Our Teambuild Winners 2014

A team of young professionals from KSS Design, Mott MacDonald, Gardiner & Theobald and BWB Consultancy solved a real-life construction challenge to scoop a £2,000 top prize!

TeamBuild 2014 challenged teams to plan, design and present proposals for the extensive revamp of Land Securities’ Eastbourne Terrace site, adjacent to Paddington Station. The real masterplan from Fletcher Priest Architects was used as the basis for a weekend of quick-fire challenges. This fascinating project provided the background for a series of taxing scenarios at all stages of the construction process, watched and scored by eminent Judges from all fields across the construction industry. Twelve teams, representing twenty-six top construction companies, made it through to the hotly-contested finals, and impressed throughout with their professionalism, enthusiasm and dedication.

The winning team, awarded a cash prize of £2,000 by the Worshipful Company of Constructors, were STRATA, a group from KSS Design, Mott MacDonald, Gardiner & Theobald and BWB Consultancy. The prize was awarded by the Master, Victoria Russell (SCL). STRATA impressed the judges with their consistent teamwork, great leadership, and their confidence and professionalism in presentations and under pressure.

Team members were Samantha Barclay (RIBA), Emily Bonner (ICE), Sally Emery (RIBA), Arran Ewin (RIBA), Helen Payne (CIBSE) and Emillie Webster (RICS).

The Winners of the Judges Prize of £1,250, awarded for the team which showed the greatest improvement over the weekend, were studioforma, a team from Buro Happold and Create Design, including members from the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE), Institute of Stuctural Engineers (IStructE), CIBSE, and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

The Procurement Strategy Prize of £1,250, awarded by the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects, was awarded by Master Geoffrey Purves to Kaleidoscope a team from AECOM, which included members of the ICE, RICS, IHT, APM and CIAT.

This year we also had two new prizes. The Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) sponsored a prize for Excellence in Construction. This prize of £1000 was awarded to Promoveo, a team from Hoare Lea, Sweett Group, AHR, Curtins Consulting Ltd, and Galliford Try. CCS Ambassador, John Sayers presented the award for an outstanding performance during the final stage Task; construction & handover.

The other new prize this year was a prize for Leadership. Great teams need great leadership, and this prize recognises that skill, as voted for by both judges and competitors. The Commercial Education Trust sponsor this prize and their Chairman, David Coughtrie, awarded the prize of £500 to Sam Barclay of KSS Design and Lucy Townsend of BDP.

The objectives of TeamBuild focus on developing skills in leadership, communication and coordination beyond the sum of the of the individual’s skill. The competition helps identify the way teams must work together in the construction industry by challenging them with scenarios common to construction projects across the UK.

The overall standard of the event was extremely high, and all twelve finalist teams should be congratulated on an immense achievement. Further details of each of the finalist teams is published on our website. A special thank you to Wates Contractors, Land Securities and Fletcher Priest Architects, who were our site sponsors this year and enabled us to use this wonderful location as the basis for our questions.

TeamBuild is an annual competition held in November of each year. Entries for the 2015 competition will open in June.