Lifting the cup

How did you feel when you won the gold medal in category 1 of the Irish BMYA, and then the overall award?
It was a big surprise. I'd had no expectation of winning because I was up against a lot of prestigious projects (Griffith was Bennett Construction's contracts manager for the £31m two-year Guild House project, a 1,950 square metre shell and core office building plus high-specification fit-outs in the financial centre of Dublin). The market in Ireland is buoyant at the moment and there are a huge number of projects going on. It made winning all the more satisfying, because of the strength of the competition.

How did your family react?
They were delighted. My wife was there on the night and she was thrilled.

How did your employers/colleagues react?
They had a bit of fun with me, but they were delighted as well. Part of the reason I won the award is because Bennett is a progressive company. On that particular job we were the developer and contractor, so we project-managed the whole thing from design to construction and used some highly innovative techniques.

We tried to design safety and buildability into the scheme. For example, the whole facade was pre-cast, including the housing for the glazing. This was made off site, saving time on a highly aggressive programme. It also enhanced quality and safety.

Has winning the award changed your working life?
I'm more involved now in promoting buildability and safety to the industry. For example, I talk to students from the CIOB's site management and education training scheme about the role buildability has to play in keeping a project within budget and how we can design in safety.

What was the most challenging aspect of the job?
Constructing the scheme while designing it. We had a scheme design when we started but had to get on site straightaway and work out the detailed design while we were going along. It had to be built by March 2001 or it was useless because the tax allowances would be lost. In Ireland, you can get tax allowances on a building in a designated regeneration area, but only if it's built within a certain timeframe.

How did you get round that?
We formed very strong relationships with the client and the design team. When there was a change to make, large or small, everyone was involved and everyone agreed what to do.

What are you most proud of about the job?
The teamwork and absence of any adversarial or aggressive elements to the job.

You don’t have to be a genius to put up a building, but you do have to be a good team player

Have you been that closely involved in the design process before?
Yes, 50% of Bennett's work is as developer, which means we're involved in setting the design brief and can insist on certain building systems and the way the project is built.

Do you prefer it to simply managing the construction?
Yes, because you can control your own destiny rather than just being presented with a design and told to get on with it. It gives the builder more of an input. And there's no one else to blame when it goes wrong.

When does your day begin?
I'm in the car and moving at about 6.30. I live about 50 miles from our office in Dublin, and most of the sites are in the Dublin area. I spend three days on site and two in the office.

What's the most common problem you encounter?
Lack of quality and skilled trades in specialist areas, particularly plastering and carpentry.

What's the most rewarding thing about your job?
Seeing a team work well together. If you can get everyone working towards the same goal, with no egos, it's great. You don't have to be a genius to put up a building, but you do have to be a good team player.

What's the worst thing about your job?
The lack of appreciation of the builder as a professional from other professions.

What's your tip for aspiring site managers?
Never accept the first solution as the only one. Look at all the options before you go forward and take time to get it right first time. People in construction aren't encouraged to reflect enough before steaming into a project.