Pre-Construction - Where Project Success is Decided

The dome of Florence Cathedral was engineered and constructed by Filippo Brunelleschi between 1420 and 1436.

It stands as a masterwork of the Renaissance not just because of its innovative self-supporting brickwork double shell, but because of the custom-built lifting machines and Brunelleschi’s management of the construction process.

To this day, it is still the largest masonry dome in existence.

Brunelleschi had trained as a goldsmith rather than as an architect or engineer, and was widely mocked for his design and ambitious plans for the dome. However, he continued undeterred and did not simply design the dome and leave others to work out how it could be built.

He considered the structure, materials, construction sequence, access, lifting arrangements and costs as connected parts of the same problem. He even developed specialist machinery to move materials to working height and an amphibious vehicle to stop the marble from being damaged while it was being unloaded at the docks.

It took Brunelleschi two years of pre-construction planning before getting started in 1420.

So what is the point?

Successful builders and project managers have always understood that complicated construction cannot be left until you are on site and underway, with the missing details simply worked out as you go. Don’t be fooled into thinking that your residential project is ‘not that complicated’, because
it is.

There needs to be a central party asking whether the design can be constructed, whether it meets the client’s expectations, whether it remains within budget, whether the required information is available and whether the proposed sequence is safe and practical.

Without this oversight, a project can gradually become a collection of individual designs and decisions rather than one cohesive plan – something which should be avoided at all costs.

Our experience has been developed through physically building complicated residential projects, managing specialist trades and identifying and resolving, at an early stage, the realities that drawings do not always reveal. This construction-led approach to pre construction has become something we are incredibly proud of.

By becoming involved before construction begins, we can review a project through the eyes of the people who will eventually be responsible for delivering it. We can challenge buildability, identify missing information, contribute to design coordination, examine procurement risks and help ensure that the specification aligns with the budget and the client’s expectations.

No amount of preparation can remove every unknown. Construction takes place in the real world, where circumstances change and surprises occur, but what thorough pre-construction can do is remove as many unknowns as possible from the equation.

Do you have a centralised party looking after your residential project and guiding you through design, pre-construction, construction and completion?

If not, it’s probably worth considering who can.

Jeremy

Taylor Kings Ltd

Our post-construction phase framework.

  • Deep Cleaning – We employ professional cleaners who understand the importance of the products they are using and the methods they adopt.
  • Completion inspections – We go over every inch of the project to ensure that the work meets our incredibly high expectations.
  • Submission of Certification – We submit all certification to the building inspector/s to achieve project completion.
  • Handover – We carry out a full walk-through with our clients so that they can be shown the operations of all new equipment.
  • Operations & Maintenance Manual – We assemble and present a full O&M folder with guides for any new systems and care instructions.
  • Documentation Pack – Alongside the O&M manual, we assemble a documentation pack for any work completed which includes as-built drawings, service mark-ups, specification packs and relevant certifications.
  • Contacts Directory – Beyond being the main point of contact, we also form a comprehensive list of contacts which have worked on the project.
  • 12 Month Rectification Visit – As standard on any project, we always return after 12 months to carry out any snagging.
  • Ongoing support – We are there for our existing clients, long after completion. From handyman tasks to full maintenance plans, we offer a level of service which is not offered to the wider public.

Our construction phase framework.

  • Internal Inspections – There are a host of inspections to be completed and recorded on a daily and weekly basis. From welfare facilities, tidiness and security to major safety considerations such as scaffolding – our site agents use a centralised mobile application, where we have created bespoke templates to follow and track all of the inspections.
  • External Inspection – We organise and fulfil compliance inspections from building and warranty inspectors and our third-party health and safety inspector.
  • Meetings – We hold official weekly site meetings for the project team and all parties which are affected the current or imminent programme. We also hold official progress meetings, normally on a monthly frequency, with the clients and wider project team.
  • Reviews – We constantly review and tweak all of the various pre-construction project plans and main programme, issuing any changes to the project team and client.
  • Quality Control – Anyone working on our sites knows the exceptional standards we expect, but we still remain vigilant and ensure that the standards are met in every detail.
  • Information Collation – we collate and present all building control inspections, product warranties, operating and maintenance records and start to form the post-completion documentation.

Our pre-construction framework.

  • Define the Project Scope – We sit down and evaluate the drawings, technical specifications and information schedules before setting out clear project objectives, deliverables, a breakdown of key components and a list of possible conflicts.
  • Set a Project Programme – using the agreed scope, we layout a project programme. We do this using GANTT chart software which is a tool to visualise and rationalize time scales.
  • Form a Cost Management plan – we use the costing documents and project programme to estimate financial forecasts.
  • Form a Risk Management plan – we seek to find, highlight and plan for any items which may create risk to the programme or budget.
  • Form a Health and Safety plan – this is an extension of our Construction Phase Plans and highlights our use of developed Risk and Method Statements.
  • Create a communication plan – how we inform any external parties like neighbours of work that may affect them, we look at setting on/off site meeting frequencies, expectations for the transfer of information in RFI’s (requests for information), completion of various Registers and form a centralised shared information hub.
  • Form a Procurement Plan – We assess the lead times of all proposed materials and trades and map these against the project programme to highlight any risks to the programme. 
  • Highlight Quality Concerns – we review the selected materials and specifications to assess any areas which will need careful quality control to meet our high expectations.

Our compliance commitments:

  • Qualified and competent personnel for every role, including Site Manager.
  • Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) qualified site agents.
  • Dedicated Construction Phase Plans.
  • Fully developed Risk Assessments and Method Statements (RAMS).
  • Thorough Fire Control and Emergency Plans.
  • Detailed site inductions for all personnel and visitors.
  • Correct and clear site signage and first aid stations.
  • Regular inspections and maintenance of all plant and equipment by qualified third party inspectors (LOLER).
  • Daily inspections of plant and equipment.
  • Regular site inspection audits by a third party health & safety consultant.