Project
Management 
In England and Europe, local councils
take considerable precautions to supervise
and control contractors constructing
buildings and residencies against faulty
use of materials and nonconformity
to the standard of practice as laid
out by The British or European standards
Institutions.
In underdeveloped countries and Cyprus this practice does not exist, or is too
loose.
Under these conditions, it is imperative that the owner must provide their own
professional consultant to supervise and control the construction as per the
standards laid down by the designers and the local standards Authorities.
What are the benefits of project management?
The task of a good, experienced project manager is twofold:
1- To make sure and advise the contractor where not to waste time and money,
and finish the contract on time.
2 - To make sure that the elements of the construction are fully in line with
the proper construction methods, and that the materials used are in line with
the specifications agreed.
This is a full-time job. He has to watch that the use of concrete is the appropriate
strength and mix. He has to take samples (known as cubes) to test that the
concrete used was in the strength required. He has to make sure that the water
content is the required amount and carry out slump tests for these. All this
has to be done at random.
This is the only way of making sure that when that building is finished, it
will not have cracks here and there and moisture will not spoil the render
and internal paint of the house during winter months.
Another important aspect is accommodating to any changes to the original specification
that the owner may make during construction.
How is it done?
Project management is a specialist's work. It needs many year's of practical
on-site experience to know all the inn's and outs of what contractors can do,
to just make that little bit more profit..
First and foremost, you have to have a good and explicit specification. The
project manager has to be either a qualified engineer or architect, and be
fully conversant and familiar with the use of materials and their methods of
application. Concrete and steel is what makes a building safe provided it is
used properly and in accordance with the current codes of practices and standards.
This is the most important role of the project manager, as some contractors
tend to use inferior materials and cut down on steel and concrete here and
there. That way, they save about 10-20% on materials and maximise their profits
to the same ratio.
A good project manager stops such practices, and is always the fear of greedy
contractors!
What does it cost?
The cost of project management is trivial considering that he can avoid mistakes
that can cost considerable sums.
Normally the cost is either a charge per visit, or a small percentage of the
cost of the project. Usually this is around 4-5% of project cost. In Europe
this is more than 7-8% of project cost.
Approach is Professional
A meeting is held with a senior
architect to first establish all the
needs and requirements of the client.
Whether it is a large kitchen, a large
lounge or a large or small bedroom.
Whether they have a disabled person
in the family, or need a swimming pool
and a porch.
All these criteria are evaluated and the architects draw up a specification
for constructing the villa or any other structure. Materials are also discussed
during the specification period.
The final approval of the client is sought and agreed together with the price.
The above is the hard part of the work. Following all this, the engineers,
and other disciplines get together to finalise the designs, obtain all the
necessary approvals and permissions, and set about to constructing the villa.During
this period, progress photographs, reports and all other relevant information
is sent to the clients to keep them fully informed.
This service is highly recommended.
For further details please contact
us via email info@cyprusislandhomes.com
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