星空传媒

I was reading one of the new weekly QS mags the other week which contained several letters, at least three I think, from professionals who proclaimed that RBS Gogarburn - The Royal Bank of Scotland鈥檚 new world HQ in Edinburgh - was the best project in the known universe.

At the time of reading the article I鈥檇 been up to my neck taking part in a fairly crucial bid and I didn鈥檛 get the opportunity to respond to their enthusiastic proclamations. As I have more than a little personal insight into this particular project I feel obliged to add a few comments of my own.

The main reason for the success of Gogarburn is the Royal Bank鈥檚 enviable track record of throwing massive financial resources at their projects.

Does this sound too simple?

When I鈥檇 visited Gogarburn for the first time, I鈥檇 only recently lost my job as an estimating manager for one of the UK鈥檚 best loved and most successful construction companies, which had decided to shut down in Scotland. That decision was prompted by outrageous bidding from the likes of Ballast, MDW, Trenthams, Lilley and Dickie to name but a few - see the article I wrote about it in September 2003 [type 鈥淕avin Clarke鈥� into 星空传媒鈥檚 online archive].

At the time, that piece was regarded as somewhat naive by some of my fellow professionals. Does anyone now, I wonder, notice what these companies have in common ?

Anyway, I toddled down to Gogarburn and was absolutely floored by the money that the RBS had spent. There were mahogany stairs and infrared taps in the cludgie 鈥� plasma televisions all over the place 鈥� security like Fort Knox. In 30 years in this industry I鈥檇 never seen anything like it. And this was just the site hut.

This immediately took me back to one of my very first site visits, as a contractor鈥檚 QS back in 1977, in Dundee. The company I was working with were refurbishing the RBS branch in suburb of Lochee.

It had mahogany stairs, infrared taps in the cludgie and plasma TVs all over the place 鈥� and this was the site hut

 

As newlyweds, my wife and I had recently bought our first house and were engaged in furnishing it and, on site with the RBS QS for the first time, I noted almost immediately a disturbing fact that pretty much established my personal position on the very bottom rung of the ladder in the greater scheme of things.

We鈥檇 just carpeted the lounge of our Wimpey semi with a dark brown shag pile carpet at the prohibitive cost of 拢7 per square yard (laid). The RBS were covering the walls of their Lochee branch with a textile wallpaper costing 拢15 per m2 (supply only).

So, nothing changes. Loadsa dosh, a canny cost plan from, preferably, a Scottish QS and Bob鈥檚 yer auntie - you have a foolproof plan for an easy life on site. Everybody鈥檚 making money, everybody鈥檚 happy and you find yourself with a cracking project to remember.

So all you QSs out there should try basing your cost plans on RBS cost models rather than on the sometimes ludicrous historical tenders submitted by some of the guys I mention above. I know you do it, and I鈥檝e been dealing with the fallout it causes throughout my professional life.

As for me, I鈥檓 very happily back with the same company I鈥檇 been forced to leave and now in one of their specialist contracting divisions. Specialists! Says it all, doesn鈥檛 it? Why did I work with mainstream contractors for so long ? They鈥檙e virtually all gone - Mowlem鈥檚 next and a鈥檅ody else apart fae鈥� Balfours is gone too. Every remaining 鈥渃ontractor鈥� is a 鈥渇acilities manager鈥�. Companies make more money on their PFI equity stakes than from building things.

Back in the late 1970s, Wimpey was probably one of the largest Scottish contractors with a Scottish HQ in Edinburgh - they had almost 20 estimators working in Barnton Grove. Now you鈥檒l be lucky if there are 20 professionally trained estimators in Scotland, never mind in one company in Edinburgh.

I鈥檓 one of them, and most of the others I know are old crocks like me. This might tell you all something about the industry, I鈥檇 guess. Next time I鈥檓 out on my neck, I鈥檓 going to become a mountain guide - just watch this space.