About the Project

Sherwood Lodge, Joint fire and Police Headquarters, Nottingham

On Colin Patterson’s scheme to build a three-storey office extension, location was the crucial factor. Sited behind an existing headquarters with more than 3,000 staff and sharing the same access road with it, the new-build could not be allowed to disrupt the round-the-clock operation of the live site.  

The project’s fundamental requirement was for no waiting and no vehicle congestion on the shared road. Colin ensured that every delivery was booked into the site, with drivers allowed to proceed onto site, and leave it, only when the road was completely clear. 

Yet if vehicles were a challenge, they also offered an opportunity. Colin seized the chance to win the client’s appreciation and programme advantage. With the scheme scheduled to create another 500 badly needed car parking spaces across nine separate phases, Colin amalgamated and handed over the two biggest phases early. It generated enough spaces for current users and allowed him to complete the other phases in a less disruptive manner for the project. 

Other project victories included his introduction of a stone-filled timber crib system for the retaining wall rather than standard metal gabions. It was cheaper for the client, completed within three weeks, and fitted the forest environment better. His change to bespoke modular precast concrete design for the lift shaft also greatly improved build time and minimised on-site disruption.