Every building development has its own unique set of technical challenges, timescales and budgetary requirements. As multi-disciplinary engineers, Buro Happold is highly experienced in the management and cost control of construction projects worldwide. Our aim is to achieve cost certainty right from the outset. Drawing on our in-depth knowledge of the design process, our specialist cost management team can ensure that a project runs to set targets from conception through to completion.

Our approach is to work closely with the client and the engineering project team to ensure value for money and budgetary control. By carrying out appraisals of options and risk assessments, and giving advice to designers where appropriate, we can ensure that realistic budgets are set throughout the design process. Careful monitoring of project costs allows a detailed cashflow forecast to be produced reflecting the work schedule, while monthly reports highlight the effect of any design variations.

Cost management has become an increasingly important element in all projects due to a number of factors, including the technical complexity of many modern buildings; the number of specialist designers and contractors; and the additional management and co-ordination requirements due to new procurement methods. Buro Happold provides reassuring financial control during the construction phase, as well as whole life costing which predicts the costs of ownership over the economic life of the project.

Key services provided by our cost management team cover a wide spectrum and can be tailored to suit the needs of each project. As well as traditional quantity surveying we can also advise on procurement methods for unusual and innovative designs – such as timber gridshells and tensile structures – and on the specialised area of building services costs. In an era of highly serviced buildings this can account for as much as 35% of the entire construction budget.