JCT’s Student Competition continues for 2017, focusing on creativity and finding innovative solutions to address a range of industry topics and issues. Categories for this year’s competition included skills shortages, sustainability, collaboration, BIM, technology, and health and wellbeing.
Students can enter their submissions in any format they choose – it could be a video, design or drawing, photographic essay, traditional essay – as long as the idea is creative and original, the competition is designed to be flexible to allow students to form their answer as they wish.
The JCT Student Competition is a well-established competition for construction students. JCT is committed to improving the understanding and learning of construction contracts and the competition is an important way to enable us to provide contact and support to students and future JCT contract users. The range of topics and methods of entry are designed to reflect the various industry backgrounds and disciplines from which the students are drawn.
The competition closed on Wednesday 15 March and the final judging will take place in May. JCT has brought together a panel of judges for the 2016 competition, once again comprising experts from the education, law, media, and professional practice sectors within the construction industry.
The panel includes:
- Tony Bingham, Barrister and Arbitrator, 3 Paper Buildings, Temple
- Neil Gower, Chief Executive, JCT
- Michael Haste, Director, Pascall+Watson Architects
- Alan Jones, Course Leader, BSc Building Services Quantity Surveying, University College of Estate Management
- Daniel Kemp, Features Editor, Construction News
The JCT Student Competition aims to provide support to construction students, to assist with their studies, and provide development opportunities. This year a winning prize of £1,000 will be available, along with £250 prizes for runners-up.
JUDGING PANEL 2017
Tony Bingham is a barrister and arbitrator at 3 Paper Buildings Temple, and is best-known as the legal columnist for Building magazine, which he has written for the last 25 years, and for his role in the Channel 4 series Don’t Blame the Builder. He was called to the Bar in 1992, completing his pupillage at 3 Paper Buildings, Temple, London, subsequently becoming a full member of chambers, where he has been ever since. He is a visiting lecturer at Reading University, University College of Estate Management, and since 1996, he has been training new adjudicators for the CIArb and the Chartered Institute of Building.
Neil Gower is a solicitor and Chief Executive of the Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT). He was responsible for the launch of JCT’s successful Education and Training Initiative, which is now supported by JCT Contracts Discovery, a standard education and learning module on JCT contracts. Neil is a judge on the Construction News Specialist awards. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1984 and spent his early years in private practice dealing with commercial and residential property work and then moved to the Law Society as its property specialist. Neil has been heavily involved in the development of both standardised legal documentation and on line services, including the National Land Information Service and is leading JCT’s development of a new range of online services to meet the needs of the construction industry.
Michael Haste is a graduate of the Sheffield University School of Architecture, winning its Stephen Welsh prize for his final year works in 1986. He joined the architectural practice of Sir Norman Foster and Partners straight from his studies. Becoming a registered architect in 1990, Michael then went onto join the practice of Pascall+Watson in 1993, becoming a Director in 2000, and helping the practice to develop into an internationally recognised company with a current staff of around 150. His own works, and those of his practice, are largely based in the transportation design sector, with their major works focused on airports and railway stations. Michael has led design teams undertaking significant architectural projects at Kings Cross, London Bridge, Blackfriars and St Pancras International Stations and has also worked extensively with Network Rail, Crossrail, London Underground and Docklands Light Railway in the UK. Internationally Michael has designed three new underground stations in Johannesburg and provided peer reviews on proposals for the Sydney Metro. Michael studied and gained a Master’s degree in Construction Law and Arbitration at Kings College, but he remains firmly in the design field of his work, whilst being responsible for reviewing all contracts that pass through his office.
Alan Jones joined the University College of Estate Management (UCEM) in April 2012 and is course leader for the BSc in Building Services Quantity Surveying course. He also leads the RICS Professional Membership APC Adaptation Route 1 programme and the RICS Associate 600/900 hours study programme. Prior to joining UCEM, Alan worked in both the public and private sectors dealing with all aspects of quantity surveying. His previous posts include the Strategic Property Adviser to the States of Guernsey Government and Head of Asset Management and Property Services at the Borough of Poole. Alan’s experience of teaching in higher education includes a role as senior lecturer at Southampton Institute (now Solent University), where he delivered measurement, contract law and construction economics modules for higher diploma and honours degree courses.
Daniel Kemp is Features Editor at Construction News. He covers a range of topics for the title’s website and magazine, including regular features on sustainability and the supply chain, and edits the publication’s legal section. Daniel also writes a number of Construction News’ weekly project reports, visiting sites in person to report on the technical challenges that contractors face, and covers innovation and technology for the magazine. He is the 2015 International Building Press Construction/Infrastructure Writer of the Year. Prior to joining CN, Daniel worked in Sydney, Australia for UGL Limited, carrying out technical writing and providing other support to the company’s operations and maintenance bid team.