Building London’s heritage
by Michéle Nardelli
Moving to chilly London from the tropical climes of Darwin is providing UniSA Bachelor of Building graduate, Mark Utting, career opportunities he could not have dreamed of in Australia. His special interest in heritage projects would rarely be tested to the same extent anywhere else.
Utting works for the project management company, Thinc Projects, founded in Australia and now launching itself internationally in Europe and the Middle East. And already they have won a contract to complete a conservation project in one of the UK’s most cherished religious and historical sites, Westminster Abbey.
"It is a very special project and one that will have real challenges but enormous rewards," Utting says. "The work will focus on the conservation of the façade of the Chapter House, but equally important to ensuring the actual quality of conservation work, will be how we manage the relationships between the multiple stakeholders involved."
Utting
says the key to good project management is defining the client’s
requirements and then understanding the best way to deliver the
project. Strong communication skills are also essential.
"I think people have a pretty clear picture of what architects, builders and quantity surveyors do," he says.
"However the role of the project manager is less well understood. Project management as a profession has only been around for about 25 years but it is becoming increasingly significant across the building industry, particularly with complex projects."
And the skill set is much in demand. Utting was already employed in the industry two years before completing his degree at UniSA.
Early experiences with heritage projects such as earthquake proofing Adelaide’s Mortlock Library and the restoration of the Adelaide War Memorial gave Utting a taste for the very special management requirements of heritage work. They were also great preparation for jobs like his current project to restore rest area facilities at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
"Heritage work has its own unique challenges because often you are dealing with public buildings that have a special place in the community. There are also strong emotions and a sense of duty attached to their protection and preservation," he says.
"You need to use all of your communication skills – the building work can be quite simple but the management of all the stakeholders is often delicate and sensitive. In the Westminster Abbey project one of the stakeholders is the Queen of England, so there are some very important people who need to know we will do it right.
"When it all comes together it can be very satisfying".
And Utting says working and living in London is exciting stuff.
"It is one of the most international cities in the world and the sheer size and history of the place is fantastic," he says.
The move has not been without hiccups. While Utting has a British passport his wife, who is also a UniSA graduate and a specialist in occupational therapy, has had to return to Australia to await approval of the appropriate visa.
"For anyone coming over it is important to know that rules around working and living in the UK have tightened up – even for professionals," he says.