THE King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH) project is an excellent example of successful collaboration between two geographic regions of the global construction consultancy Davis Langdon, an Aecom company.

The early design work was carried out in Australia where the practice’s Melbourne office worked closely with the design team to ensure the design stayed within the client’s budget. Once the project reached tender stage, the project was handed over to Davis Langdon in Bahrain.

Davis Langdon was appointed by the Ministry of Works (MoW) in November 2008 to act as the client’s cost manager, responsible for managing the construction costs on the KHUH project.

“We had a site-based team of two to three quantity surveyors during 2008 and 2009,” says Donn O’Shaughnessy, director at Davis Langdon in Bahrain. “We worked closely with the Australian Hospital Design Group’s (AHDG) design team, the contractor Nass-Burhan JV and all the key sub-contractors, and reported directly to the client.”

The practice’s role included liaising with the design team, attending design team and site meetings, and producing monthly status updates for the MoW to ensure that the project stayed within the allocated budget.

Abu Dhabi’s Midfield Terminal ... complex project.

“Davis Langdon is proud to be associated with the King Hamad University Hospital project,” says Donn. “There was a great team spirit on the project and all parties worked closely together to achieve the successful outcome of the project.”
The consultancy is currently assisting with the procurement and installation of medical equipment.

Davis Langdon aims to be a professional adviser to clients from project inception, through design and construction, to completion and extending into the operational life-cycle of a development. Its services are combined and tailored to support individual project and business needs with a continuous focus on reducing risk and adding value.

The core services Davis Langdon offers are cost consultancy and project management, complemented by a wide range of consultancy services including design management, specification consulting, business solutions, value risk consulting, due diligence, facilities management and sustainability management.

Donn ... great team spirit.

The practice employs approximately 3,000 people in more than 75 offices globally, spanning Europe, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand, Africa and the US and works in association with the independent firm of Davis Langdon and Seah International in Asia. This international coverage and resource base enables Davis Langdon to support clients’ long-term business strategies with a unique global reach, linked to local delivery.

In October 2010, Davis Langdon joined Aecom Technology Corporation, a leading provider of professional technical and management support services for government and commercial clients around the world.

As a result, Davis Langdon and its clients are able to benefit from a wealth of opportunities brought about by the global scale and wider capabilities, expertise and experience that Aecom provides. As a combined firm, it has the ability to deliver large complex programmes and offer integrated services as a ‘whole solution’.

“Our ability to think big means we focus on the successful delivery of the project in hand whilst also appreciating our clients’ goals and objectives from a broader perspective,” says Donn. “We structure ourselves around our clients’ sectors to maintain a detailed understanding of the dynamics which influence the different markets in which they operate. Simply put, our clients have access to individuals who are experts in their specific field.”

Key Davis Langdon projects (from top) ... the Kempinski at the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai, UAE, the Qatar Science & Technology Park in Doha, Qatar, and Reef Island in Bahrain.

Davis Langdon has worked on some of the most complex and challenging projects around the world, including the Tate Modern and the Eden Project in the UK; Estadio do Dragao in Portugal; Abu Dhabi International Airport, UAE; Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt; The Clem Jones Tunnel (CLEM7) in Brisbane, Australia; the Transbay Terminal in San Francisco, US; the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link in Johannesburg, and the Green Point Stadium (built for the 2010 Fifa World Cup) in Cape Town, South Africa.

As well as being the recipient of a number of regional accolades for excellence, Davis Langdon has been named World Architecture’s ‘Top International Construction Consultant’ for 17 successive years.

In the Middle East, the consultancy has a rich history, spanning several decades. In partnership with Aecom Davis Langdon has 11 offices in seven countries in the region, located in the UAE, Bahrain, Lebanon, Qatar, Oman, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

“Over 60 years in the Middle East have earned Davis Langdon a well established profile in the region. We have developed a wealth of local experience and relationships which span generations,” Donn says.

Locally in Bahrain, Davis Langdon has been present for more than 40 years. The office has over 70 people including 50 construction consultants and is led by a management team of four directors – Donn O’Shaughnessy, Spencer Wylie, Paul Bonner and Paul Ralph – who have expertise across all sectors.

Other noticeable schemes recently delivered by Davis Langdon in Bahrain include Bahrain Financial Harbour towers with reclamation and infrastructure works; Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Medical University Bahrain; Reef Island Development infrastructure and building works; Banader Hotel for the Rotana Group; and various sundry works associated with district cooling in Bahrain and the Middle East.