Glasgow 2014: Build it and they will come

Indeed, on the occasions when any local difficulties have arisen – such as an ongoing row with Scottish Squash and Racketball Limited [SSRL] about whether an all-glass show court which will be used for the Games should be permanently retained – he maintains a sterling defence of the Games' organisers.

"I think what we have done is to look at how we deliver the Games in an efficient, effective way," said McKenzie, inadvertently taking issue with comments from Sarah Fitz-Gerald, the five-time squash world champion, who was in Glasgow yesterday coaching an Australian team against their English, Scottish and Welsh counterparts on the new courts at Scotstoun.

"If I were to look at what we are going to do for squash here compared to what was done in Melbourne, for instance, then I would say it would compare favourably, no doubt about that. Delhi was obviously something different, a different culture. And ours would certainly compare favourably with Manchester. So I don't have any problems about that.

"The mountain bike course at Cathkin Braes will be a real challenge for the top riders and a spectacular facility close to the city. The Sir Chris Hoy velodrome is fantastic, everybody sings its praises, and I can't wait to see the Hydro finished because I think it is going to add to Glasgow's event legacy. I've been to events all over the world and in my opinion this matches up to anything."

With one glaring exception, the nuts and bolts of McKenzie's building job are pretty much in place. The outstanding item is the transformation Hampden Park will undergo from November, adapting it from a traditional football stadium to a track and field venue.

The contract process is all but completed for work that will raise the playing surface by 1.9m, while a stretch of tester track was laid at an industrial estate in the East End and given the seal of approval from both the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and 110m hurdler Chris Baillie.

"Construction always has challenges – you just never know what they are – so we are certainly not complacent," McKenzie said. "But I am not having sleepless nights about anything. The capital builds are pretty much all there, most of them have been completed and are in use, apart from the hockey centre, which will be in July, and the SECC/Hydro project which will be completed in the autumn.

"The other big build is clearly Hampden. The last game there will be in November, but we are working round that in a way that gives us sufficient time to build what we need to do, but also allows Hampden Park Ltd to get on with its business. The tenders all came in within budget and there were no concerns about the timeline.

"Hopefully, it should be relatively straightforward. We are not doing anything new, just something that hasn't been done before in an existing stadium. The technology has all been tried and tested.

"We built a 40m track on the curve in the East End of Glasgow and had it tested structurally as well as for track performance and everything was OK. We got Chris to come along and run on it. He thought it might be like an indoor track, with a slight spring, but was perfectly happy."

The Emirates Arena and the Hydro promise to be lasting monuments on the city skyline, but for McKenzie it isn't just bricks and mortar.

"I am an architect so I like to see the buildings, but it is more about the opportunity to change people's lives," he said. "Whether it is kids running about hitting a shuttlecock or a world-class athlete like Sir Chris Hoy riding around a track, I love all of that. It is what gets me through the day."