Ease has been engaged to undertake the Project Management of a new pool and leisure facility at The Hotel & Extreme Academy, Watergate Bay.

During the early design stages of this project Ease was asked to review the construction of a separate project,  the second phase of The Village, Watergate Bay.

The Village is a cluster of beach-chic properties subtly embedded into the cliff-top overlooking Watergate Bay. Each two-storey house is coolly crafted from sustainably sourced, natural materials, and finished in Watergate Bay’s trademark beach-fresh style with surfboard racks, outdoor showers and ocean-facing decking with panoramic views.

The Village has been designed to incorporate the latest energy-efficient construction, including sedum roofing, earth sheltering, exhaust air heat pumping from the bathroom to under-floor heating, whole house ventilation and brise soliel to help heat and cool the buildings. Also fitted out with high-efficiency insulation and lighting, each property easily exceeds the current Government targets for energy efficiency.

The viability of this project was possibly going to be compromised on cost and programme grounds. After an initial review Ease suggested technical, sequencing and procurement route proposals for the scheme to bring it back in line with the client’s aspirations. These included a change of the structural solution, re-programming and the adoption of a Construction Management Contract for procurement of the works.

Prior to works starting a programme and cost plan was agreed with the client and the contracts were placed with four works contractors. Through the contract period Ease visited the site twice a week to manage the process. The project was delivered in 22 weeks, one week later than the contract programme and within the agreed cost plan. This was quite a feat given there was only a two week lead-in, the works were challenged by some particularly cold and snowy conditions for Cornwall and our internal finishes contractor went into liquidation some 8 weeks before handover.

This was the clients first project to be undertaken on a Construction Management basis and given the success of this route Ease will be undertaking the complex pool project this coming winter on the same basis.

Will Ashworth, Managing Director, The Hotel & Extreme Academy, Watergate Bay, said: “We have tried various procurement routes for our projects over the last few years but none have been as successful as working with Ease. Andy and his team delivered on schedule and on budget. As importantly Ease have seen us through the snagging period with the same efficiency with which they delivered the rest of the project. We are currently working with Ease on a larger and more complicated project …that says it all.”