Overview

Blue Projects provided tender support, design management, project and construction management, as well as HSE services for London Partners’ SOHO Unirii residential development in central Bucharest.

The project comprises three 9-storey buildings of 236 units, ranging from studios to apartments with 2, 3 and 4 rooms. It features modern architectural design, quality materials and a convenient location, within walking distance of Bucharest’s city centre. Also, part of the development is a private parking space for residents.

Blue Projects was appointed in April 2017 to deliver the residential development. This was our second collaboration with London Partners, having previously provided due diligence services for the acquisition of the land on which SOHO is located.

Project phases:

Phase 1: May – June 2017

• Enabling works – removal of soil and site organization

Phase 2: June – September 2017

• Slurry walls and excavation;

Phase 3: September 2017 – June 2019

• Construction of the 3 main buildings: 2 underground levels, ground floor and 6 floors

Challenge

One of the project’s main tasks was keeping the costs to a minimum and avoiding additional costs as much as possible. Another significant challenge was the project’s tight deadline, imposed by the fact that the building permit was expiring in less than one year from the soil breakdown. The Contractor was facing difficulties due to lack of workforce on the Romanian market, prices escalation and incomplete design. Several instructions to stop or slow down the construction activities were issued, for the purpose of waiting for the new building permit and the design clarifications.

Our Solution

ost variations were grouped by categories and negotiated in bundles, to avoid significant increase in project costs. The expiry of building permit 3rd April 2018 represented a serious concern for the project. By that date, the structure progress should have been as advanced as possible, at least the basements infrastructure and ground floor ought to have been completed. Blue Projects achieved the target by optimizing sectors for pouring concrete, pushing the Contractor against the schedule to bring external workmanship and work during wintertime and by designing a good scheduling of the verifications and inspections.

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