At Forefront Civil & Building, every project is a proof of concept — proof that the right skills, the right tools, and the right preparation can deliver results that exceed expectation. Our recent works at BBC Television Centre Phase 2 in White City, London, were exactly that.
The project involved setting out a complex arc-shaped structure, demanding a level of technical precision that goes far beyond standard rectilinear building work. Our team delivered it — achieving 2mm positional accuracy across the full curved geometry. This article breaks down exactly how, and explains why that same technical expertise is at the core of what Alex D&D Training teaches.
The Project: BBC Television Centre Phase 2
BBC Television Centre in White City is one of London's most recognisable landmarks — a Grade II listed building with over fifty years of broadcasting history. Phase 2 of its ongoing redevelopment is a major residential and mixed-use scheme, adding hundreds of homes to the site as part of a multi-developer masterplan.
Forefront Civil & Building was brought in to deliver the precision setting out works on one of the scheme's most architecturally distinctive structures — a curved, crescent-shaped building that required setting out along an arc geometry. The client needed millimetre-level accuracy. Our team delivered it.
"The same technical expertise and practical knowledge applied on this project is exactly what we instil through Alex D&D Training — because the two are inseparable."
The Challenge: Why Arc Structures Demand a Higher Standard
Setting out a straight building is demanding enough. Setting out an arc structure raises the difficulty significantly — and the consequences of error compound with every point placed.
- Every point on a curved geometry has a unique coordinate — there is no repetitive grid to fall back on
- Errors in orientation at the instrument station propagate along the arc, multiplying out of tolerance by the time you reach the far end
- Reconciling local site coordinate systems with the global national grid must be done precisely at every stage
- Data preparation must be flawless before any instrument is set up on site — errors in the office translate directly to errors on the ground
This is the environment in which Forefront Civil & Building operates day-in, day-out. It is also exactly the environment our Alex D&D Training students are prepared for.
The Workflow: How Forefront Civil & Building Delivered 2mm Accuracy
Precision at this level does not happen by accident. It is the result of a disciplined, end-to-end workflow — from office data preparation through to final on-site verification. Here is exactly how the Forefront Civil & Building team approached this project:
PDF to AutoCAD Conversion
Design drawings were supplied in PDF format. The first step was converting these into accurate, coordinate-referenced AutoCAD models — ensuring that all geometry was correctly defined and that every arc point could be mathematically extracted. This stage is often underestimated; a poorly converted drawing introduces errors before a single instrument is set up on site.
Coordinate Transformation
With a precise AutoCAD model in place, the team processed all coordinates for real-world application — transforming between the project's local site coordinate system and the global national grid. This is a core skill in engineering surveying that directly determines whether every set out point ends up exactly where the design intends.
Mobile Field Integration
Processed coordinate data was loaded into a mobile field application, allowing the Forefront Civil & Building setting out team to access accurate, up-to-date data directly on site. This eliminated back-and-forth to the site office and kept the workflow tight throughout.
On-Site Execution with Leica Robotic Total Stations
The Forefront Civil & Building team deployed Leica TS16 and TS15 Robotic Total Stations for all on-site setting out. Robotic operation allowed a single engineer to work independently — placing the prism, acquiring the target, and verifying position in real time without a second person. This maintains efficiency without compromising accuracy.
Positional accuracy achieved by the Forefront Civil & Building team across the full arc structure at BBC Television Centre Phase 2 — delivered under programme pressure, on one of London's most technically demanding live construction sites.
The Direct Link to Alex D&D Training
At Forefront Civil & Building, we do not just talk about precision — we deliver it, on real projects, for real clients. And at Alex D&D Training, we do not just teach theory — we teach the exact workflows, tools, and decision-making processes that our own site teams use on projects like BBC TVC Phase 2.
Training built on live project experience
Most engineering surveying courses teach you how instruments work. Alex D&D Training teaches you how to use them to solve the problems you will actually encounter on site — from arc setting out to coordinate transformation to mobile data integration. The difference is the result of being trained by people who deliver this work every day.
The four-stage workflow above — PDF conversion, coordinate transformation, mobile integration, and robotic total station execution — is not an abstract teaching exercise at Alex D&D Training. It is the actual workflow. Our students learn it because it is what UK construction sites require.
What Alex D&D Training Engineering Surveying Courses Cover
Our courses are designed around the real demands of the UK construction industry in 2026 — not a generic curriculum built for a classroom. Everything we teach is directly informed by the work Forefront Civil & Building carries out on live projects.
- Total station setup, orientation, and precision setting out — including robotic operation for single-engineer workflows
- GNSS and RTK positioning — for large infrastructure and civil engineering sites
- Coordinate transformation and control network management — local to global, applied to real site conditions
- AutoCAD for site engineers — converting design data into fieldwork-ready coordinate files
- Mobile data integration — loading and managing field data for efficient on-site execution
- Complex geometry setting out — arcs, curves, and non-standard structures
Build the exact skills used on this project
The workflow behind this case study — total station operation, GNSS positioning, coordinate transformation, and AutoCAD for site engineers — is taught directly on our accredited courses:
- Setting Out Engineer Course (Level 3 Diploma) — our core hands-on route into site engineering
- Robotic Total Station & GNSS Training — the exact Leica TS16/TS15 skills used on this project
- AutoCAD Training for Engineers — the PDF-to-CAD and coordinate workflow covered above
Frequently Asked Questions
The Bigger Picture: Two Businesses, One Standard
Forefront Civil & Building and Alex D&D Training exist because of the same conviction — that precision in engineering surveying is a skill that can be taught, practised, and mastered, and that the UK construction industry needs more professionals who have done exactly that.
Every project Forefront Civil & Building completes is evidence of what properly trained, properly equipped engineers can achieve. Every course Alex D&D Training delivers is a commitment to putting more of those engineers on to UK sites.
The UK construction pipeline for 2026 and beyond — major infrastructure, housing, and regeneration projects across the country — demands professionals who can work at this level. If you are ready to become one of them, the training is here.