
Shaftesbury Theatre reaches practical completion
04 Jul 2022Grade II listed Shaftesbury Theatre in London's West End is the latest of our live projects to achieve practical completion.
The Forge was named "Project of the Year" and won "Digital Innovation in Offsite Construction" at this year's Digital Construction Awards.
The flagship office development for client Landsec was named Digital Construction Project of the Year and won the Digital Innovation in Offsite Construction category, the judges also hailing the scheme an example of how an “innovation-led approach to data capturing can increase productivity and provide best value for clients.”
We are delivering the project as the Manufacturing and Assembly Managers (MAM) in a joint venture with Mace.
The judges were impressed by the “comprehensive assessment of digital tools and their application as a holistic system for design, build and future operations”.
Digital tech underpinned the Platform approach to Design for Manufacture and Assembly (P-DfMA) on the development. Our team, led by Sir Robert McAlpine's Senior Digital Construction Manager, Josh Harding, collaborated with Landsec to deploy a number of tools, including:
Overall, the digital innovations and manufacturing approach meant construction delivery required 20% fewer site operatives than for a traditional project.
When it came to the Digital Innovation in Offsite Construction award, the scheme brought together new and existing technologies, linked through a central spine of data, to ensure offsite benefits were transferred onsite and evidence-based learnings were gathered to take on to future projects. Elements included platform design, algorithmic design, cassette design, digital delivery and automation.
The approach generated an increase in net lettable area, improved safety, and a 50% reduction in site operatives for superstructure and façade.
The open-source data generated at the Forge means the challenges and successes of the digital tool suite can be analysed and shared with the wider construction industry.
Uniquely, a digital review team was established with representatives from Landsec, Bryden Wood and Sir Robert McAlpine to select and train users, and monitor, analyse and hand over each of the tools. This has created a legacy within each organisation for future projects.
This breakthrough project and its digital thread were recognised by Innovate UK, acknowledging the value of digitally-enabled platform construction in their ‘Construction Roadmap 2030’.
The judges noted that this project highlights how taking an innovation-led approach to data capturing can increase productivity and provide best value for clients.
Grade II listed Shaftesbury Theatre in London's West End is the latest of our live projects to achieve practical completion.
The construction of the Gradel Quadrangles development for New College in Oxford has reached a key milestone.
In his new role, Andrew Hunter also joins the company’s Executive Leadership Team.