As featured in i-FM

Building works and open doors.

Writing for i-FM, Mike Leonard sets out how facilities managers and main contractors can keep commercial, healthcare, education and multi-tenant buildings safe and fully operational while major refurbishment and remediation works take place.

Publication

i-FM

Published

16 October 2026

Written by

Mike Leonard

Topics

Facilities management, Live building works, Building Safety Act

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i-FM Feature at a Glance

Facilities teams can rarely pause a building for major works. Mike explains why construction sequencing has to be planned around how the building actually operates, drawing on Premier Inn Wandsworth and Winchester Mews, where hotels, shops, homes, an NHS surgery and a leisure centre all stayed open during the work.

Three key takeaways

Plan the works around the building

Noise, dust, vibration, access changes and service shutdowns all affect the people using a live building. Phased delivery plans agreed with the FM team keep entrances, escape routes and core services working throughout.

Handover information is part of the job

Clear, verified records of installed materials, structural fixes and fire stopping reduce the burden on FM teams. Early involvement through a Pre-Construction Services Agreement lets intrusive surveys and digital information protocols start before work begins.

Use opened-up works to improve performance

When external walls or roofs are already opened up for remediation, insulation, airtightness and repair work can be coordinated in the same programme, cutting energy demand and avoiding a second round of disruption later.

Mike Leonard, Projects Director (Manchester), Starfish Construction

“Facilities teams can’t pause a building while we work on it. The projects that run well are the ones where the contractor plans every phase around how the building operates, keeps escape routes and services working and hands back clear, verified information at the end.”

MIKE LEONARD
PROJECTS DIRECTOR (MANCHESTER)
STARFISH CONSTRUCTION

Remediated façade of the Premier Inn hotel and retail building in Wandsworth, London

Featured in the article

Premier Inn Wandsworth, London

As highlighted by Mike, Starfish Construction acted as principal contractor with contractor design responsibility on a live hotel with ground-floor shops. Works were phased by elevation, with entrances, pedestrian routes and escape routes protected, so the hotel and retailers stayed open throughout.

View the project profile

i-FM · 16 October 2026

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The complete feature, including Mike's guidance on the Building Safety Act for commercial and public assets, decarbonisation through strategic retrofit and contractor and FM collaboration, is published on the i-FM website.

Read on i-FM

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Daniel Jessimer, Commercial Director, Starfish Construction

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De-risking Projects: PCSA & Commercial Leadership

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Aerial view of the remediated residential blocks at St George's Island, Manchester

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The Complete Guide to Building Envelope Performance

How the building envelope affects safety, energy, moisture and comfort, how performance is assessed and how to plan retrofit and remediation that supports compliance.

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