Skope.

With a business relationship spanning more than 25 years, Skope has earned itself a reputable name in the eyes of Oxford Street Capital’s Andrew McKelvey.

Andrew says the consultancy always delivers on time and cost. “They have an extremely good handle on cost control,” he says.

“Any building that we’ve done with them, we find them extremely capable, trustworthy and willing to change during the contract as well, which is very important to us.

“They give you accurate budget figures before going out to tender and we haven’t had a situation where we’ve over spent on account of their budget costs.”

Deemed a small city, Andrew said a company’s reputation in Belfast, particularly in the built industry, means everything.

It was some 25 years ago that Skope’s name (then Bruce Shaw) was recommended to him, and both companies have continued to work together since.

“Reputation and quality of work go hand–in–hand,” he says.

“I’ve never heard of a bad thing being said about Skope and I don’t have a bad word to say either.”

Key Points:

• Skope is currently providing cost management services for their client as part of the 90,000 square foot fit out of the office accommodation across the upper seven floors of the two Lanyon Place Towers.

• Oxford Street Capital’s Andrew McKelvey says Skope has never failed when it comes to delivering projects on cost or on time.

• Skope has worked with Oxford Street Capital on numerous projects, ​including the Hilton Hotel, a £23 million pound project, multi–storey car parks, office buildings and mixed use schemes.

The Skope/​Oxford Street Capital​ Business Relationship

Skope has worked with Oxford Street Capital on a myriad of commercial office developments and fit–outs for more than 25 years. The Lanyon Place area in Belfast is a testament to the many builds completed by Skope and Oxford Street Capital, including the Hilton Hotel, a £23 million pound project, multi–storey car parks, office buildings and mixed use schemes.

More recently Skope has worked with Oxford Street Capital on the fit–out of office accommodation of two heritage listed buildings, McAuley House (formerly Anderson & McAuley Department store) and Cleaver House (formerly Robinson & Clever Department Store).

Skope is currently providing cost management services for their client as part of the 90,000 square foot fit out of the office accommodation across the upper seven floors of the two Lanyon Place Towers. One tower has been completed and the other due for handover before Christmas, 2020.

“Every project we do is a minimum cost of £20 to £30 million pound,” he says.

“For each project we will build a specific team which we feel are the best people in the industry.

“For the likes of Skope, having worked with them for upwards of 14 years now, they’ve built up a track record of trust.

“That gives me confidence that they’re going to get on with the job and help us deliver what we need to do in a timely fashion.”

Situated on Belfast’s Maritime Mile, The Titanic Quarter attracts more than one million visitors every year. More than £480 million has been invested and some 20,000 people live, work, visit or stay in the area daily.

Skope has provided James with cost and project management services on numerous Titanic Quarter projects for more than a decade. These include demolition and road works, the Gateway Offices (now home to Citigroup), Titanic Film Studios, and most recently Amazon’s Distribution Warehouse Facility at Channel Commercial Park.

James says it’s important that Skope can deliver on results during both the tender process and the construction phase.

“The primary challenge is being able to win the actual job and for me that’s very important we have a good team that works with us in order to get that far,” he says.

“Skope has been heavily involved with us on the delivery of the distribution warehouse, facility in Channel Commercial Park at Titanic Quarter, which was delivered significantly under budget and significantly ahead of schedule.

“They were a team player as part of the consultant team which delivered that.”

James says he values Skope’s communication skills and senior leadership, particularly when communicating with a variety of stakeholders involved in any given Titanic Quarter project.

“It’s very important that the consultants that work for us have the ability to communicate with our clients and be able to bring the client and their advisory team onboard in an effective manner,” he says.

“This way it helps deliver the project in the best format possible.

“For any consultancy practice, the people specifically delivering the project are their most important asset because it’s those individuals within the organization that actually deliver it on the ground.

“Skope has built themselves a very credible reputation thanks to this.

“They are well–respected and have a very high level of integrity.”

Key Points: 

• Skope recently cost and project managed infrastructure surrounding Amazon’s first distribution warehouse facility in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter.
• Skope has worked on numerous projects in a cost and project management capacity in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter, including demolition and road works, the Gateway Offices (now home to Citigroup) and Titanic Film Studios.
• Titanic Quarter Commercial Director James Eyre says he only picks the best for his projects – Skope being one of these. 

The Skope/Titanic Quarter Business Relationship 

Skope has worked on numerous projects in a cost and project management capacity in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter, including demolition and road works, the Gateway Offices (now home to Citigroup) and Titanic Film Studios. A business relationship that started more than a decade ago, Titanic Quarter’s James Eyre has worked closely with Skope partner Andrew Murray during this time. Most recently, as project partner, Andrew oversaw Amazon’s three–tiered, 479 space van storage centre build, infrastructure to support an 80,000 square foot distribution warehouse facility in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter.

If it wasn’t for Skope, the project surrounding Ireland’s tallest build may never have been completed. That’s according to Karl Group Managing Director Aran Blackbourne, who had his company’s reputation on the line regarding The Obel Tower, a £75 million pound project.

If it wasn’t for Skope, the project surrounding Ireland’s tallest build may never have been completed. 

That’s according to Karl Group Managing Director Aran Blackbourne, who had his company’s reputation on the line regarding The Obel Tower, a £75 million pound project. 

Amidst the 2008 Global Financial Crisis Aran says it was Skope’s (then Bruce Shaw) sound project management skills and costings that gave his lender the confidence to carry on with the project. 

“That reliability enabled the bank to feel comfortable enough to see the project through,” he says. 

“If costs had spiralled out of control then the lender would have become nervous and pulled the pin – and then there would have been a half built building standing there. 

“Basically we got through the crash (GFC) because we had the programme and costs in control.” 

To Aran, the fact the Karl Group didn’t go into the red during one of the country’s greatest economic crashes is a true testament to Skope. 

“Here’s Belfast’s tallest building, with a two story underground basement, right on the edge of the river, with all the technical construction difficulties around that, and it came in on budget,” he says. 

“[Skope] is why the Obel Tower was completed.” 

Aran says it’s Skope’s honesty and integrity he admires most. He says the idea of dishonesty never enters his mind when he thinks of the consultancy. 

“They’re just totally professional and everything is above board,” he says. 

“Everything is straight, honest and they’re totally forthright in their advice. 

“They stick by what they’ve said and they actually deliver on it.” 

Even when it comes to delivering news Aran might not necessarily want to hear, Skope stands by a decision in the best interest of their client. 

“This avoids problems down the line,” he says. 

Just like Skope, Aran takes to every project with a sense of pride and purpose. 

He is passionate about building towards a better Belfast for its residents. 

“Our mission is to create places and to enhance the lives of the people,” he says. 

“Skope understands this. 

“They too realise that it’s more than just the money.” 

Key Points:

• Skope provided cost and project management services for the developer of Ireland’s tallest building, The Obel Tower.
• Amidst the 2008 Global Financial Crisis Karl Group Managing Director Aran Blackbourne says it was Skope’s sound project management skills and costings that gave his lender the confidence to carry on with the project.
• Aran says honesty and integrity are two of Skope’s strongest traits.

The Skope/Karl Group Business Relationship. 

A business relationship spanning more than 20 years, Karl Group first worked with Skope (then Bruce Shaw) on numerous projects as building contractors. One of Karl Group’s last projects in this capacity was Belfast’s Laganside Courts build, where Skope acted as Fund Monitors for the banks funding this project. Completed in 2002, the £50 million pound building was designated ‘Building of the Year’ by the Royal Society of Ulster Architects. 

The Laganside Courts project cemented a solid business relationship between Karl Group and Bruce Shaw, and as Karl Group transitioned from building contractors to developers, they used Skope to guide them through the completion of The Obel Towerbuild in a project and cost management capacity. 

The Obel Tower build represents a huge achievement for both Skope and Karl Group. 

Upon completion in 2010, the 28–storey residential tower consisted of 233 units, a seven–storey office block, five ground floor commercial units and two basement parking levels. 

Recently Skope and Karl Group have worked together on Belfast’s Weaving Works, a project which saw the revitalisation of Armagh House, a historic 19th century red brick building. The former linen warehouse was transformed into four new floors of offices, including the addition of a fourth floor extension in glulam timber and glazing, with a ground floor fit cafe and restaurant fit–out. 

Skope is currently providing project management and cost management services for Karl Group as part of the £50 million pound Bangor Marine redevelopment scheme, a regeneration of the Queen’s Parade area. The scheme is currently in planning. 

When it comes to Damian Mitchell selecting a cost consultant and project manager, knowledge and a can–do attitude is everything. According to the Causeway Asset Management Director, that’s exactly what you get when you work with Skope.

Causeway is a real estate investment and asset management–based company that engages Skope as their preferred supplier. Damian explains why Skope is recognised as not only industry leaders in Belfast, but in Ireland too.

“The range of knowledge Skope has across a number of different sectors is very detailed and they’re at the forefront of some of the major schemes within Belfast,” he says.

“In terms of having the accurate knowledge of costings, there’s no need to go anywhere else.

“We find Skope always has the right answers for us.”

This can–do attitude Damian refers to isn’t just unique to Skope’s senior partners and leadership team.

“This runs from the top management team right down to all the staff,” he says.

“You can very clearly see the attitude and how they approach everything with a positive, can–do mentality, which is very important.”

The Chichester House project is perhaps the greatest example of Skope’s can–do attitude.

Acting in both a project and cost management capacity, Skope was able to meet several design and cost changes as the job drew to a close. These were adapted to accommodate leading American technology firm Rapid Seven as they took residency of the building.

“We had to balance costs with a contractor plus justify it to our funders,” Damian says.

“Skope played a key role in adapting the costings around the design, both altering the contract with the contractor, facilitating the changes for Rapid7 and then liaising with our funders to marry the changes together and see it through to completion.”

Regarding the Chichester House project, Damian says he was overly impressed by Skope’s onsite presence to ensure contractors and design teams were kept abreast of key developments and timeframes.

“I think the most important thing that Skope brought to Chichester was a very similar mindset from our own, and that’s finding solutions,” he says.

“Skope, through their own experience, knowledge and attitude, want to find the solution and that’s why they complement the team here at Causeway extremely well.”

Damian says that Skope were recognised as not only industry leaders in Belfast, but in Ireland too.

“Historically Bruce Shaw, now Skope, would be widely regarded as leaders and widely accepted around any table as preferred cost consultants or project managers,” he says.

“If something needs to be done, they will get it done. Skope always go out of the way to get it done.”

Key Points: 

• Skope and Causeway have worked on some of Belfast’s leading developments in a business relationship that has existed for more than a decade.
• Most recently Skope provided cost and project management services for Causeway on Chichester House, an a £9million pound project completed in early 2020.
• Causeway Asset Management Director Damian Mitchell says Skope is the leading construction consultancy in Ireland.

The Skope/Causeway Asset Management Business Relationship 

Skope has worked with Causeway Asset Management on a wide range of projects for more than 15 years. These projects cross a number of sectors including residential, retail, commercial, hotels, offices, fitouts, maintenance and infrastructure. Skope has provided the full range of cost consultancy, project management and CDM services to Causeway Asset Management and their various subsidiary companies.

More recently Skope has worked with Causeway Asset Management on the new M&S unit in Carrickfergus, various residential schemes including those at Castlehill, Ravernet, Demesne Carryduff and Windsor Avenue in Belfast. Skope continues to provide cost consultancy and specialist advice for Ten Square Hotel in Belfast and Shore Commercial Park, Carrickfergus along with the Loughshore Hotel on an adjoining site.

Skope has just completed the cost management and project management services for their client on the £9m Chichester House redevelopment. Situated in Belfast’s city centre, the seven–storey office building involved the total refurbishment and extension of the existing building to provide 67,000 square foot of office accommodation. 

The scheme also consisted of the provision of the Cat A fit–out to accommodate the leading American technology firm Rapid7.