Project throwback: Nottingham Central Library

21 October 2024
3 minutes read

The new Nottingham Central Library forms part of Nottingham City Council’s ambitious city centre redevelopment plans. The £10.5m project spans 2,940 square metres within the Broad Marsh bus station and car park building, covering three levels and including standout features such as a striking floating staircase, immersive storytelling room, children’s reading area, public café, and bookable meeting spaces.

Contractor Overbury – part of Morgan Sindall Group – commenced work on the scheme in August 2022 under an NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contraction (ECC) Option A, with multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard acting as NEC project manager and supervisor.

During the 42-week programme, the project team encountered several challenges that could have impacted the schedule or costs. Effective communication from early engagement throughout the duration of the works and timely decision-making were essential to minimising disruptions. That’s where Sypro and its project protection features came in.

 

How Sypro helped

With embedded transparency at all stages and clear responsibilities, Sypro gave the project team clear processes and compliancy measures throughout the project. The centralised system for managing the NEC contract administration enabled the team to handle early warnings and compensation events to keep delivery on track and wholly compliant.

With features designed to protect all parties against the risk of delays resulting in disputes, Sypro made sure the project had a transparent timeline and budget that had been compliantly agreed. 60 early warning notices and 69 compensation events were managed quickly and effectively, with the relevant team members being alerted clearly and instantly, allowing for timely discussions and collaborative problem-solving.

Sypro reinforced the principles of the collaborative approach required under NEC contracts by providing a transparent, real-time overview of the project status to all parties involved. The ability to foster communication and cooperation across the project team allowed all to meet the NEC obligation – to act in a ‘spirit of mutual trust and cooperation’.

 

The Outcome

The landmark project successfully finished on time and within budget, with completion in June 2023 ahead of the library opening its doors to the public in November 2023. A new and popular community hub now sits in the heart of the city centre, but also stands as testament to effective project and contract management and the power of collaboration supported by the right protective digital tools.

Oliver Hatton, Director at Pick Everard, which acted as NEC project manager and supervisor, said: “Sypro’s ability to flag early warnings meant we were able to keep everything on track across the project team, avoiding anything slipping through the net and creating non-compliance. As well as this, being able to easily manage the project and elements like compensation events within a central system kept full transparency across the project team on actions and responsibilities throughout the necessary steps and towards successful delivery of Nottingham Central Library.”


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