Background and motivations

“Leaving school, I knew I wanted to do something that was fundamentally practical, but involved problem solving and a range of challenges,” explains Harvey.

Before joining the industry Harvey admits to having had some misconceptions before actually starting work in the sector. “I was concerned it would be a case of the same activity every day, whether working with a certain set of tools or sat in front of a monitor. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Every day brings up something completely new to deal with. Having tried an entirely different line of work before starting here, from the first day at Eden Facades, I knew this was exactly what I was looking for.”

Role and responsibilities – what a typical day looks like on site

The Site Manager must ensure that every worker on site has the tools and other requirements needed to complete their assigned tasks. Scheduling and sequencing of the various trades on site, taking into account the dependencies of their responsibilities, is an important area. All progress then has to be overseen, particularly in relation to safety.

Harvey stresses that Site Manager is a job where no two days are the same. Some of the work, such as ordering materials and tools, is a weekly routine. But much of the day can centre on resolving fresh and often unpredictable issues arising.

“You might be liaising with a surveyor, an architect or a local resident wanting to know when scaffolding will come down, or drilling will stop,” says Harvey. “Often, you plan everything meticulously, and then a rapid change in temperature or rain means one or more trades have to stop, and you’re scrambling to deal with the implications of that.”

Communications are also vital. A Site Manager must liaise with the main contractor and make sure we are always up to date, and in turn must ensure that any specialty contractors we engage are fully briefed.

Overcoming challenges

Harvey has been part of the Eden Facades team completing cladding remediation work at Orwell Quay in Ipswich. Challenges there centred on the fact that the building was occupied throughout works. “Anything that might cause noise or disrupt life for residents had to be planned several days in advance, because we had to give fair notice”, says Harvey.

Weather also affected progress: “We were applying Wetherby render at Orwell Quay. On one occasion, I’d scheduled the subcontractor to take down some of the scaffolding, but rendering always has to pause if it rains, and that had happened, so the scaffolders were waiting on the renderers. Fortunately, I was able to find other scaffolding at another elevation that we were able to remove ahead of plan, so everyone was kept usefully busy. Everything worked out perfectly in the end, but it’s an example of how you always need to think on your feet.”

Following the completion of the first phase at Orwell Quay, The building control professional was very impressed with the work of the team Harvey led, describing it as being of a very high standard, so clearly Harvey has been able to find answers to the problems arising.

A challenging but also enjoyable responsibility

Construction projects are about teamwork more than anything else, and Harvey noted the collaborative approach he encountered on site. “I was very much learning at the start, but it was refreshing that that wasn’t seen as something bad. It’s a very tight team; you can always go to someone more experienced for advice. If you can solve it together, that counts as a win.”

Final words

Asked what advice he would give to those starting out in construction, Harvey says: “Be a sponge. Soak up information. If you don’t know, don’t keep quiet – ask. At the same time though, you do have to be your own person. You need to learn from others how to make the decision, but you also need to gain the confidence to make decisions yourself.”

Harvey feels that the tight-knit nature of the Eden Facades team is what sets it apart from other contractors. “We work together on every task. Everyone’s focused on the overall outcome, not just their own area of formal responsibility. That allows us to bring in such excellent results every time.”

To speak to one of our team about your next project, please call 01268 744199 or email office@edenfacades.co.uk.