Canal & River Trust (CRT)

Providing a total FM solution and life-cycle works to CRT’s vast network of c.25,000 assets.

This £4m p.a. contract sees VINCI Facilities self-deliver c.50% of the works in order to facilitate improved levels of control, quality and reliability.
A key part of the works sees VINCI Facilities collaborate with English Heritage to maintain and restore CRT’s heritage assets, which include listed buildings, monuments, world heritage sites, former battlefields and archaeological sites.

Numerous initiatives have been introduced to create value and promote continuous improvement. These include revising the contract and commercial arrangement to create ongoing cost savings, and introducing a real-time performance dashboard to facilitate improved monitoring of performance against SLA targets.

The contract team and supply chain partners also regularly provide added value by volunteering at CRT’s community projects, such as a recent event where 70 volunteers rejuvenated CRT’s Little Venice site in London.

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London Stadium

Providing a total FM solution at London Stadium – a vast 35,000sq.m facility with a seating capacity of 66,000.

This £3m p.a. contract sees VINCI Facilities’ team responsible for rapidly transforming London Stadium to suit a diverse range of events, from concerts and athletics to rugby and football.

To ensure operations are as efficient as possible, the team have introduced a wealth of initiatives. For example, the CAFM system has been enhanced to enable the performance of each individual event to be assessed (rather than the contract as a whole), and a dedicated in-house cleaning team have each received BICS (British Institute of Cleaning Science) training to ensure a sector-leading standard of cleaning.

The performance of the site team has been so strong that they were named Team of the Year at VINCI Facilities’ company-wide annual award scheme.

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British Museum: Japanese Galleries

Refurbishing the Japanese Galleries in order to safeguard the historical artefacts and enhance the visitor experience.

Building Solutions successfully reduced the cost of this £558k project by 13%. This was achieved by working with supply chain partners to scrutinise costs, sourcing the most cost-effective materials, and refurbishing (rather than replacing) materials if possible.

The team provided further value by conducting minor refurbishment works to the neighbouring Egyptian gallery for no additional cost.

Due to the high value of the artefacts, security was of paramount importance. Therefore, Building Solutions conducted background checks on all personnel and provided a specialist induction tailored to the museum’s stringent security requirements.

As the museum’s other galleries remained open throughout the works, the team also developed a meticulous programme that enabled all personnel to be obscured from visitors throughout the museum’s opening hours of 10am-5pm.

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Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE): HQ Refurbishment

Conducting a major refurbishment and modernisation programme for the global headquarters of ICE in Westminster.

This challenging project required Building Solutions to deliver a total internal and external refurbishment within just 13 weeks. Numerous initiatives were introduced to maximise the speed of delivery; for example, scaffold preparations were brought forward a full month in order for the vast and intricate system to be ready ahead of the core works.

The access restrictions of the congested city-centre location presented another key challenge. To overcome this, the team constructed a vast scaffold gantry capable of containing all materials, equipment and waste.

Efficient operations and strong communication with all stakeholders enabled the project to be delivered on time and on budget. The team proved so successful that ICE subsequently added several of Building Solutions’ sub-contractors to its own network of preferred suppliers.

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National Trust: Sutton Hoo

Refurbishing the Trust’s Sutton Hoo visitor centre, which showcases an Anglo-Saxon royal burial ground and artefacts from the sixth century.

As the National Trust had an ambitious scope of works with a limited budget, Building Solutions worked hard to create cost savings of £1.2m. Initiatives included installing air condititioning units rather than radiators and installing light-reducing film rather than blinds.

The diverse scope of works included the design, manufacture and installation of a 27m-long sculpture in the main courtyard. Made of rusted steel and concrete, the sculpture represents the famous Anglo-Saxon burial ship. To maximise the speed of its installation, the team formed the concrete slab using a metal shutter system rather than traditional timber shuttering.

Another key aspect of the works saw the erection of a 20m-high observation tower half a mile away from the visitor centre, designed to provide stunning views over the royal burial grounds. Due to badger sets being present in the vicinity, Building Solutions utilised a structural engineer and ground penetrating radar surveys to ensure that HGVs could traverse the ground safely without risk of land collapsing under the weight of the vehicles.

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