Behind The Scenes – Q&A with Richard Finnemore, Head of Project Management, Dar, London.

Richard shares some of the challenges involved at building handover, and looks ahead to how 150 Holborn will evolve in the future.

Hello Richard. Please can you explain what your role at Dar (London) involves?

I’m Head of Project Management for Dar in London, which is the team that’s responsible for not only managing projects within 150 Holborn but external projects as well.

Could you talk us through your contribution to the delivery of 150 Holborn?

I originally worked with Sidara sister firm, Perkins&Will, for 28 years, but in early 2022 I was seconded to Dar to help with the delivery of this building. So, I was embedded within the operations team and the steering group that had been looking after the project for the previous three or four years.

When I arrived, the building was in the fit out stage but, obviously, I was aware of what had been going on, and I was excited to get involved because it was going to be the office I’d be working in.

Then, when we got to the handover at the end of 2022, I decided to make the move a bit more permanent, so I had a conversation with my colleagues and made the sideways transition. I haven’t given up on architecture entirely, but I’ve moved more into project management.

Were there any key challenges you faced in delivering 150 Holborn on time?

Yes, mainly because some of the existing leases for some of the member firms were about to expire! So, we had no room for shifting the date of completion. It was all hands to the pumps to get the building delivered on time because almost immediately after handover, Dar and Introba moved in, followed by the other member firms in sequence.

There was no room for manoeuvre, and alongside that was the need to maintain build quality under those time pressures. So, that meant a lot of intense meetings and site inspections with the contractor, to make sure everything was being delivered as it should be.

And because of those time pressures, I think we faced a few challenges after handover regarding closing out defects in our occupied building. Everybody expects it to be shiny and new and perfect and these things never are, as you’ll know if you’ve done any house moves or major projects at home.

Ordinarily – or ideally – all of those defects would be sorted out before tenants move in and people start using the space. But practical completion happened in December 2022, and then Dar and Introba moved in mid-January 2023.

Yes, I remember, it was all very quick, wasn’t it?

Absolutely, and of course, Christmas came in between those times, so that was very tight.

And looking at the delivered building now, what are you most proud of?

I think having played a part in a project that, collectively, we’re proud of. That the building has been a great addition to the streetscape in Holborn. And that there’s so much technology incorporated into 150 Holborn, which is evidenced by our SmartScore and WiredScore certifications.

 And I think, just generally, the workspace that we’ve created for all of our member firms to use, particularly the communal spaces, is something to be really proud of. And that so many of our sister companies have had a direct contribution to the project.

Yes, it really emphasises the Sidara Collaborative doesn’t it? We don’t just talk the talk, we’re actually walking the walk.

Indeed. So, to use that cliche, it was a wholly collaborative experience.

What do you think are the key lessons learned throughout the design and delivery process for clients and future projects?

I think, with a building of this complexity, it’s important to have a range of views and opinions and expertise, and for all of those to be listened to and considered. And I think, on the whole, we’ve been successful in doing that.

 But I also think, with hindsight, maybe we should have encouraged more engagement and collaboration across the disciplines that contributed to the design of the building, and across all their staff, to gauge their opinions.

What’s your sense of how our collective firms’ staff view the building?

I think they like it. It’s like moving into any new building or like moving home. Once you live in a space you understand what’s working well, and what’s not working so well. So, I think there are opportunities to enhance 150 Holborn and keep that goodwill going.

When people moved in, it was so different to their previous premises because we were all in relatively small buildings and different workspaces. So, to come to a building that was tailor-made was a big plus.

But of course, over time, that initial wow factor tends to wane slightly, so that’s why I’m saying we need to keep refreshing the building, making it better ,and improving on it, to keep the excitement alive.

Yes, it was a collaborative design and delivery effort but now we need to look at how we use it.

Yes, for example, I think Fridays tend to be a bit quieter and that’s generally the rule now. But, particularly after lockdown and with everybody working from home, there needed to be a reason for people to come to the office. 

It’s not just about having a desk and a monitor, it’s about the communal spaces and the other facilities. The amenities that people now expect. And I think by creating the staff canteen on Level 8 and the roof terrace, we’ve got a range of destinations that make you really want to come to the office.

Oh, that’s interesting. And what about collaborations between firms on all the different levels?

I think the transparency in the office works really well in that when you go up and down the central staircase, you can look into the other firms floorplates, and see people you might not have seen for a while.

There is that connection, but I would like to see more collaboration, more movement between floors and shared workspaces because I think we’ve all got a lot to learn from each other.

 You know, Dar projects have parallels with what Perkins&Will work on, and of course we have the engineers, Introba and Maffeis Engineering. We should be sharing more of that knowledge and being a bit more communicative with our colleagues.

Do you mean about projects that everybody’s working on, or are you thinking about more internal social events – or both?

Social events, certainly. If you go up to Level 8 at lunchtime, it’s great because everybody’s up there having their lunch and you get a great mix of people there. But I think this could be boosted by having more events and better internal communications between the people running those events.

And then on project level I think we should be showcasing our work more, unless it’s confidential or under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). We shouldn’t have any secrets from other firms.

When I first joined Dar, I was most surprised how modest we are about what great work we do. If you look around our office, there’s not much of it up on the walls. And for somebody from another firm, they’d have no idea about the quality and quantity of our work and the types of projects we work on.

Having images up on the walls, not only for when clients are in the building, would pique interest between colleagues as well.

It would also be good to do that in some of the meeting rooms, and with the central Atrium, there’s an opportunity there to showcase more of what we do, not just for clients, but also for all our sister brands as well.

How do you see things evolving in the future for 150 Holborn?

I think working in such a smart, flexible building, it’s going to be interesting to see how it evolves over the coming years and what we can do to enhance it, and to support different ways of working. 

A lot of that will probably be informed by the Day 2 data that PARA is starting to pull through into our Living Lab. And thinking ahead to Day 3, if the data shows we’re not utilising all the meeting rooms fully, what can we do to adapt?

Interesting. Apparently, early data analysis showed the canteen wasn’t being used as much on a Friday. And when Currie & Brown found out, they started holding a Friday brunch. And Introba uses it on Fridays as well, so now, it’s a lot busier.

I mean, that’s the point. And I think this applies to any project really, that you’re never truly finished. So, when you complete a building project and somebody cuts the ribbon, everyone says, oh, that’s brilliant, we’re done. But you’re not done, it’s an evolving thing.

Well, actually, that’s a good thing, isn’t it?

It is. I mean, I hesitate to say this about a building, as it sounds a bit cliched, but it is actually a living, breathing entity. I mean, people are using it, it’s changing, it’s adapting, all the intelligent systems are learning how we use it to help us make it better. 

And I’m going to play on the cliches and the analogies now. Because, if it’s a living thing, we can’t leave it to its own devices. We need to raise it and it needs to be nurtured as well.