How Big Things Get Done

Taylor Kings blog post image 1 – residential builders in Kent, Sussex & Surrey

I was chatting with an architect recently and I recalled a book which I read in early 2024, by Bent Flyvbjerg & Dan Gardner called ‘How Big Things Get Done’. The conversation made me pick it up again last night to peruse – in short, it’s a great book about why so many major projects such as buildings, public infrastructure (HS2 cough cough), tech rollouts, and even personal goals will often run over budget, take too long or fail altogether! – and I think it’s very interesting.

Whilst it may not be the first book I would recommend to someone considering embarking on a having a new house built, it certainly offers some great insights into project life cycles and it is compiled from real world data sets.

For me, the key take-away and an ethos Joseph Heasman and I at Taylor Kings have been obsessed with for many years, is to Think Slow, Act Fast. But this is not to say ‘go slowly’, because it is quite the opposite. It means, Plan Thoroughly, Build Fast.

Like so many sub-contractors, we’ve worked on numerous residential bespoke new builds over the years, where the project has been started prematurely. It has crawled along at a snail’s pace whilst decisions are still outstanding, and designs are rushed from drawing board to site, without real thought and care – often resulting in physical changes down the line and spiraling costs. I’ve never been too sure who’s to blame for this, but what we have always known is that it is madness, and years later, it’s something we won’t entertain because, well, we really don’t want to be part of a successful mess.

If you read the book, it explains it perfectly of course, but you must understand that the expensive part of a building project (and the part which carries the most exposure to risk) is the physical construction and the cheaper part comparatively, is the design and planning phase.

Essentially, if you are looking to build a new home or undertake an extension or large remodel, spend time thinking, planning and designing. Talk to a preferred and experienced builder and if they are worth their salt, they will add a lot of value at the design stage, as any modest designer will agree.

Build a well-rounded project team who understand how to deliver a successful and organised project and you won’t be sorry you’ve invested ‘extra’ time and money in the planning phase.

If you are in West Kent or East Sussex and have a residential project in mind, we can put together an experienced, proven project team to deliver high end results for you, so please do get in touch.

Jeremy

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.