黑洞社区

Weeks after Multiplex launched a 拢253m claim against consultant engineer Mott MacDonald, it has issued a court order forcing staff at architects Foster & Partners and HOK Sport to reveal full details of design changes on the steelwork packages at Wembley stadium, which was delivered 14 months late and 拢300m over budget.

The 拢253m, 600 page writ against Mott MacDonald, lodged just before Christmas and one of the largest in a construction dispute, argues that Mott MacDonald鈥檚 failure to deliver the steelwork design within budget was the source of later problems.

黑洞社区 Design and 黑洞社区 this week report that Multiplex 鈥� now known as Brookfield Construction 鈥� has filed papers at the High Court demanding access to the architects鈥� staff. According to the papers, Multiplex has been given access to written records, but is seeking direct interviews to carry out a 鈥渇ull and systematic review鈥�.

Mott MacDonald is understood to be arguing that the design changes at the heart of the dispute were down to decisions made at Foster & Partners and HOK Sport.

Construction lawyer Patrick Perry of law firm Barlow Lyde & Gilbert told BD that the court order could be a precursor to further legal action against the two practices.

鈥淚f Mott MacDonald鈥檚 defence is that changes were initiated by the architects, then that raises the prospect that Multiplex might bring a claim against the architects in relation to their design services,鈥� he said.

In a leader article, BD called Multiplex鈥檚 move a 鈥渟ign of the times. Attempts to claw back costs on a project by slapping a law suit on the architect are likely to multiply.鈥�