The Architect Abroad - The Manser Practice

Surprisingly perhaps – there is something about not only a building site but also the men (and women) working on it which is the same all over the world. Standards of safety, welfare and the use of up to date technology may vary – although these too are beginning to take on a global similarity – but a contractors ability to persuade himself and, if possible, everyone else concerned with the project, that ‘construction is on programme’, when it is not, seems to be the same everywhere in any language.

Sitting in site meetings from Nevada to Dongguan China, Karachi or Harare, there comes a point where the separation between hope and reality is as obvious as it is on UK building sites. Interestingly it seems to be apparent – even when the conversation is in a completely foreign and unintelligible language.

The conversation acquires a different tone – not necessarily argumentative or angry – voices are not raised or fists thumped but something unidentifiable in the otherwise ‘opaque’ foreign language discussion takes on the ‘echo’ of discussions heard on UK sites: “Yes, this or that has caused problems recently, no so and so didn’t perform, but it’s okay – we are definitely still on programme.” Confirmation of this all round the table fails to dispel the growing certainty, probably also felt all around the table, that in fact the project is going to be late.

Ultimately, of course, the project gets completed but why is it that problems with programme are so seldom agreed and dealt with early enough to make up lost ground.