About the Project

In building this 600-pupil school in under six months, Amy Griffiths upended the typical handling of the landscaping works. Rather than treating them as low-value non-critical operations that can be left till the final months, she prioritised their early completion. Her strategy brought undoubted success, with delivery ahead of programme, a high-quality build and a very satisfied client. 

Amy’s smart targeting of the externals was signposted in the enabling groundworks by her determination to get the piling in and the steel frame up early. At a time when lockdown-conscious utility providers were focusing on ‘emergency works’, she persuaded the client to spend the provisional sums on ensuring that the key water and power supplies were put in swiftly. 

She then had the building perimeter tarmacked at the earliest opportunity. All the external works – structural framing system, curtain walling, brickwork – were undertaken from a clean and level surface. Coupled with early installation of the permanent car park, it meant muddy bootprints were never tracked through the building. 

By completing much of the external works early, she swiftly closed the boundary of a 15,000sqm site. That left her able to shift all the construction focus to achieving the highest-quality internal finishes possible on a 2,200sqm-footprint building. It helped keep the client satisfaction score at 10/10 at precontract as well as mid-term and completion.