Quick trip to Mount Gambier, as I run into the final day of judging for this year for Master Builders SA. What a hectic 6 week judging period it has been, as I balance this time commitment in a very busy business. It’s been a fantastic experience again as i visited 18 projects over a number of categories. All projects presented in a very high standard, with all building construction teams and their clients beaming with pride on the results they had achieved. A common theme I noticed in this years projects, is the builders ability to ‘pivot’ in a changing landscape. Each and every project I visited, had an element of being innovative, adapting to challenging situations and environments. For example, Weather - Remember all the rain we had? Most of these projects were in civil stages at the time. The construction teams had to be innovative, to manage soil movements and in some cases even stop in order to ensure a high quality build. Navigating these issues required close engagement with the client. Materials - material shortages continued to play a role here, particularly with specified overseas products. I reviewed a number of building construction teams working closely with the architect/client to mitigate these risks, through alternative solutions and early procurement. Labour - the nominated trade contractor through the awards submissions highlighted a talking point in one of the key elements in a successful project… our subcontractors. Builders worked hard this year, to get in the trenches with our subbies. Often being very hands on, working as a team to assist the subcontractor manage workforce requirements and scopes of work. How did these amazing projects pull all this together? Intelligent construction methodology (risk mitigation) and teamwork 👌 This was also quite evident this year when interviewing the client, I was amazed to see the clients passion when questioned over performance. I observed the building construction teams working very hard with the client to bring them along on the construction journey; working through the challenges together and celebrating the success. Well done to all the building teams involved in the projects I visited over the past 6 weeks. 👍🏻
Robert Pellicano
9mo
Looking refreshed.
Jake Turner
9mo
I'm glad you were able to enjoy some sunshine in our beautiful city. From your summary, it seems our building industry demonstrates strong resilience despite economic and natural challenges. Let's hope one of the final projects up for judging was local!
Great work, Marcus!