About the Project

Hythe and Dibden War Memorial Hospital, Dorset

Construction of a two-storey health facility, completed in 110 weeks.

The arrival of Simon Godfree in week 42 of this ailing new-build hospital project changed everything. Sent in to repair strained relationships between client and project teams on a scheme four weeks behind, Simon also uncovered fundamental errors in sequencing and construction logic.

He completely reset the project with an open and collaborative approach, encouraging client involvement in the recovery programme workshops and discussions. He flipped the inter-team relationship dynamic so effectively that the client satisfaction score jumped from 6/10 on his arrival to a post-completion 9/10.

When a new structural engineer (appointed after the first went into liquidation) required high-level steel to be added in the atrium, Simon dodged the rework hit by innovating. His introduction of a cement-based, fast-cure liquid screed allowed the flooring solution – which included underfloor heating – to be installed after the new steel went in rather than before.

Most crucial of all was his solution to the lockdown-driven delay to the roof insulation. By installing a temporary roof to allow the internal fit-out to start, Simon dropped the externals off the critical path and drove an on-time project completion. While the scaffold could not be struck until the insulation finally arrived, he resequenced the external works to recover effectively from the delay.