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Daniel Crisp is a construction manager at ISG, the main building contractor for the ION-DRI project.

I’ve been working on ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº projects with ISG for about three and a half years now; starting with the relocation of the Eastman Dental Institute in 2019 and now on the ION-DRI project at Grays Inn Road.

My main responsibilities are to ensure that the works occurring onsite are completed with the upmost safety conditions, all whilst delivering the best quality in a timely manner.

We’ve currently got 220 people working on site so it’s very busy: with lots of different companies and contractors working together across different areas. Part of my job is to direct works so that we can work seamlessly as one big team. 

“I think of the building as an iceberg. The basement areas are massive, they’re deceptive...

Above ground, you can see that we’ve got the concrete frame going up to the roof level, while on the basement levels; dry lining; magnetic shielding and blockwork are all under construction. We’re  building the main walls in the lab areas and liaising with mechanical and electrical works. There’s ventilation being fitted on all the floors as well as sprinkler systems going in.

I think of the building as an iceberg. The basement areas are massive, they’re deceptive – from the outside you really cannot comprehend how big the building actually is. 

My current focus of work is managing the concrete framework. Not only is the framework large and complex – with over 25,000m3 of concrete being poured, but we are using concrete which has a recycled cement component - GGBS (Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag). This reduces our carbon usage and promotes good sustainable practices. GGBS is made from a by-product from the steel manufacturing industry and is used to replace between 30-70% of the cement content. 

I have been working with designers and engineers to really understand the limits of the material and the impact on various structural elements, which has been fascinating.

My day always starts out with ‘golden hour’ a full site walk where I take time to ensure that everything is safe for the site team and catching up with the subcontractor site supervisors to discuss real time progress, any problems they may have and their plans for the day.  I've worked outdoors for years now; I particularly enjoy walking around, getting to know people and the camaraderie.  I certainly couldn’t go back to working inside an office all day!

My afternoons are normally about planning ahead. I have meetings with contractors to track progress or internal planning meetings with the ISG team. I also have to do my fair share of paperwork; signing off documents and checking quality plans. 

“Pretty much everyone knows somebody who has suffered from dementia...I know that this project will have a real impact on people’s lives. This motivates me and helps me get through the hardest days on site.

With nearly 1 in 6 people over 80 being diagnosed with dementia, a new aspect has been introduced to my work, as I know that this project will have a real impact on people’s lives. This motivates me and helps me get through the hardest days on site. The vision behind the new building makes it quite different to some of the projects people might usually work on. It feels like an important job, and I always talk about that in inductions for new contractors. Pretty much everyone knows somebody who has suffered from dementia and to think that we’re part of helping them is really great.