Meet the Finalists
2025 | Commercial & Leisure
On Simon Bywater’s first scheme as project lead, collaborative working, value engineering and right-first-time quality emerged as the keynotes of his management style.
With his project heavily over budget in preconstruction, he delivered the best end-result at a lower price. He generated £1.5m of savings by proposing alternative roof decking sheets, introducing wall linings in the sports hall, and taking over the client’s fixtures and fittings package.
About the Project
Morpeth Leisure Centre
Simon used his plentiful experience of leisure schemes to finesse the construction of the two swimming pools. He was well aware of the potential pitfalls and ensured a robust sequencing of the concrete tanks, which were water-retaining rather than waterproof.
Building in a historic town that hadn’t seen construction on this kind of scale for years, he worked hard to get residents on side. He mastered the challenging site access by setting up a one-way system in the congested town centre to reduce inconvenience to locals as well as to optimise the logistics.
Simon’s communication and collaboration with the multiple stakeholders was as effective as his technical achievement. His sweeping engagement with users on signage, lighting, colours and finishes ultimately left the client delighted not only with the scheme but also with the whole project experience.
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Commercial & Leisure
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