Futureproofing UK Construction

RICS, The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, calls for the government and industry to futureproof UK construction sector.

In a recent article published by RICS, they set out their stand as a major advocate of environmental, economic and social sustainability within the construction industry. They call on the British government to support a long-term vision for the future of construction by mitigating economic obstacles, driving decarbonisation and delivering high quality infrastructure.

Construction is critically important to the British economy. The construction industry employs nearly 10% of the UK workforce and contributes around 7% of UK GDP. Despite numerous challenges, the industry proved largely successful throughout the pandemic and shows continued growth throughout 2022. However, with so many additional health and safety hoops to jump through over the past couple of years, has sustainability taken a back seat?

RICS Recommendations to Industry:

RICS suggests leaning on the expertise of industry professionals to enable carbon measurement and reporting at the earliest stages of all new projects. This will allow decision makers to compare the financial costs and carbon footprints of their project before designs are finalised and materials are ordered, meaning that more sustainable methods and materials can be considered. The organisation is also working with the UK Green Building Council to develop a UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard.

Furthermore, RICS is recommending that businesses within the construction industry make use of their Whole Life Carbon Assessment tool, which measures carbon throughout the lifecycle of a building project.

RICS Recommendations to Government:

• Commit to continued investment in upgrading the UK’s infrastructure

• Help to mitigate the triple threat of: materials supply, rising costs and labour shortages by reassessing visa requirements and ensuring smooth, efficient transit of materials

• Lead by example. Government should prioritise value, quality, carbon management and lifecycle over price alone in procurements

• Encourage vertical integration and greater efficiencies to drive up productivity in the construction sector

• Commit to a culture of collaboration and conflict avoidance, particularly between the public and private sectors, and across the supply chain. Implement the Conflict Avoidance Process (CAP)

Business Update

Apologies for our absence from updates to the website recently, the team here has been extremely busy in developing the business.

Over the last 3 years, Logic PM has undertaken a significant number of projects, in which multiple roles were accepted by our team. The notable projects are:

• Logic PM has been the Employer Representative for a large new build 750 seat Music Hall and Music School in Kent.

• Project Manager and Client Representative for a significant single property in Hampshire.

• Project Manager for a new build of 10 luxury apartments in Kent.

• Contract Administrators and cost monitors on 100 plus insurance claim projects, where we scheduled and monitored the works on site.

• Acting as project monitoring surveyors on 20 plus projects throughout the UK.

• Completing our fourth project in Manchester with a view to achieve more.

• Employers Agent for a number of design and build fit-out projects throughout the UK.

• Expert Witness to a number of Clients involved in legal disputes.

More recently we have been appointed as:

• Project Manager and Contract Administrator on a new build Performing Arts Centre for a Private School in Kent.

• Project Manager for a new 63-park home development in Berkshire, turning the green field site into the latest phase of the site’s expansion.

• Employers Agent on a civil engineering project for the design and creation of a new car park.

• Contract Administrators on a 10-year warranty insurance-backed subsidence project.

• Project Managers and Cost Monitors on a new build/refurbishment of a local parish council pavilion. This is our third pavilion project.

• Clerk of Works function for the inspection and monitoring of 3 projects as work continues for a developer.

Logic PM was created, nearly 10 years ago, to work with all people in the construction process and offer support to those where required. We work for Commercial Clients, Financial Institutions, Legal Practices, Education providers and private individuals giving professional support and guidance to people where needed.

The team are looking forward to up-and-coming projects and we will be updating the website more frequently, please do get in touch if you wish to discuss any of our projects or are interested in working with us.

Benenden School, Client Representative – Logic PM

Logic PM, the project management division of The Logic Group, is currently working on secondment to Benenden School. Engaged as the Client Representative, we have been engaged to support this leading independent school in matters relating to ongoing building work taking place on their premises.

Throughout the last 18 months, our business principal, Nick Baster, and members of the Logic team have been on site each week to assist with the flow of information. We closely monitor works carried out by the contractor and provide detailed reports to the School Executive Team and Governors.

As Client Representative, Logic PM is an expert point of resource for the Employer, in this case Benenden School. We address any questions the school may have about their project and advise on the best course of action at decision making points.

The additional benefit of engaging us as Client Representative is that we provide a knowledgeable single point of contact for both the main contractor and their designated trade contractors. Keeping the flow of information short and simple minimises delays and avoids any confusion – there is clear and defined direction to ensure the project stays on track and keeps the client’s objective at the forefront at all times.

The Logic Group has been working as Client Representative at Benenden School since Summer 2019. With project completion now in sight, it’s fantastic to see all the hard work coming together to create a wonderful new facility for current and future students of this prestigious Kent school.