National construction firm Willmott Dixon has been recognised for its outstanding work in delivering a brand new school in Water Orton, Warwickshire at the Construction Manager of the Year awards hosted by the Chartered Institute of Building, held last week (25 Nov).
Senior building manager, Thomas Price, was awarded a silver medal in the Primary Education category for his work on the school which needed to relocate as a result of the HS2 line passing nearby classrooms.
He said: “This was a really important project for Warwickshire County Council as the existing school had been in existence for more than 140 years, so relocating was quite a significant undertaking. We worked really closely with the customer to understand their needs and to understand how the design of the new school would meet the day-to-day user requirements.
“This project brought with it a series of challenges in terms of the build – not least a tight timescale and some challenging ground conditions, so it was incredibly important to work collaboratively with the entire project team to ensure that pupils were able to move in on time.
“Engaging with pupils, parents and teachers also played a key part in the delivery of the project and we were very pleased to be able to welcome a number of people to the site as part of the Open Doors scheme – a national event that helps to promote the industry.
“I am really delighted that we have been recognised by the CIOB for our work on this project and am very proud to collect a silver medal.”
Water Orton Primary School was completed in 2019 and comprises of a single-storey primary school and nursery as well as additional SEND facilities on-site. The school also provides facilities including a multi-use games area and playing field.
Caroline Gumble, CIOB chief executive said: “The Construction Manager of the Year competition seeks out the very best of leadership and talent in our sector and this year is no exception. Construction managers are instinctively problem-solvers, who can juggle conflicting priorities and oversee a huge range of issues, including the maintenance of quality standards, the large investment from a client, the health and wellbeing of their co-workers and the interests of the local community.”
Dan Doyle, operations director at Willmott Dixon, added: “Being recognised with industry awards is always something we are very proud of and we are delighted that the work Thomas and the team put into delivering a quality product at Water Orton Primary School and that it has been awarded a silver medal this year.
“We pride ourselves in going over and above to ensure that we deliver for our customers and leave a positive, long-lasting legacy in the communities in which we work and we believe we have done just that here.”
Water Orton Primary School was procured via the Scape Major Works Framework.