NEC projects again excel at UK construction industry awards

NEC-procured projects again featured strongly at the British Construction Industry Awards last month.

The event at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on 12 October 2022 saw projects delivered with NEC contracts winning seven of the 10 project related awards, including the overall award. The remaining three awards were won by projects procured by JCT, Fidic and IChemE forms. Of the three highly commended entries, it was one each for NEC, JCT and bespoke.

Glasgow Life’s £68 million restoration of The Burrell Collection museum in the city’s Pollock Country Park topped the list by winning overall Project of the Year as well as Cultural & Leisure Project of the Year. The highly sensitive restoration of the 1983 A-listed building, which included upgrading it to a Breeam ‘excellent’ sustainability rating, was procured using an NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC) Option A (priced contract with activity schedule).

Design principles award

Crossrail’s and Berkeley Homes’ £234 million public−private partnership for Woolwich Station on London’s new Elizabeth line, which was procured using NEC3 ECC Option A and E (cost reimbursable contract), won the National Infrastructure Commission Design Principles Award and was also highly commended in the transport category.

The Transport Project of the Year award itself went to Leeds City Council’s £29 million NEC3 ECC Option A and C Stourton Park and Ride scheme, which is fully solar powered, while Highland Council’s £2 million NEC3 ECC Option A Hydro Ness Archimedes Screw scheme, which will fully repay itself over its useful life, secured the Small Project of the Year award.

Environmental Project of the Year was awarded to Defence Infrastructure Organisation’ £45 million NEC3 Engineering and Construction Short Contract (ECSC) for Net Zero Carbon Accommodation across the UK’s military training camps, and Commercial Property Project of the Year went to Neath Port Talbot Council’s £8 million NEC3 ECC Option A Bay Technology Centre in Swansea.

Shortlisted projects

Of the 39 project entries that were shortlisted for this year’s awards, 15 were procured by NEC contracts, 13 by JCT, three each for Fidic and IChemE, and one each for ICC, PPC2000, alliancing and bespoke.