It's not often that we have some really good news to celebrate, but Heathrow's new Terminal 5 is a triumph all round for the construction industry.
After so many things have gone so horribly wrong with recent high-profile projects, it was fantastic that the construction industry received such great praise at last Friday's official opening. It was made clear to all the invited guests and media covering the event that the construction industry was responsible for the delivery, not - as is often the case - just the architect.
From start to finish, the T5 project has been an exercise in great client-contractor relationships. The Major Projects Agreement has played a big part in ensuring its success, but making sure an agreement translates into action - rather than just being reams of paper to base legal action upon - takes courage and conviction on both sides.
Heathrow worked because both sides really wanted it to work. And the client hasn't stinted on its praise for the industry, with one of its marketing messages being that T5 was "hand-built by heroes".
T5 shows that huge projects can be delivered on time and to budget with little problem. Making sure the approach can be repeated on other projects will take a certain kind of client though - one which is willing to share risk. Is that really the kind of client we have in the Olympic Delivery Authority? Or in any one of the other high-profile projects going on across the UK?
Perhaps the saddest thing of all is that we see T5 as an exception rather than the rule. Just imagine how much better this industry would be if everything ran this way, if all clients were this enlightened and appreciative. It sounds like Nirvana - but why can't it be normality?
Click here to follow all our T5 coverage, including photos and a virtual tour.
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