Bowmer & Kirkland have offered their congratulations and good luck to their Contracts Manager, Nick McQuaid who has been shortlisted for the Construction Manager of the Year Awards.

Nick, who oversaw the project to build the new Waterside Campus for the University of Northampton, is a contender in the Higher Education category.

The £123m university campus was the firm's largest project to date and was one of the largest of its kind in the UK.

Considerate Constructors Scheme assessors who visited the site noted that it should be "used as a flagship for all construction sites".

The challenges of the project, which started in March 2016, were immense. Not only were Bowmer & Kirkland constructing five new academic buildings and sports facilities, they also refurbished a Grade II listed former engine shed. As the principal contractor on the scheme, they had to liaise closely with two other main contractors – one building student accommodation facilities, as a separate site within the site, and the other an energy centre.


Environmental controls were put in place because the site was bounded by the River Nene, Hardingstone Dyke and residential areas and a public right of way running through the site had to be kept open at all times. Added to this the University were keen that the site should have a positive and lasting impact on the county in terms of employment, training, utilising social enterprises, supporting local suppliers and having a positive impact on the environment.

The site team embraced the challenges and the entire project was a huge success. Members of the Institute of Civil Engineers who visited during construction said: "It's the best project we have seen since the Olympic Park."

A total of 80 of the very best construction managers in the UK have been named in the shortlists for 11 categories. The announcement of the finalists for each category follows a rigorous assessment process. Over the last few months, Construction Manager of the Year Award judges have been assessing paper applications, as well as conducting site visits and panel interviews. One winner from each category will be selected in addition to the overall Construction Manager of the Year. All will be revealed on 18 September at the Awards Ceremony in London.