Meet the team: Benjamin Olafsson and his work at Glenhaven Avenue

Last Autumn we began constructing six apartments on Glenhaven Avenue, Borehamwood, as part of our Project Management service for a private client. Benjamin, our Construction Manager, has played a vital role in the build, managing the professional team, sub-contractors, on-site programme and also the various stake holders including the development funders and developers. In short, Benjamin tells us, he “made sure every element of the construction process was in place and on time.”

Before joining Artform two years ago, Benjamin studied Construction Management at The University of Reading, after joining the management team at a building surveying firm in Waterlooville. The apple clearly didn’t fall far from the tree with the Olafsson’s:

“With both of my parents being architects and one later branching into interior design, I’ve been surrounded by the construction industry my entire life.”

Glenhaven is Benjamin’s first ‘full-term’ project at Artform, working on the build from start to finish. “It sounds funny,” he says, “but the project does feel like my baby. I’m very proud of it.” And the results speak for themselves. In a diverse role that requires a huge amount of adaptability, organisation and metaphorical fire-fighting, Benjamin has excelled.

“Being given the freedom to take the reins, seeing the building grow from the foundations up and knowing that I’ve been influential in making that happen… that’s a good feeling. It’s been a learning curve, having the responsibility of the project on my shoulders. But knowing I have my team’s support and trust has meant we’ve achieved above and beyond our client’s expectations at Glenhaven.”

The project comprised of six apartments located on a busy commercial and residential road in Hertfordshire. Our clients, a team of private investors, had an outline planning consent for the building and employed us to manage the planning process as well as the design, procurement and construction.

Within a week of completion, all six apartments at Glenhaven were leased out to tenants. And we’re thrilled to say they’re all moved in and enjoying their new homes.

Since joining the government’s Cycle to Work scheme, Benjamin can be seen zooming to site on his brand new bicycle. Keep an eye out!

If you’d like to find out more about our Project Management service, click here to view our brochure.