The Mace project director leading complex commercial retrofits

Tell us about your most recent project. What were the biggest technical challenges and how did you approach them?

What made 100 New Bridge Street unusual was balancing the project’s sustainability ambitions with the practical realities of retrofitting an eight-storey 1990s office building. We retained and reused 85% to 90% of the existing structure, but substantially remodelled the building. We removed the existing core, infilled an atrium, added two extra floors and reshaped the building to make it much more spatially efficient.

One of the major technical challenges was integrating a completely new MEP installation into the retained structure. Early in the project we had to decide whether we should accept the limitations of the original risers or undertake structural alterations to optimise the services strategy. We went for the latter. 

This was one of the most extensive prefabricated MEP strategies Mace has delivered on a refurbishment project. We installed around 46 prefabricated riser modules, ranging from single-storey to triple-storey units, which were slotted into the retained structure. The programme saving from that approach was between eight and 10 weeks.

The facade strategy was also tricky. We retained one facade while constructing three new facades which use a unitised aluminium glazed system, with GRC cladding from levels two to level eight.

Retrofitting a modern facade onto an existing structure is much more complicated than on a new-build project because the retained building behaves differently structurally. You are constantly dealing with movement and deflection that don’t follow the same rules as a completely new structure. 

There were other complexities related to the project’s location. 100 New Bridge Street sits on isolation springs above the Thameslink, some of which had to be replaced during the project. The Fleet Sewer runs beneath the basement, while utilities and access rights affected several elevations.

The building is an island site with only one meaningful delivery route so the vast majority of materials had to come via New Bridge Street, which is a Transport for London (TfL) red route. To make the logistics work, we had to negotiate the temporary suspension of a bus stop so it could operate as our loading bay. A tower crane positioned at level eight became the project’s single pick point for the façade panels, steelwork and major MEP components.

Those negotiations with TfL were absolutely critical. Without the bus stop suspension and traffic arrangements, the projects logistics strategy simply would not have worked.

What are the key skills and experience you need for this type of project?

The biggest skill is communication and, importantly, understanding how to communicate with different stakeholders. On a project like this, you are dealing with structural engineers, MEP specialists, facade consultants, transport authorities, utilities providers, all with different priorities. 

My own background is in architectural engineering, which gave me an appreciation of both architecture and engineering disciplines. That becomes essential on a project where decisions are constantly connected, like on 100 Bridge Street where our structural solution and prefabricated MEP strategy were closely interlinked.

That ability to understand different viewpoints and align them towards a common outcome is probably the most important skill on a complex retrofit project.

How have you found getting to grips with a major industry issue like sustainability?

The industry is changing very quickly, particularly around sustainability and circularity, and the key is continuous learning.

One example on this project was steel reuse. Early on, we made a conscious decision that we wanted to incorporate reused steel into the scheme. Initially there was discussion around removing steel from the building, reprocessing it and reinstalling it. 

In practice, because of programme constraints, we took 30 tonnes of steel from the building and supplied it back into the reuse market, while sourcing 30 tonnes of reused steel from a stockholder for the project. That approach may not make the same headlines as reusing the existing steel from the building, but it is still following circularity principles. 

Within Mace, we are fortunate to have specialists who are working on leading-edge projects involving steel reuse, material passports and circular economy principles. I make a point of spending time with those teams, visiting projects and understanding how those approaches work in practice.

Tell us about an industry innovation you’ve seen recently that really excites you.

On 100 New Bridge Street, we trialled a system that uses QR codes and WhatsApp groups to communicate directly with operatives. During site induction, workers scan a QR code and join a controlled communication group. Key updates – access changes, safety alerts, major works – are then issued directly to everyone on site through short daily messages.

We are now looking at how that could evolve into a more integrated platform that combines site inductions, permits, emergency information and daily communications into a single system. A single point of access where operatives can manage everything from one platform.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given that has helped you as a construction project manager?

Make sure you understand the other person’s viewpoint, rather than trying to push your own agenda.

It is easy in construction to become focused purely on what you need to achieve and then try to force decisions through. But projects work much better when you understand what everyone else is trying to achieve as well.

That advice has shaped the way I approach leadership and stakeholder management throughout my career.

What made you want to become a CIOB member and how has it helped your career?

For me, CIOB membership provides both recognition and a valuable learning platform.

It is brilliant for the construction industry to have a body taking responsibility for pulling together all the knowledge and skills you need to develop your career. Through the magazine, online resources, industry updates, CIOB is always highlighting issues that will be relevant to a challenge on your project. This gives you enough information to build understanding and then points you towards further learning. That kind of accessible knowledge-sharing is hugely important in a fast-changing industry.

I also think professional recognition matters. Becoming a CIOB member means being assessed by peers within the industry rather than simply passing an academic exam. That credibility is valuable both internally within businesses and externally with clients and stakeholders.

We’re in an industry where learning never really stops. CIOB provides a strong framework for continuing that professional development throughout your career.