2012 Olympics to inspire 'blueprint for construction'

The lessons of the 2012 Olympics for UK construction will be shared with the industry through a major new collaboration between the ODA and organisations including the RICS, the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Green Building Council. In an announcement today (Monday) aimed at producing a “blueprint” for the industry, the ODA said it wanted to maintain and replicate the high standards set by the building of the London Olympic park through meeting – and sometimes exceeding – tough targets.

The online initiative, dubbed Learning Legacy, is being formally launched tonight at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and will see the organisations involved taking ownership of 10 themes to help businesses “raise the bar” in areas such as design and engineering, planning, procurement and project management. It will also set out how the ODA tackled issues such as getting more women into construction, building better health and safety records and completing projects on time and within budget.

“The Learning Legacy framework is the embodiment of a new benchmark that has been created in delivering Europe’s largest construction project to the ultimate deadline and within budget,” said ODA chairman John Armitt.

“The scale and speed of the co-ordinated UK effort to build the venues and infrastructure is unprecedented and the knowledge and lessons gained during construction will both benefit the industry and act as a catalyst for inward investment”. Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt added: “The Olympic park is a showcase for the best of British design, engineering, construction and project management.

We want companies to win new contracts off the back of this success story but also to share the best practice across industry as a whole. Learning Legacy will ensure that important lessons are shared throughout the industry.” The website - created from over 250 papers put together by the ODA and its supply chain and from independent research by industry bodies and academics – is also linked to a number of seminars, events and workshops run by the professional organisations involved.

These also include the Association for Project Management, the Chartered Institute of Building, the Health and Safety Executive, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the Landscape Institute.