Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak (LMHT) engaged a consultant team in November 2016 to design and document the redevelopment of its auditorium, which it anticipated would be delivered under traditional Lump Sum procurement. By March 2017 the design had progressed to schematic design level, however the total end cost estimate was well in excess of the budget and LMHT’s intended design objectives had not been achieved. A new project delivery strategy was required to actively manage the scope, value engineering and meet the challenging project completion date.
Johnstaff was engaged as consultant Project Manager (taking over the role from a previous organisation), as well as Cost Manager. At the same time Vaughan Constructions proposed to provide early contractor involvement (ECI) services that would convert into a fixed Design & Construct price. Following Johnstaff negotiations, Vaughan Constructions was engaged as ECI Contractor and a new consultant team was engaged (except for the architects, Architectus who were retained).
Johnstaff closely oversaw the activities of the ECI Contractor and design team to ensure the client’s objectives and ECI Agreement obligations were achieved through the ECI and Design & Construct negotiation process. To mitigate the risk associated with sole source pricing, Johnstaff’s Cost Management team undertook a thorough open book audit of the ECI Contractor’s D&C offer to ensure it represented value for money.
During construction several latent conditions were uncovered and resolved, including significant water ingress from beneath the slab, without impact on the overall programme or budget. Through a true collaborative approach between Johnstaff, the client and contractor, the project was delivered in an accelerated programme of only six months within the confines of an operational building and site. This took careful planning to ensure the works didn’t impact critical activities, including VCE exams.
