Martin Edwards

Martin Edwards joins Andy as the methodologist's voice on ECI / PCSA (Early Contractor Involvement / Pre-Construction Services Agreements) as the procurement model that actually works for complex vertical buildings. Martin's career arc is one of the most-distinctive in the podcast: 25 years in NZ construction with an avionics background (Smith's Industries UK, designed aircraft instrument dials including the 777 ear-pop dials), into Auckland Airport fire protection as the closest electronics-adjacent role available, recruited from there by a main contractor as a services engineer, a "quite new role" when he started, and over 25 years evolved into a vertical-buildings methodologist. The conversation traces the services-coordination evolution from "freedom and randomness" (electrical, mechanical, plumbing, hydraulic, drainage, data, security, lifts all installed with no inter-discipline coordination, ripped out and reinstalled at significant cost) through coordinated drawings to BIM-driven clash detection. Martin's signature ECI argument: getting the builder at the design table from ~30% design unlocks product selection, methodology optimisation, early trade procurement, and split consents, and can save 6+ months on a 24+24-month programme. The conversation also names the build-only RFI dysfunction that Jordan Hetet picks up on the very next episode: designers don't know which RFIs are critical to the construction sequence, so they knock off the easy ones first instead of the most-critical-to-build ones. Martin's parting framework, "agility in design", is the quality he flags as essential in ECI consultants: when you hit a brick wall in design, it's how you react that matters. The episode is foundational for the ECI and PCSA thread that runs through Brealey (Ep 57), Daiman Otto (Ep 58), Pamela Bell (Ep 63) and Anna (Ep 85).

Key Topics Discussed

• ECI and PCSA, the contractor-at-the-design-table case. Pre-Construction Services Agreement gives the contractor a seat from ~30% design. Unlocks: product selection, methodology optimisation, early trade procurement, split consents. 6+ months saved on a 24+24 programme in Martin's experience. Success is "passion-of-people-at-the-table" dependent, the right team can get outstanding results.
• Services coordination history, from randomness to BIM. Pre-coordination era: each services discipline (electrical / mechanical / plumbing / hydraulic / drainage / data / security / lifts) installed with "freedom and randomness." Result: rip-out and reinstall at significant cost. Coordination role emerged ~25 years ago. BIM-driven clash detection now the standard. Martin: "That's the only way."
• Services engineer role, Martin's origin. Recruited from fire-protection sub at Auckland Airport into a main contractor as a services engineer, "quite a new role back in the day." Over 25 years evolved into vertical-buildings methodologist.
• Avionics background → construction. Smith's Industries UK; aircraft instrument dials (including the 777 ear-popping pressure altimeters Andy jokes about). Came to NZ ~23-25 years before recording; couldn't find avionics work; fire protection was closest electronics-adjacent.
• Design and Build vs Build Only. ECI + design-and-build produces materially better collaboration. Build-only has structural friction: defensive RFI culture, consultants who don't understand construction priorities, designers and contractors at cross purposes.
• RFI dysfunction in build-only. Build-only projects generate massive RFI volumes. Designers cherry-pick the easy ones first; "they have no idea which RFIs are critical" to construction sequence. Direct precursor to Ep 07 which sees the same issue from site level + Ep 22 "94 RFIs on a single house consent" stat.
• "Agility in design", Martin's filter for ECI consultants. When you hit a brick wall in design, it's how you react that matters. Most ECI consultants assume linear progression; the ones who can pivot when constraints emerge are the ones to keep at the table.
• Methodology specialism = vertical buildings. Martin's specialism. Carries through to subsequent SPC engagements; complementary to the horizontal-infrastructure focus of Andy's later EBA / KiwiRail work.
• Confidential project with Andy. they worked together on an ECI-leading-into-design-and-build project (project itself confidential), same pattern Andy + Alex Kay describe in EP01.

Notable Quotes

Martin: "Without our coordination, you get a level of randomness that ultimately costs everyone money."

Martin (on services pre-coordination era): "There was freedom to all the services guys to go and do whatever they wanted… and all those things would sort of go in with a level of randomness which ultimately cost everyone money as you had to rip it out and start again."

Martin: "The designers have no idea which RFIs are critical, so they knock off the easy ones first."

Martin (on PCSA): "If you're a passionate company and you really want to make something special, you can get outstanding results from PCSA."

Martin (on agility): "When you hit a brick wall in design, it's how you react that matters."

Andy (on the 777): "If your ears don't pop into the triple seven, I might have a little bit to do with that."

Guest Background

Martin Edwards came to NZ approximately 23-25 years before the recording with an avionics background at Smith's Industries (UK), the firm that designs the instrument-panel dials for aircraft including the Boeing 777 cabin-altitude / ear-popping pressure altimeter systems. Couldn't find avionics work in NZ; transitioned into fire protection at Auckland Airport (closest electronics-adjacent role). Was recruited from there by a main contractor as a services engineer, at the time a quite-new role created specifically to coordinate services drawings against structure + architecture. Over the next 25 years evolved into a vertical-buildings construction methodologist specialising in BIM-driven services coordination + ECI/PCSA procurement.

Martin appears as a panellist on Ep 28 Procurement Panel alongside Raine Selles, James Hunt, Matt Stanford.