TOP OF THE CLASS FOR BELFAST BOYS’ MODEL
ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE WINNERS OF THE CONSTRUCTION EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2011
7 October 2011: The
winners of the Construction Excellence Awards 2011 were announced in Belfast last night. Guest of Honour, newly appointed Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Dr Malcolm McKibbin revealed Farrans Construction as the winner of the Overall Award for the Belfast Boys’ Model School.
The impressive school, which also won the Education Infrastructure Award, emerged as the ultimate winner for 2011 against stiff competition from the other 14 category winners including the Lyric Theatre by Gilbert Ash, the Peace Bridge by Graham Construction and the £250m roads scheme on the A1 and A4 by Lagan Ferrovial.
So tight was the decision for the overall winner that the 17 strong judging panel of experts decided to give a special commendation to the Lyric Theatre, which was the winner of the Social/Community Construction Award.
Congratulating the overall winners CEF Managing Director John Armstrong said, “I commend Farrans for their outstanding work in delivering this wonderful school in such an exemplary fashion. The judges’ view was that the £27m project has brought school design and construction to a new level. Farrans Construction took the innovation, buildability, feedback and learning from recent schools projects to produce a truly outstanding building. The attention to detail during the phased construction ensured that this project would be classed as exceptional.”
“The winners of the broad array of awards highlight the vast social, economic and environmental benefits that are produced through high quality construction.”
In excess of 400 people attended the Culloden Hotel for the prestigious ceremony which is now firmly established as the highlight of the construction calendar. The audience, which included guests from across the political, public and private sectors, was addressed by the newly appointed Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Dr Malcolm McKibbin.
Welcoming Dr McKibbin, John Armstrong said, “It is recognition of the central importance of the construction industry to Northern Ireland’s economy that the newly appointed Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service is making his first public address here this evening. We thank Malcolm for his support.“
Speaking about the importance of the Awards at a difficult time for the industry, Mr Armstrong said, “Let me be very clear, our Assembly and Executive have put the economy at the core of their agenda. If we are to rebalance our economy we need a sustained period of private sector growth. The seeds of private sector growth will not take root on barren ground. It is only through radically increased levels of investment in buildings and infrastructure that we will be able to create the fertile environment in which the private sector can flourish.”
“Achieving these radically increased levels of investment will not be easy. However, that is the challenge that we are putting to our Ministers, our MLAs, our civil servants and indeed to ourselves.”
“In this context, it has never been more important for us as an industry to showcase what we can do to improve the built environment for all the people of Northern Ireland.”