The project - for which leading project and cost consultancy Davis Langdon acted as Project Manager, Cost Consultant and Planning Supervisor - scooped the award for “Excellence in Collaborative Engineering Design” for structural engineers SKM Anthony Hunts at the 11th Annual Quality in Construction Awards ceremony at the London Hilton which took place on March 21st 2007.
The “Quality in Construction” awards are noted to be the highest accolade in the construction industry, with intense competition in each category. Eden Project is no stranger to success at the awards, having been named “Project of the Decade” in 2006 and being short listed in a number of categories in the years preceding.
The Core houses major exhibits, exploring man’s relationship with plants with additional space for temporary exhibitions and four classrooms for schools use, as well as refreshment facilities. Its design resulted from collaboration between artist Peter Randall-Page and architect Jolyon Brewis of Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners and took inspiration from the organic patterns including the Fibonacci sequence, resulting in a swirling asymmetrical snail shell shaped building.
With outstanding sustainability credentials, including the procurement and construction methods, the project represents the third phase of the Eden project.
Tim Smit, Eden Chief Executive, commented “I hate exaggeration, so I’ll tell you the simple truth: this is the finest modern building in the world”.
Davis Langdon is historically linked to the Eden Project, having worked with the team since 1996 as Project and Cost Manager, working on 4 major Phases with a combined construction value approaching £120 million. These include Phases 1 & 2 of “Big Build” which included the reclamation of the Site, the Biomes and Visitor Centre which started on site in late 1998 and opened to the public in 2001. In 2002 Davis Langdon were awarded “APM Project Manager of the Year” for this Phase.
Phase 3 involved the expansion and re-arrangement of various facilities to deal with the higher than expected visitor numbers approaching 2 million per annum in lieu of the 750,000 for which the project was originally designed.
Phase 4 commenced on site in late 2003 with a construction budget of £25 million. Work included The Core, expansion of the overflow car parks, improved staff facilities, the provision of improved and assisted visitor access and further covered areas.
Other Davis Langdon projects mentioned at the ceremony included Al Naboodah Laing O’ Rourke’s Mall of the Emirates Snow Centre which picked up the award for International Performance, whilst the Wildfowl and Wetlands Visitor Centre in Cambridgeshire was a finalist.
