrating another year of construction success throughout the region

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On Friday 11th October 2013 over 240 construction guests attended the CEYH 2013 Awards held at The Marriot Hotel in Leeds, presented by Harry Gration. We would like to thank all the sponsors, judges and for those of you who submitted entries and we are delighted to announce the winners below.

Health and Safety Award – BAM / Morgan Sindall

Innovation Award   – Turner & Townsend

Legacy – Sustainability Award – LILAC and White Design

SME Award – The Stable Company

Achievers’ Award – Maria Fowler (Morgan Sindall / Grontmij)

Young Achiever Award – Caroline Key (CITB)

Heritage Award – East Riding of Yorkshire Council

Project of the Year – Leeds Arena – BAM Construction Ltd

Consultant of the Year – LEDA

Client of the Year – East Riding of Yorkshire Council

Contractor of the Year – BAM Construction Ltd

Value Award – Interserve Construction

Integration & Collaboration Award – Yorkshire Water

Leadership & People Development Award – Henry Boot Construction Ltd

BIM Project of the year – Leeds Arena – BAM Construction Ltd

Best of the Best – Yorkshire Water

Congratulating the overall winners Andrew Arundel Chair of the Yorkshire Constructing Excellence club said,

I congratulate all the shortlisted finalists and particularly the winners of each of the 16 categories. It was a fantastic evening and really showed how the Yorkshire and Humber region is at the forefront of delivering ‘excellence in construction’.

Organised by Leeds Metropolitan University and Constructing Excellence a packed Marriot Hotel hosted the CEYH event which is now firmly established as a highlight of the construction calendar in Yorkshire and Humber. The audience, which included guests from across the public and private sectors, was addressed by Keith Gilson giving the real contractor perspective in current economic climate.

The LILAC project emerged as winner of the Legacy – Sustainability Award a project that the judges felt truly represented ‘sustainable development’. The finished product has provided 20 homes and apartments creating community on the site of an old primary school in Bramley, Leeds. LILAC is the UK’s first affordable, ecological co-housing project. The development of twenty houses and apartments welcomed its first residents back in March 2013, and recently celebrated its official opening event. LILAC, which stands for Low Impact Living Affordable Community, is a cohousing group who have commissioned the housing with the assistance of the Homes and Communities Agency, the Technology Strategy Board and White Design. The design is contemporary and sets a new standard for both environmental performance and house design in suburban environments.

BAM Construction Ltd  , the integrated design, construction and engineering company swept the board winning the top award for its use of technology (BIM – building information modelling) and project of the year – both for its pioneering approach to the build of Leeds Arena.

BAM Nuttall and Morgan Sindall shared the top spot for another critical category – health and safety –  for their joint venture on the M62 managed motorway scheme.

Steve Wheller Design & Planning Director for BAM Construction North said:

BAM are delighted to have won 3 of the prestigious Constructing Excellence Awards for Yorkshire and the Humber Region. We are committed to the Constructing Excellence drive for change in the industry to improve performance in order to provide a better built environment.

“Our delivery of the iconic Leeds Arena, our use of BIM and overall Regional performance have all been recognised as examples of innovation and continued improvement.” 

Other winners at the awards included Yorkshire Water, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, and consultancy Turner and Townsend.

To view pictures of the evening please go to : http://vectorphotography.photoshelter.com/gallery/Excellence-in-Construction/G0000IoJHa8LrI5g

or if you would like information about sponsoring the 2014 Awards please contact us on 0113 8129106 or c.bowles@leedsmet.ac.uk

New programme of Constructing Excellence in the region, kicking off with a look at Design

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Constructing Excellence in Yorkshire and Humber kicked off its new programme for its Autumn series today, attended by some 30 construction professionals from across the Leeds City Region.

Developed by Centre for Knowledge Exchange part of the Leeds Metropolitan University this exciting new programme aims to provide a focus and deliver on the most important and relevant aspects of the construction and property sector. Based on a breakfast seminar slot on the last Wednesday of each month, the series aims to bring construction leaders and practitioners together for networking and collaboration around a themed topic on each occasion.

The series was ably kicked off today with a Design themed seminar which included a presentation on RIBA’s new Plan of Work 2013 from John Orrell Group Director of DLA Design in Leeds (and part of the authoring RIBA review group for the Plan of Work) and from Rob Charlton, Chief Executive of _space Architects a look at the opportunities presented to maximise design value through Off Site Construction techniques. John noted that there had been no real change made to the RIBA Plan of Work since its creation in 1963, but with the changes brought in by the use and management of data in the construction process and the drivers noted in the Government Construction Strategy in 2011, updating has been necessary to ensure that the Plan of Work incorporates sustainable design principles, provides a structure to support and embed BIM, allows full team integration yet provides the necessary flexibility needed (particularly around planning and procurement).

Rob presentation noted how the tension between price/value and ‘good’ design, sometimes gets misinterpreted (to the point where some London Schools cost more than an Acute Hospital), and how standardisation in a fully thought through design can deliver huge savings and fantastic value for money. Much of the thinking in this respect relies on the latest approaches to design and construction processes as well as learning from other industries such as Automotive and Aerospace where there have been huge step changes in design and productivity.

Chaired by Don Ward, CEO of Constructing Excellent who made a great gesture by visiting Leeds for this event from London, the event marks the start of a much needed platform for discussion and views relating to the construction industry, which CE (Y&H) hopes to fulfil with its programme over the coming year.

Each event will seek to bring in support from the various Institutions and professional bodies involved in the sector. The next event on 30th October is themed around the CIOB with a presentation on their Talk Construction initiative from Eddie Tuttle at CIOB HQ and John Eynon CIOB Ambassador and Author of “The Design Manager’s Handbook”. 27th November sees an Civil Engineering themed event focusing on best practice project management with keynote speaker Denise Bower of Leeds University and member of the Construction Industry Strategy Advisory Council.

Procurement is a process – buying is an output

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HEA STEM: Procurement Frameworks; Learning and teaching issues and solutions for contemporary practice

Over thirty delegates from a cross section of academia, post graduate part time students, construction professionals and client organisations (NHS) were brought together at a HEA STEM funded workshop to explore the learning and teaching issues surrounding Procurement, with a focus on the importance of employer engagement and real life case study evidence leading to better engagement and enhanced student experience in Higher Education .

The seminar was focussed on Procurement Practice in the construction industry. The academic members of staff presented their real experiences of procurement practice from an SME perspective whilst leading professionals offered their contractor and client side perspectives on procurement practice with an excellent case study presentation of by the Olympic Delivery Authority as an exemplar case study of best practice procurement. 

The event started with an overview of the HEA and potential funding streams available and continued with the academic perspective of procurement practice within the construction sector with evidence from both cutting edge sme research and engagement to practitioner case study presentations from the Olympic Delivery Authority and the NHS Procure21

David Woolley acting as the chair for the seminar, guided delegates through a series of presentations encouraging and facilitating debate and discussion. 

The Procurement Conference  examined the issues in procurement and construction in particular and how this might better inform Higher Education’s approaches to supporting new graduates and post graduates in this ‘post Latham and Egan reports’ world. 

To do this practical research and exemplar case studies were presented to inform debate and discussion. Research included examining the actual experience of tier 2 & 3 suppliers in framework bidding and exemplar cases studies included the remarkable Olympic Park Construction Project presented by Head of Procurement on the programme Paul Dickinson from the Olympic Delivery Authority.

Cliff Jones demonstrated the principles he’d employed in the delivery of the NHS’s Procure21 approach.

What was clear is that the team working and supply chain integration proposed by Latham and Egan have enjoyed much support and variability in execution. A variance that sees world class examples like he Olympic programme and some efforts more reminiscent of what went before and inspired the White papers in the first instance. 

This discussion made the challenge and content required of Higher Education more clear. Partnering and supply chain perspectives it seems need to include the fundamental principles that lead to those contractual behaviours and not simply new (however clever) processes. 

Much was suggested around negotiation development and in particular the development of interest based negotiation (a problem solving approach) rather than positional bargaining which might be making the situation worse. 

Advantages accruing from integrated supply chain initiatives, so called “intelligent procurement” place great demands on disparate interacting teams to work collaboratively together and put in contract arrangements that facilitate that.  Clearly suggesting this becomes a consultative negotiation and not a “one person buys something” activity. 

Holding on to that idea in a testing project requires much understanding and a broader strategic perspective. It was agreed that the content of Higher Education courses in these professional areas needs to include: collaborative problem solving; interest based negotiation; strategic perspective; supply chain management principles. 

This learning from this HEA workshop will be taken forwards in the form of a collection of resources for both Academics and Student audiences which will be available to be accessed online This event formed part of a Higher Education Academy Special Interest Group which has been set up with specific outputs to deliver :

–       Develop practionner case studies of best practice on Frameworks/ Procurement Practice

–       Gather resources from the Procurement seminar and post online as resources for both lecturers and students (video footage Procurement Frameworks; Learning and teaching issues and solutions for contemporary practice  Video )

–       Create an online open Knowledge Exchange platform for the sharing of best practice and information (Via Linkedin and CKE Procure Blog  )

Outputs form this Special Interest group will be presented to the Higher Education Academy towards the end of July. We will look to continue the work of this Special Interest Group with continued support from academics and practionners across the UK , with regular thought pieces to be published online around the theme of Procurement Best Practice to be used as a resource for students , academic staff and construction professionals .