The rapid construction of seven covid-19 specialist ‘Nightingale’ hospitals in the UK, including at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham built in just two weeks, has lessons about how a crisis-triggered event and the mindset behind the construction should apply to all projects, in good times and bad. The new risk assessments and method statements developed to manage and overcome the restrictions while construction continued during lockdown, in many instances detail a better way of working, and those new methods will endure as we enter the “new normal” – writes Interserve Construction in ‘Building.’ It explains how the requirement to question how we build and why we build in a certain way, to overcome the social distancing issues in this instance, created alternative solutions.
Crucially, it says, the construction has taught us that in the future it is possible that customers, particularly those in the public sector, will procure construction services in a more agile and efficient manner.
“Could it be like this all the time?” it asks, “with a shared purpose, collaboration and a focus on value?” The answer is “probably, as long as we do not revert to the ‘but we’ve always done it this way’ mentality which often defines our sector.” Read that here.