Complex façade, very little space: Lean Construction!
What were the most important things you learned?
Organisation and communication are the key to success. I believed in the concept and its effectiveness from day one. But even with Lean Construction, the construction site does not manage itself. It takes dynamism and energy from the people involved to get the results.
Do you ever catch yourself not sticking to the defined processes?
When unforeseen events occur, I keep an eye on both the lean guidance and the targets that must be met. That allows me to make better decisions, because I can see the potential effects on each sub-contractor involved and can even discuss the material and content of the steering room with them and find the best solution for everyone. Only at the end of the project we lack involvement, when the order volume is smaller and we give instructions in the conventional way. Some companies are actually less efficient at that point.
The Îlot Sud project in Morges
Implenia was constructing the “Îlot Sud” project, a modern property with mixed use close to Morges Sud station. Its role as sole contractor comprises construction of 162 rented homes, more than 5,000 square meters of retail and leisure space, a 277-space underground car park, and a bike station with 250 spaces. Implenia developed the project in an architecture competition together with Fehlmann Architectes/Magizan Architecture Urbanisme AG. The new complex, which Implenia is creating for the real estate fund UBS (CH) Property Fund – Swiss Mixed “Sima”, is in line with the principles of sustainable construction with regard to resource consumption, harmful emissions and mobility. Construction work on the CHF 100 million project began with demolition of the existing properties in October 2017. The first tenants moved into their homes in this up-and-coming area of Morges in 2021.
