![Construction manager of the year logo](https://awards.ciob.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Construction-manager-of-the-year-.png)
Meet the Finalists
2024 | Education
![AWD_1708](https://awards.ciob.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/CIOB-Finalists-1000x700_0002s_0000_Rhys-Lewis_Cutout.png)
Construction of 500-pupil school, completed in 78 weeks.
In his first project management post in a 21-year career that began with working as a gateman, Rhys Lewis showed leadership and a pragmatic approach to dealing with issues and overcoming them.
About the Project
Abbey Primary School, Port Talbot
Construction of 500-pupil school, completed in 78 weeks.
In his first project management post in a 21-year career that began with working as a gateman, Rhys Lewis showed leadership and a pragmatic approach to dealing with issues and overcoming them.
The key to his success lay in turning the challenge of the steeply sloping ground into a value opportunity. As the school, which amalgamated its split-site predecessor in one location, had a 24-metre fall from rear boundary to school entrance, Rhys reduced the cut and fill operation to 30,000 cubic metres and kept all material on site by introducing a retaining wall structure through the middle of the school. He created a split-level build, with a two-storey block at the front and a single-storey block at the rear.
His rationalisation of the extensive retaining structures (over 600 metres of reinforced concrete, king post walling and gabions) formed part of a value engineering drive that made the project viable in the first place.
Rhys was also instrumental in driving forward the extensive service diversions required – six service lines had to be lowered and rerouted to form the school entrance. And his ground generalship extended to a water management strategy that involved three pumps working at any one time to deal with an enormous amount of ground and surface water run-off while two lagoons and silt treatment ponds were constructed.
![](https://awards.ciob.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/28bbf622022.04.25_-_Abbey_Primary_School_-_Building_Handover_4659fde28c154f.jpg)
![](https://awards.ciob.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/269b529Abbey_2659fde26ba59e-scaled.jpg)
![](https://awards.ciob.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/1f334beAbbey_1659fde1f4ab1b-scaled.jpg)