Page 29 - Real Rochdale - Autumn 2018

LATIFAH Mcintosh

Design co-ordinator

helping shape
Rochdale Riverside

atifah McIntosh, the design co-ordinator at
Willmott Dixon, is helping shape Rochdale’s
Lnew shopping and leisure development as
work continues in the heart of the town centre.

Graduating from Leeds Metropolitan University
with a degree in construction management in 2014,
Latifah has taken on various roles at different
construction sites, from being part of an operations
team for a £15 million secondary school renova-
tion, to working as an assistant design manager for a
mixed-use development.
“My first work experience was at St Cuthbert’s, the retail side of the town centre, especially with
Now the design co-ordinator for Rochdale’s
Riverside project, Latifah is adding to her experience Rochdale working on a demolition, new build the cinema. There are several units for
as she works further towards her goals. and then refurbishment for a year. After that I restaurants too.
worked on Fair Street in Manchester with
Carillion developing a student block, when I “It also benefits the town as it’s a modern
She said: “I have been working with Willmott Dixon
on the Riverside project since February. finished university and was taken on full time. retail complex in an open space; there are a lot
of pedestrian areas in the development like the
“On this project with Wilmott Dixon I am ones around Number One Riverside, as well as
“I always wonder when my interest in construction
began. At college I completed A-levels in sociology, responsible for managing and co-ordinating places for people to sit and relax, which I think is
psychology, law and photography, which are clearly the design process. a particularly good aspect of the scheme.
not construction related. As a teenager, I always had
an interest in buildings and the way they look, and “We regularly hold design workshops to make “After this scheme is completed, I will most likely
I liked the idea of seeing how these buildings really sure the project is within the budget and I also move on to another project, but one of my goals
came together from design work, so I guess bring together the supply chains, making sure in 10 to 20 years’ time is to move and work in
construction is just something I progressed into everything is right. I manage the building control Australia. With having a construction degree, it’s
from my interests. and planning side of things too, whilst issuing really helpful in gaining a skilled visa.“
drawings and samples.
Wilmott Dixon, which specialises in leisure
“I originally applied to my chosen university for
construction project management, but that course “My favourite part of the job is definitely the complexes, also constructed the £10m Rochdale
got cancelled so I chose construction management customer side of it because you’re showing and Leisure Centre in 2012. St Anne’s Academy in
instead and I ended up really enjoying the course. talking them through the process of what you’re Middleton was another project.
There was only one other female on the course and delivering and what they are going to be using at
the rest were male. the end of it all. There’s a lot of problem solving Rochdale Riverside will have 200,000 square ft
and technical aspects too, which is always inter- of retail and leisure space to encourage
esting trying to fix and solve something. investment and the regeneration of Rochdale.
“My second and third year of university was work
experience, where I could actually see things
happening on-site. I could apply what I had learnt “The scheme benefits Rochdale as it is going to The project is due to be handed over in the early
whilst continuing to learn more about the role. bring a lot more footfall to the area in terms of summer of 2020.
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