McAleer & Rushe Project Manager, Paul Marlow, has been crowned the top construction manager in the UK for the delivery of a £29 million student accommodation project.

Marlow won the industry ovation for the delivery of the 14 storey design and build scheme of outstanding quality with no accidents reported.

The project manager from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, saw off competition from 85 other finalists and 10 gold medallists to secure the Construction Manager of the Year 2016 award.

Marlow is also the first overall winner to come from a residential category in the 38 year history of the competition.

Although he faced a series of technical and logistical challenges, Marlow delivered the Angel Lane project in Stratford on time and within budget, while the client was delighted with the ‘wow factor’ of the scheme.

Since then, the 759 unit accommodation block has become a standard setter for Unite’s ‘Homes for Success’ initiative, and a benchmark against which future projects will be measured.

His achievement is even more impressive because of the difficult start to the scheme: the start date had to be delayed by two months to January 2014 due to late land purchase, but the completion deadline remained fixed at July 2015, in order for Unite to prepare for the first intake of students.

Marlow led the Angel Lane project from pre-construction phase and radically revised the build strategy to save two months from the programme.

One of the time saving strategies was switching from a post tensioned to a reinforced in situ concrete frame.

Marlow also chose a new lightweight cladding system that could be installed by cradles, mast climbers and scaffold, which freed up tower cranes for other activities.

Angel Lane faced major constraints: it was bound by a main road, a bridge and a neighbouring building site.