LA Partners, Andrew Paulson & Kathryn Archer
Embarking on a new project is usually marked by an air of optimism. Clients naturally envisage the inevitable success of their endeavour, understandably reluctant to anticipate potential pitfalls. However, even the best planned projects encounter issues that can’t be foreseen, and, as Lead Designer, it's our job to deal with these effectively, ensuring optimism and pragmatism are in equal balance.
In our line of work, each project is akin to crafting a prototype, and we embrace the inevitability of the unexpected. A seemingly minor hiccup can often unveil more intricate and comprehensive issues. Through a variety of techniques, we can approach these not merely as stumbling blocks but as opportunities for refinement and growth.
Quality over cost
One common pitfall is when clients choose the budget-friendly quote. While cost-consciousness is of course important, it's imperative to scrutinise quotes beyond the bottom line. The true measure of value lies in understanding the quality and reliability of the service being offered. A risk of the client making poor decisions early in their project, such as appointing a team that isn’t the best fit for a project, is delays to the programme later on. When you consider that a contractor’s prelims (the weekly cost of a contractor simply being on site, including site equipment such as scaffolding and site huts) carry significant and unavoidable monthly costs, the additional costs incurred almost always exceed any savings achieved in fees earlier in the project.
Proven, effective collaboration
At Lees Associates, we look to appoint consultants and contractors to our projects with a track record of working well together on previous projects, which ensures the whole process runs much more smoothly. The interconnected nature of construction design, where certain design responsibilities can only begin once others are completed, means it's essential to have a team that trusts one another and communicates effectively. We always advocate selecting teams not based solely on cost but equally on their suitability to the project's scope and scale, mitigating potential future issues caused by miscommunication, and avoiding the need to replace certain team members mid-project with the inevitable disruption this causes.
‘Jumping on a moving train’
Being well-known both for the quality and detail of our design information and our delivery of projects, there have been several instances over the years where we have been introduced to existing projects, taking over as Architect and Lead Designer from others. Joining an established team mid-project is often compared to ‘jumping on a moving train’. On occasion, we have successfully completed projects after (remarkably) being the fifth, sixth, or even seventh architects hired. Using our experience and through effective team-wide communication, we can prevent existing inherited problems from increasing in severity. Consequently, it is a role that we are regularly asked to take on.
One consultant with whom we regularly work and who has similar experience of stepping into projects mired in mismanagement, in his case as Project Manager, is Matt Dunn, director of building consultants Colliers UK. We asked him how he successfully navigates this process of ‘jumping on a moving train’. He describes it as an understandably ‘challenging process’ that ‘takes a lot of very experienced and dedicated resources for an intense period of time.’ In his experience, it is often necessary to reset at least a few, if not all, of the key project pillars: programme, cost, design status and risks. Matt notes that it is also vital to understand what has led the client to make such a significant change to the project team, pointing out that, with this information, ‘the correct strategic decisions can be made quickly to ensure the project is brought back on track.’ Through experience, teamwork, communication and knowledge, it is possible to take over projects from previous management without additional problems and hiccups.
“Building relationships with the client, existing professional team, and contractors is key. They need to respect and engage with you fully and quickly to ensure the most efficient transition. This process is often time-consuming for them, as they may have to repeat meetings and conversations held with the old administration.”
Kevin Waters, Partner at Quantity Surveyors Appleyard & Trew and someone who has introduced Lees Associates to an existing project in the past, agrees, describing inherited projects as both ‘complex and intriguing.’ From his perspective, there are three key initial steps to take:
Visit the site and understand the status and quality of work;
Make sure your appointment covers what is required while excluding what you cannot take responsibility for; and
Take possession of all the contract documents and carry out a thorough review.
Only once all three of these steps have been carried out, Kevin says, can project teams set a strategy and schedule for what needs to be done in order to close gaps and get the project back on track.
Design and risk management
At Lees Associates, we manage everything we do as a practice on the productivity platform Notion. We have built a unique and completely customised project management system on it that allows us to collaboratively track and manage all open tasks via an open Design Status Schedule that can be shared “live” with everyone on a project team. All tasks include data on who is responsible for them and the agreed deadline for resolving/concluding them. As such, it is also an instrument for inter-team communication alongside face-to-face meetings.
We also establish a Risk Register at the start of every project on Notion, following a risks workshop where we bring the whole team together and brainstorm every possible known risk to the project, ranging from site-based risks to legal risks and from planning to health and safety. We gather experts from different fields, so we have a breadth of insight and allow all parties to have visibility of each other's challenges. Once the initial Risk Schedule has been established, we can all work together to agree on strategies to mitigate, if not eliminate, each risk. Ongoing weekly or fortnightly meetings allow us to address any newly-identified risks and obstacles and track their increasing/decreasing seriousness and likelihood. A public forum such as this also instils accountability because nobody wants to be seen as the obstacle to a project progressing smoothly.
The importance of the ‘autopsy’
Kevin Waters says that when issues arise on a project, he carries out workshops with the employer, consultant team and contractor to assess what each party believes has gone wrong. ‘This autopsy of the administration of the project is akin to the TV drama “Silent Witness”’, he describes, ‘as you piece together the jigsaw history of the project and reveal what has been issued and when but more importantly what has not been issued, managed properly, or considered.’
We follow a similar train of thought at Lees Associates, opening an early dialogue with all stakeholders, which allows us to impartially assess the situation and implement necessary adjustments swiftly – some team members may need to be replaced or their scope of responsibilities adjusted for example. Often, issues will arise due to “scope gaps” that were not identified during the team’s appointments. Ensuring any scope gaps are eliminated, and all consultants are receiving an appropriate fee for the services they are providing is essential to get everyone pulling together in the same direction again.
We also maintain a transparent relationship with our clients, informing them the moment we identify an issue, proposing an appropriate remedy and explaining the likely additional timeframe and costs that may occur if these are unavoidable.
A contract is crucial
Kevin Waters also affirms how important contracts are when projects go wrong: ‘interrogating the contract documents is the basis of everything that will unfold later. We need to know what the rules are before we can establish what may have occurred.’ This can be a very time-consuming process, and warranties, schedules of amendments, specifications, appendices, and supplemental information all need to be checked over and understood: ‘Contract packs have steadily grown in size over the last 20 years, to a level where it can be very difficult to ensure that there are no discrepancies between documents,’ he explains.
““Appointments, solicitors, warranty providers, out-of-pocket sub-contractors, employers’ costs, liability and even pride and personalities may need to be navigated when taking over beleaguered projects. It is a role that we have been asked to undertake on a number of occasions, and we are happy to bring our experience and assist concerned employers.””
Final word: Communication is Key
In our over forty years of experience, it has become clear to us that every problem that arises on a project always stems from a breakdown of communication in one form or another. With this in mind, at Lees Associates, we prioritise teamwork, trust, and, above all, clear communication. Rather than being overwhelmed, disheartened or even angered by problems, it is possible to remain calm and focused by surrounding yourself with a group of people that you believe in. Ultimately, successful projects are built on the foundations of a team with a strong relationship, who trust each other and communicate regularly and effectively with each other. With that in place, no issue is insurmountable.
It is a philosophy that has served us well over the years, and “project rescues” continue to make up a surprising amount of our workload. Nobody wants projects to fail, but when things do start to go wrong, bringing in experienced professionals like Lees Associates, Colliers and Appleyard & Trew will ensure they get back on track as smoothly as possible.