Our Strengths
FRAMEWORKS
Strategic frameworks are an excellent route to successfully delivering best value in higher and further education projects. Mansell’s early involvement and experience in developing strategic frameworks within this sector is widely recognised.
Frameworks deliver a joint focus on providing the very best teaching accommodation and student facilities.
The close collaboration that develops as the relationship matures gives scope for investment, flexibility, innovative construction solutions and improved value.
FLEXIBILITY
Mansell’s versatility means that we can take a flexible approach carefully tailored to suit the needs of our clients.
Together with our specialist advisors, we liaise closely with the college or university to realise their vision for their facilities and to strike the balance between inspiration and practicality.
The academic year and daily patterns of campus are major factors in determining our construction programme. Among the options are fast tracked starts, carrying work out in phases and scheduling quiet periods around examination time.
And we’re happy to advise on and work to different forms of contract including design and build, traditional, two-stage “open book”, partnering style or framework agreement.
This “can do” attitude has brought us a welcome amount of repeat business in this field.
A SENSITIVE APPROACH
Mansell has a long track-record of working with and around young people and is able to offer a thorough understanding of the campus environment and a highly sensitive approach.
The safety and security of our workforce, visitors and the general public is always top of the agenda.
We take great care to ensure our sites are secure and that there is appropriate segregation between work areas and the college or university community. Screening may be utilised, particularly when there is student accommodation nearby.
We also programme our work to cause minimal disruption to teaching in terms of access to facilities or noise from construction equipment.
Alongside these measures, however, we endeavour to be open to using our sites as an educational tool in themselves by encouraging site visits and talks on construction and the opportunities for careers in the industry.
COMMUNICATION
One of our major strengths is our ability to communicate and share knowledge.
Within Mansell this extends to sharing experience, lessons learned and best practice to ensure the best possible outcomes for new projects. We’re also receptive to new ideas from our specialist advisors.
From the commencement of any project and throughout the design and build process, we encourage the involvement of key stakeholders to ensure that as the project evolves we are working as a team towards common objectives. And while we’re on site we’re delighted to host site visits and participate in construction related presentations and activities.
As far as possible, we use local suppliers and labour to encourage integration with the neighbouring community and to foster community pride and ownership in the project.