The Royal College of Anaesthetists has given a medal to a property consultancy director for successfully delivering its new national headquarters.

Ian Smith, director of AYH, was lead consultant on the £6m refurbishment of Churchill House, London. He gave advice on quantity surveying, project management, building surveying and planning supervision.

Smith picked up his Humphry Davy Medal at a ceremony last week, and was a guest of honour at the RCoA's annual black tie dinner the following day.

He said the search for the RCoA's site was difficult: "There was a specific remit that it had to have sufficient space for offices, a council chamber, a fully tiered lecture theatre and be close to the Central Line. The RCoA said it looked at literally hundreds of buildings."

The RCoA bought Churchill House in 2003 after a feasibility and due diligence report by AYH. The consultancy then acted as project manager overseeing the building's refurbishment.

Work finished in December 2005 and Princess Anne officially opened the office on 16 January 2006.

Smith said the work was challenging because it included installing an auditorium, and enough toilets to cater for the building's users.

"Because they do a lot of exams there, we also had to put loads of toilets in to cater for nervous candidates," he said.

Source

QS News