A complex residential project will involve an architect, a structural engineer and a builder. In all likelihood there will be an interior designer, quantity surveyor and an AV specialist. Beyond that there may be an M&E consultant, lighting designer, landscape architect and numerous specialist suppliers.

That is a lot of very capable people. But who is actually managing the project? It sounds like an obvious question, yet the answer is often surprisingly unclear.

Everyone involved will have their own responsibilities, but that does not necessarily mean somebody is looking after the project as a whole.

Someone needs to understand how one decision affects another. Does the architectural detail work with the structure? Has the interior design been coordinated with the mechanical and electrical installation? Have the cost implications been considered? Is the information available early enough for procurement? Is the programme realistic?

Individually, these questions may sit with different members of the team. Collectively, this is project management, and it needs to start long before you go out to your preferred builders for pricing.
Without someone joining the dots, individual decisions can quickly start pulling the project in different directions. One consultant may be waiting for information from another. The contractor may be waiting for both. A specialist supplier may need a decision before something can be released into manufacture.

This often leaves the client having to make urgent decisions they reasonably assumed the professional team would resolve between themselves. This is not a criticism of the professionals involved, but the problem comes when everyone assumes somebody else is taking care of the gaps between them.

Good project management is not about producing endless spreadsheets or filling diaries with meetings (I’ve sat through far too many meetings that have gone nowhere). It is about understanding the complete picture, asking the right questions and making sure decisions are reached at the right time.

At Taylor Kings, this is increasingly how we prefer to work alongside our role as contractor.

Rather than arriving once the design is largely complete, we prefer to work with our clients from the outset. We can help organise the project, coordinate the professional team, review design decisions from a construction perspective, manage procurement and programme, and ultimately take the project through construction and completion.

The right architects, engineers and specialist designers are still essential, but in our opinion a well-organised project does not need numerous additional layers of management and separate points of contact.

For the right project, this allows us to offer our clients a genuine turnkey service. One team remains closely involved from the early conversations through to handing over the finished home. It can also reduce duplicated professional fees and, just as importantly, simplify communication.

A collection of excellent individual designs does not automatically create an excellent project. Someone still needs to stand far enough back to understand how everything fits together, while remaining close enough to deal with the detail.

So, if you are in the early stages of a substantial residential project and already have a talented team around you, there is still one important question worth asking…Who is actually managing it?

Jeremy

Taylor Kings Ltd