Owner-side construction consultancy for complex and high-risk projects
Strategic clarity. Programme confidence. Delivery assurance.
Vanor Advisory is a senior-led, owner-side construction consultancy for complex and high-risk projects. We help sponsors, funders and investors make better decisions earlier, with clearer evidence and a controlled route to action.
An independent forensic baseline establishing physical and commercial reality before decisions are taken or funds released.
Progress audited and physically verified on site against the contract programme, independent of contractor self-reporting.
Cost to complete tested against package maturity, pending change claims, trade exposure and contingency drawdown.
Critical interfaces (heritage fabric, MEP, commissioning) identified and escalated before they compromise completion.
Cumulative value of major schemes worked on across directors' prior careers.
Project controls, programme recovery and senior contractor & client-side leadership.
Full Association for Project Management members with ChPP accreditation in progress.
Zero contractor delivery arm; independent advisory protecting capital and completion.
Where Reported Progress & Site Reality Drift
Common Project Blind Spots
Most project reporting arrives second-hand, filtered by the teams being measured. Warning signs are frequently masked until float is exhausted:
- Programme critical path is obscured or unlinked to trade commitments.
- Monthly reports show on-time progress while physical site work stalls.
- Cost-to-complete figures remain flat despite growing early warning notices.
- Key subcontract packages remain unplaced as installation dates loom.
Our 4-Step Governance Route
Vanor intervenes early to turn uncertainty into evidenced decisions and protect practical completion:
Physical ground truth audited on site, establishing true status across programme, cost and procurement.
Re-sequencing critical path logic and establishing ring-fenced commercial settlements before disputes arise.
Transparent, evidence-based reporting packs that give investment and credit committees total certainty.
Direct leadership across commissioning, statutory approvals and practical completion handover.
Core Advisory Services
Fund Monitoring & Technical Due Diligence
Independent technical due diligence and monthly drawdown verification for lenders, institutional debt funds and capital providers.
Project Recovery & Delivery Assurance
Forensic diagnostic intervention, reset baselines, and structured turnaround leadership for lagging or distressed developments.
Employer's Agent & Client-Side Project Management
Senior-led contract administration, design team leadership, procurement strategy and delivery coordination under Design & Build.
Programme Management & Project Controls
Critical path forensics, master schedule baselines, float erosion audits and real-time tracking to protect completion dates.
Delay Advisory & Dispute Avoidance
Forensic delay analysis, entitlement reviews, extension-of-time audits and strategic guidance before formal dispute.
Position Finding & Peer Reviews
Rapid, fixed-scope diagnostic review establishing ground truth, risk exposure, and route to action for critical decisions.
Flagship Case Studies
Demonstrated delivery leadership across high-value, programme-critical and operationally complex schemes.
The Westbury Hotel, Mayfair
196-room luxury hotel (relaunching as St Regis London); new double basement, rear & two-storey extensions; BREEAM Excellent
The project had stalled under previous management. The owner needed a credible route through refinancing, completion and opening, and reporting that funders and the investment committee could rely on.
A controlled route to completion and opening, with evidenced reporting that restored owner and funder confidence.
The Other House, Covent Garden
146 high-end long-stay rooms across seven buildings on an island site, four of them listed; BREEAM Excellent
Seven buildings of different ages and four listed structures created dense interfaces between heritage fabric, new structure, services and fit-out. Interface failures were the main threat to completion.
Interfaces controlled and escalated before they compromised completion; a clear completion position for the client.
100 Fetter Lane, EC4
146,000 sq ft Grade A office, 3,800 sq ft retail and 7,700 sq ft landscaped terraces in the City of London
A tight urban site with demolition, a two-level basement, party-wall interfaces and constrained logistics, where consents, design, procurement, sequencing and funding gateways all had to align.
A procurement route and route map that aligned consents, design, sequencing and funding decisions before construction commitment.
Senior Co-Founder Ownership
Vanor Advisory is founded on direct, senior-led engagement. When you appoint Vanor, our directors lead the audit, attend the project gates, and author the reporting.
Barry Winters MAPM
Project advisory, delivery assurance and completion governance.
Barry brings extensive project leadership experience across residential, commercial and luxury hospitality schemes. Prior experience includes Projects Director at Third London Wall Consulting (TLW), Project Director at JRL Group and Henry Construction, and senior roles at McLaren, Carillion, and St George PLC.
Graeme Kyle MAPM
Programme advisory, planning assurance and project controls.
Graeme brings 25+ years of planning and project controls experience across complex refurbishments and £3bn masterplans. Prior appointments include Projects Programme Manager at Third London Wall Consulting (TLW), Head of Management Consulting at Rise, and Senior Planner at McLaren and Carillion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sets owner-side advisory apart from standard project management?
Standard project management often focuses on day-to-day administration across all parties. Owner-side advisory acts strictly in the commercial interest of the asset owner or funder, providing independent oversight, stress-testing contractor reports, and protecting the owner's equity.
How quickly can Vanor Advisory mobilise on an underperforming project?
Quickly. A Position Finding Review is scoped to start within days of instruction. Tell us the project and the concern and we will confirm timing in the first call.
Do you work with bank monitoring teams?
Yes. We routinely act for senior lenders, mezzanine providers and equity partners, ensuring drawdowns reflect verified progress and true cost-to-complete.
What does owner-side mean?
Owner-side means we act for the party paying for the project: the developer, investor, lender or fund, rather than the contractor. We have no delivery arm to protect and no contractor clients, so our advice is independent of the team being measured.