Integrated Project Insurance in practice – A radical approach to contracts
Steve Johnson, Executive Director of Estates, Dudley College & Carol Costello, Practice Leader, Cullinan Studio

Imagine: Client, Contractor and Design team are all signed up together on the same contract before a line is drawn. All parties agree the brief and solution together. All share the risk and reward. And a single insurance is in place to cover everything, including cost over-run.

This is not fantasy – it’s been proven at Dudley College. Client Steve Johnson, Estates Director at Dudley College of Technology, and Architect Carol Costello of Cullinan Studio explain how the recent Institute of Technology for the Black Country and the Marches building finished on time, under its DFE budget and bettering environmental targets, all during a pandemic.

The project was built using the Integrated Project Insurance (IPI) form of contract: a radical re-thinking of the whole design and construction process, and the way that building projects are insured.

The successful outcome has given the team confidence to continue using this novel approach on two subsequent projects – one a low carbon retrofit, and one a major new build for a university. Steve will explain why this approach is so attractive to him as a client.

The contract is now available for wider use and Carol explains why for Cullinan Studio it’s proving to be perfect for Education projects.