A Case Study Approach
"Harbour View" Development
Overview
Good stories have captured people since the dawn of time, and this is no different today with story driven simulations having become an established form of experiential learning.
In business education, organisational learning and development ‘good stories’ have been condensed into case studies that take learners through the narrative and illustrate a particular corporate situation, circumstances, or events that provide powerful learning experiences crucial to lasting learning and behavioural change so crucial to enhancing organisational performance.
The training take us inside the Project Construction Team who are engaged in the building of a major inner-city development for Ashant Plc, who operate nationally in the letting of apartments under the Private Rental Scheme.
The Project
Ashant PLC has purchased two adjoining waterfront sites, one an old marine engineering firm factory that had been derelict for many years with the other adjoining site housing a refit yard. Both sites open onto the inner-city harbour with quay frontage that was used for the refitting of ships with there being an old dry-dock that dates back to Victorian times that gradually over the last twenty years become derelict.
Ashant put forward a plan to develop 60 luxury inner-city rental apartments in a 5-storey block naming the development as ‘Harbour View’. With planning permission granted Ashant had the site cleared of old buildings under an enabling contract with a licenced demolition firm and put the contract for construction out to tender.
Twiggs Plc emerged as the winning contractor for the £21m project after a fierce battle for this prominent and high-profile inner-city development. Half of the apartments are expected to be completed for occupancy in 12 months with the development fully completed within some 18 months.
The Team
The following 12 key members of the Project team will appear at some stage in the Case Study
The
Client
Josephine Osewego, a first-generation British Nigerian is the Development Director for Ashant PLC having some 18 months experience in the role with the company. She was head hunted from another developer for whom she had successfully worked for 5 years. Josephine has a Civil Engineering degree and lives in London some 175 miles from the development. Josephine is recently divorced having joint custody of her two young children.
Consultant
Architect
Georgia Frank is a junior Partner in Coles, Willis and Partners, a firm of architects with whom Ashant has worked in the past on similar developments but with this being Georgia’s first major project having become a junior partner two years ago. Georgia is German having come to the UK to work shortly after qualifying some 20 years ago. Georgia is based in the head office of Cole, Willis, and Partners some 220 miles away living locally to the office with her partner.
Consultant
Clerk of Works
Steve Wilson works for Reeves and Company Limited, a firm of Consultants who have specialised in working in housing and property development since the company was founded some 55 years ago. It is still a family-owned business with Steve having worked for them since qualification 25 years earlier. Steve works out of the Head Office based in the city. He has worked on a number of projects for both public and private clients. This is his first project with Ashant, a new client for the firm.
Consultant
Project Manager
Angelique Ferrand, a highly experienced French national Project Manager (PM) in her late forties with International experience, was recruited by Ashant to manage this project. Angelique as a PM recently led the building of a very similar residential development in a major city in Sweden. Angelique speaks fluent English as well as 4 other languages living very close to ‘Harbour Heights’ in an apartment supplied to her by Ashant. She primarily lives alone as her partner, a Civil Engineer, currently works on the construction of a major hydro-electric project in Sweden.
Main Contractor
Contracts Manager
James Matson has worked for Twiggs for over twenty years and for the last 3 years as a Contracts Manager having stepped up from being a deputy on two projects. This is James’s second project and much larger than the previous one, which was the refurbishment and extension of a large inner-city house and grounds into a private hospital. Twiggs has relocated James and his family so he is close to the development.
Main Contractor
Site Manager
Mila Hendriks has worked for Twiggs for some 8 years as a Site Manager. Dutch by birth, she previously worked for a national arm of a French global construction firm and has lived in England since joining Twiggs. Straight speaking and confident she is known within the firm as a tough boss not standing for any nonsense. She lives alone in an apartment supplied by Ashant but leads a very sociable life.
Main Contractor
Quantity Surveyor
Fred Hubbard has worked for Twiggs for 25 years as a Quantity Surveyor having experience with two other high-rise construction projects in which Twiggs has been the main contractor in the surrounding region. Fred lives with his wife in a nearby large town having two adult sons of which one with their partner has recently given Fred and his wife their first grandchild.
Supply Chain
Sub-Contractor 1
Tom O’Fallon works for Sullivan and Co Ltd, a firm specialising in framework and steel construction. Tom is one of the three directors of Sullivan’s who have been trading for 12 years. All the directors are Irish having come from Eire twenty years ago to work in the UK before setting up their own business. Sullivan’s won the tender to supply Twiggs against fierce competition having not worked with Twiggs before. Tom lives about 40 miles from the ‘Harbour Heights’ development.
Supply Chain
Sub-Contractor 2
Charlie Wright is a director of Wrights Ltd, a London East-end family firm specialising in facades and cladding. Charlie has extensive experience as 'subby' before setting up a business with his father and two elder brothers who had a similar background. Charlie has worked with Twiggs on two previous contracts both of which led to Wright’s making losses. He still lives in the East-end of London where the Wright’s, who are a close family, draw upon locals for employees.
Supply Chain
Sub-Contractor 3
Piotr Janusz has worked for C Thomas PLC, a national firm of Mechanical and Electrical Engineers, for 4 years having previous worked for them as a 'subby' electrician. Polish by birth he had worked for a leading Polish MEE firm but decided to come to England with his family to earn a better salary and life for his children. Piotr has not worked with Triggs before, but his boss has and he has had past bad relations.
Supply Chain
Sub-Contractor 4
Barre Nurr is one of the directors of Nurr Brothers Ltd, a focal family firm of groundworkers started 8 years ago by Barre and his two brothers. The Nurr brothers came to this country as migrants from Somalia when in their teens and went to work with little education for various groundwork firms around the city before deciding to start and run their own business employing many from their own large community in the city. They have built a very good reputation for delivering groundwork contracts in the surrounding region.
Utility Companies
Electrical Infrastructure
John Herrington works for Global Power PLC as a Contracts Manager. John has worked for the company since leaving school to take up an apprenticeship with the company working his way up to his current position over the last 20 years. John has considerable experience in the construction of high-rise development. He lives in the city with his family and is local to the site. He has worked with Twiggs on a couple of occasions.
