When Dan Harmer received a call in March that told him to clear his schedule and prepare for a meeting, he knew it would be important, but had no idea quite what would be asked of him.

With Covid-19 spreading exponentially, and the National Health Service looking increasingly vulnerable, he was the man chosen to build an emergency Nightingale hospital in Birmingham. The catch? He had less than two weeks before the first patients were expected to arrive.

This is the story of how the construction industry, sometimes criticised for poor productivity, gave everything it had to meet a seemingly impossible deadline when the country needed it most. And how technology enabled the immense human effort to win through.

Special thanks to Autodesk Construction Solutions, Interserve Construction and the National Health Service.

Guests

Dan Harmer, Project Manager, Interserve Construction
Matt Keen, Construction Industry Strategist, Autodesk Construction Solutions
Michelle Jeffs, Account Manager, Autodesk Construction Solutions

Supporter

Autodesk is the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry’s partner in the future of design and construction.

The post #63 Nine Days to Build a Hospital first appeared on Engineering Matters.