Building Award Winners: Construction client of the year

Manchester City Council

There is a lot of talk about BIM being the new frontier of construction, and Manchester City Council is at the forefront of that revolution.

The client’s forward-thinking approach to projects is epitomised by its recently completed central library refurbishment, its stand out project of the past year.

Manchester council committed to using BIM on the scheme principally because of the benefits it believes it can offer in managing the building more effectively after completion. Using BIM on such a complex scheme has enabled the client to truly test its effectiveness with the project team, and the resulting project is an exemplar for greater construction efficiency that others should aspire to.

The central library, however, is just one of the landmark projects that Manchester council has led over the past year. With major schemes in transport infrastructure, education and civic buildings, this is a client that is genuinely investing to create an exciting future for its city.

Its work with Manchester City football club on the expansion of facilities at the Ethiad stadium, for example, is driving the transformation of East Manchester, showing the wider benefits that can be reaped from a joined-up approach to planning and procurement.

And in a wider sense, the civic leadership that the council has shown has created an environment where entrepreneurism and investment is encouraged, and other innovative clients can thrive.