- Client: North Lanarkshire Council (Participant) Hub South West (Territory)
- Role: Project Manager, Cost Advisor and Principal Designer Services
- Value: £38m
- Programme: Intelligent Brief Development – Dec 2021 Hub Stage 1 – July 2022
- Procurement: Hub DBDA
- Location: North Lanarkshire
Project Description
North Lanarkshire Council has a vision to develop a new Community Hub on the site of the existing the Lawmuir Primary School which will include:
- Sacred Heart Primary
- Lawmuir Primary School
- Family Learning Centre
- Community Centre
The amenities will extend to high quality outdoor and indoor sports facilities, extensive landscaped shared playground for both schools and a dedicated outside play space for the Family Learning Centre, enthusing the youngest of learners.
The design of the Orbiston Community Hub is currently on track to deliver the council’s first fully electric Town & Community Hub development which represents a significant and fundamental step for the council in their path towards Net-Zero.
This Hub will deliver on average a 90% reduction in carbon emissions and 60% reduction in energy consumption, compared to the estimated performance of the existing Lawmuir and Sacred Heart Primary schools.
Challenges
The project successfully progressed through hub stage 1 which resulted in a design which captured stakeholder requirements alongside the Authority Construction Requirements, however the Site Investigation discovered particularly poor soil conditions. The resulting substructure solution proved to be extremely expensive due to the necessary piles, soil remediation and extensive ground beams. To mitigate the projected overspend, a significant cost saving exercise was undertaken with a view to establishing the most efficient design possible whilst limiting any negative impact to the final service provision.
Other challenges included:
- Obtaining and agreeing each of the Stakeholders requirements and incorporating these within the developing design proposals
- Effectively progressing soft market testing during a period of very high inflation and material shortages
- Working within the GIFA budgets established for each individual end user
Successes
The key successes on the project were:
- The stage 1 design was developed to the satisfaction of the client and wider stakeholders and the associated report submitted in line with the agreed programme dates
- The cost saving exercise was particularly difficult due to the magnitude of saving required, however all parties collaborated well and explored all available options to establish an excellent design solution which reduced the estimated cost by over 20%
- Clear project set up from the outset provided all parties with a firm understanding of the project parameters and the stakeholder responsibilities necessary to ensure the effective progression of the project
- Clear and effective communication maintained throughout the process to maintain project progress
- Online consultation with staff, parents and pupils was a resounding success with all fully engaged throughout the design process
Lessons Learnt
The principal lesson learnt was the importance of early contractor review and comment regarding matters such as Site Investigations. Whilst stage 1 commenced with the Tier One contractor involved and existing project information was reviewed, there was an opportunity to seek comment during the earlier Intelligent Brief process. This wouldn’t have changed the condition of the soil, however it would have provided important information relating to the site conditions much earlier and subsequently allowed for the design to progress accordingly.
Benefits to Client
- Extensive Schools experience
- Successful Stakeholder Management
- Live primary cost data for benchmarking
- Strong relationships with the Design Team