Culmia scoops innovation award at Premios APCE Catalunya 2022 for its La Marina Illa C project in Barcelona

25 of October of 2022

• The jury recognised the project where Culmia has implemented the Last Planner System (LPS) methodology across the development process, committing to the Lean Construction management philosophy.
• The developer has fully committed to the Last Planner System from the very outset of the project, involving all internal and external stakeholders in the planning and committing to the actions to carry out.
• ‘La Marina Illa C’ is a 344-property build to rent development with parking, local retail outlets and amenities with BREEAM certification.

Culmia, one of the leading property development companies in Spain, has been recognised at the Premios APCE Catalunya 2022, in the “Innovation and Technology” category, for its commitment to the application of the Last Planner System methodology across the entire ‘La Marina Illa C’ development in Barcelona.

This build to rent development, with 344 properties plus parking and local retail outlets, is located in Block C of Sector 10 of the Marina del Prat Vermell of the Zona Franca de Barcelona. The area has a large volume of housing of different types, both protected and private.

The building has been designed with a commitment to the industrialisation of construction elements and sustainability through BREEAM certification and also includes specific characteristics and amenities for these projects. It all means a special focus on facilities and the most innovative building systems.

Given the specifics of the project, with the involvement of different areas of the company and different external stakeholders, and with the aim of optimising the planning of the entire development, aligning interests, Culmia has committed to the implementation of Last Planner System methodology.

This working procedures began before the drafting of the basic design, with training sessions in Lean Construction for the entire team, placing the focus on the importance of collaborative work, eliminating waste, the delivery of value for the customer and advancing towards excellence. As well as these sessions, there were weekly meetings to monitor the progress of each team and phase of the project.

The Last Planner System methodology has helped the integration of team members, internal and external, through its collaborative nature and the understanding of the dependency of other members. It has also allowed us to identify and eliminate waste and restrictions and improve risk management and control the volatility of the project.

Juan Manuel Borrás, Director of Operations at Culmia, said, “we're very proud to receive an award from APCE Catalunya that recognises our work in the field of innovation. At Culmia, we have spent years committing to the Lean Construction management philosophy, as we are defenders of the optimisation of process and continuous improvement. ‘La Marina Illa C’ is a pilot test that should allow us to draw conclusions and learnings at the end of the process, with the aim of implementing the Last Planner System methodology in the complete management of our future developments.

The Premios APCE Catalunya 2022 ceremony was held at the Museo de la Ciencia CosmoCaixa, in Barcelona. Marta Parrilla, Planning and Process Quality Manager, and Juan Manuel Borrás were on hand to collect the award on behalf of Culmia.