The project management team behind four of the highest quality schools in the North has won a prestigious award.

 

The Emmanuel Schools Foundation (ESF), led by project director David Vardy, was nominated by its professional partners in the Client of the Year category in the Constructing Excellence in the North East Awards 2010.

 

Mr Vardy has driven the three most recent projects - The King's Academy in Middlesbrough, Trinity Academy at Thorne near Doncaster and Bede Academy at Blyth - from inception to completion, with each delivered on time and on budget.

 

The schools now educate nearly 5,000 students, enjoy outstanding academic results, are over-subscribed and have received many plaudits from schools inspectors and high profile visitors.

 

Mr Vardy works closely with the Department for Children, Schools and Families, which directly funds the Academies Programme, throughout the process, and with the schools' sponsor Sir Peter Vardy and senior educationalists within ESF.

 

He leads a team which manages each project and works with architects, engineers and the main contractor to develop, construct and equip the schools.

 

Bede Academy was the latest project and the first ESF all-age Academy for children from three-18.

 

The project partners - Cundall, together with architects Howarth Litchfield Partnership, Faitful+Gould and Surgo - nominated Mr Vardy for the award.

 

Their submission said collaboration and listening to new ideas had "allowed innovative inspiring buildings to be created" while "a no-blame culture and a true partnering approach is adopted to achieve an effective and speedy solution".

 

They described Mr Vardy as an "inspirational leader" and "a pleasure to work with", adding: "His enthusiasm and passionate approach manages to instil these values into the team working for him and this forms the trust necessary for partnerships to work in a construction environment."

 

At the start of every project, Mr Vardy sets the team clear goals in terms of budget and completion and develops the brief with the aim of raising quality standards from previous projects and encouraging continuous improvement.

 

Jeff Alexander, of Surgo, said: "It is very rare in our experience that a client take such an active and contributory role in the design and construction process. This involvement makes decisions easier and facilitates the smooth development of the whole process right through to completion."

 

Mike Litchfield, of Howarth Litchfield Partnership, added: "David leads by example and inspires the design and construction teams to share the educational vision, values and educational ethos of each project.

 

"The team approach is paramount and every member of the design and construction teams works together to provide inspirational places and spaces which are good value, on time and within budget."

 

The Constructing Excellence in the North East (CENE) Awards celebrate excellence in delivering sustainability, design, innovation, value for money and collaborative working on projects than enhance the built environment.

 

This year's awards attracted a record 120 entries and the regional winners will go on to represent the North East at national finals later this year.

 

Bede Academy was also recently shortlisted in the sustainability category In the RICS North East Renaissance Awards, known as the region's property ‘Oscars'.