As we shift away from the notion that buildings should operate like mechanical, cookie-cutter designs that leave us uninspired and disconnected from ourselves, each other, and the structures we inhabit, our only viable alternative is to aspire to buildings that are planned and treated like living organisms in harmony with their occupants, society, and natural surroundings.

In contrast to the Brutalism of the 1950s, with its harsh lines and raw concrete envelopes, Living Systems Theory offers a more ecologically intelligent alternative. LST aims to create environmentally aligned cities and homes where living systems comprise humane habitats, restoring humans to an inherently cohesive relationship with nature. In many ways, LST represents the physical manifestation of forward-thinking principles for the future of construction.

By creating buildings that adapt to humans in a modern, biophilic sense—providing ample natural elements within living systems rather than forcing humans to adapt to concrete boxes—developers and designers who support regenerative urbanism are gradually starting to bring healthy, complete natural systems into the larger urban and home design picture. Living buildings can and must become commonplace.

As the number of buildings designed based on this theory grows, stimulating interactions between inhabitants and nature, these homes can develop into self-sustaining systems. This shift can create urban landscapes that are sustainable almost automatically, aided by proper long-term maintenance and management, of course. The concept also invites designers to look to nature for new, low-impact material solutions that employ innovative, earth-regenerating methods, such as growing architectural elements from mycelium or fungal roots.

Since such buildings require understanding and insight for management and maintenance, it is crucial to weave occupant participation and intergenerational sustainability into the foundational planning. This notion is underpinned by general systems theory. As Elaine Parent of Concordia University points out, emergence and interaction are pivotal to the development and survival of systems. Therefore, any system inherently implies sets of interacting units establishing relationships, the absence of which denies the existence of a system altogether. Where there is no interaction or exchange, there is no system, and consequently, no life, activity, or LST.

Developed by James Grier Miller, Living Systems Theory provides a framework in which life is composed of eight self-organizing, open environmental systems that thrive through mutual engagement and the exchange of information, energy, and resources among cells, organs, organisms, groups, organizations, communities, societies, and supranational systems. Ensuring the survival of this eight-tiered system through homeostasis, 20 living processes are considered critical to the overall well-being of all living systems, organisms, and entities, including businesses and organizations.

Whether a system is simple or complex, well-developed dynamic systems in design and construction are supported by subsystems that capture and store resources like energy and water, facilitate service distribution, and manage waste in nature-supporting ways, such as converting waste into fuel or compost. It is also important to consider how a building, or collection of buildings, “lives” and “breathes” in unison with its environment.

Questions regarding how to manage temperature, mitigate pollution, and assess how occupants contribute to overall climate efficiency, alongside how these buildings are managed for optimal environmental performance, become critical during the design process. Other key considerations include social interaction in spaces where communities can develop and connect—sharing meaningful pastimes like learning new skills, enjoying a library, practicing hobbies, telling stories, making art, and learning to repair items. This communal focus creates memory and heritage for future generations.

In this way, buildings do not simply “think” and “sense” through AI and monitoring technology alone; they develop hearts and souls, becoming living entities through the individuals and families who inhabit them. Real estate entropy, which currently leads to the conversion of thousands of empty buildings across the continent into hotels and other commercial enterprises, can do much more than support the economy. By integrating valuable insights from the social sciences into regenerative urban design, we can create holistic living systems where humans and nature flourish together, rather than merely survive.

What would such an ecosystem of buildings ideally look like? Firstly, they would evolve to use non-toxic, earth-friendly materials that completely biodegrade in a short timeframe when returned to the soil, nourishing it rather than contaminating it, as microplastics do. Light and air quality would be carefully managed for the optimal comfort of humans, plants, and animals alike. This would primarily be achieved through good design and specialist engineering, with technology playing a supportive role in managing processes like temperature control as needed.

By allowing design and engineering to lead, environmentally friendly ancient design concepts—such as wind towers for natural cooling—can help prevent buildings from developing overly heavy technological footprints, which come with challenges like over-exploiting rare earth minerals and the need for regular upgrades that generate waste that typically ends up in landfills or broken recycling loops. These contributing aspects can now be measured to calculate the LST compliance of structures.

The Living Building Challenge raises an important question: what if every single act of design and construction made the world a better place? To truly achieve this, every fully certified Living Building must have a regenerative impact on its surrounding natural and human environment, maintain its resource boundaries while sustaining self-sufficiency, and provide occupants with clean, naturally harvested water, air, light, community, and food to live connected, mentally, spiritually, and physically rewarding lives.

Despite numerous public buildings already constructed in adherence to this strict discipline, there remains significant room for growth in the sector, especially in urban settings. Currently, there are only two homes fully certified under the Living Building Challenge in North America. The first is Desert Rain, built by Barbara Scott and Thomas Elliott in Bend, Oregon. Designed by Tozer Design, the 0.7-acre compound was completed in 2013 and features filtration and rainwater collection to fully sustain its water needs. It is entirely off-grid, with composting toilets and an on-site greywater treatment system running in a closed-loop cycle. This building demonstrated net-zero performance in waste creation, water, and energy consumption over a one-year cycle, making it a superlative example in global living systems construction.

The second residence is located at Beacon Springs Farm near Ann Arbor, Michigan. Known as Burh Becc, this project comprises a 4,981-square-foot farmhouse and a 2,446-square-foot barn on a 15-acre plot. Designed by Michael Klement and Susan Karczag of Architectural Resource, LLC, it complies with all living systems requirements and scores highly on health and happiness through its beautiful design. It also offers biophilic elements by providing wholesome produce to locals. Classified as a civilized environment for being a fully operational dwelling, it encourages arriving at the front door on foot and rates high on equity. From the materials used to how the house functions, the awareness of doing no harm to its environment, and its material choices, Burh Becc stands as a beacon of hope for future developments following the principles of Living Systems construction.

When Living Systems Theory is applied to home and urban design, mirroring the inherent wisdom of how forests and other natural organisms thrive, regenerated societal interdependence, the flow of relationships and resources, and adaptation in response to feedback loops can make the homes and cities we occupy far more beautiful, peaceful, and resilient—all while human cognitive and relational performance improve and happiness follows.

The post Creating Buildings that Live and Breathe<p class="company">How Living Systems Theory Can Make Buildings Healthier and Livelier</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Five years ago, the United Nations (UN) Environment Programme noted that the world’s cities are warming up twice as fast as the global average. It also noted that over 350,000 deaths in 2019 were attributed to climate-related issues. Considering that just under 5 billion humans are estimated to live in cities, according to the UN, implementing proven solutions sooner rather than later appears advisable.

In the world of construction, creating cooler environments hinges on reducing the effects of heat islands—radiation from concrete, asphalt, and other hard, impermeable, manmade surfaces. Therefore, beyond creating tree canopies and verdant parks (which must cover at least 30 to 40 percent of any given urban area to be effective), mitigating the heat absorbed (and later released) by buildings is the next line of defense to help prevent urban meltdowns and save energy.

Weatherization, in this sense, can be achieved in a few ways. Firstly, deflecting heat by painting roofs in light, cool colours like white and blues or choosing natural roof tiles in lighter hues can reduce roof temperatures by around 50 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the United States Federal Government. Furthermore, wood shingles, or shingles treated with ceramic-treated granules, are also options to reduce the effects of heat islands in cities. Such materials not only offer greater comfort but also reduce the need for air conditioning, thereby helping to reduce the volume of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) being released into the atmosphere, where they trap heat, contributing to temperature rises.

In Canada, researchers are reportedly leading the development of engineered smart pigments designed to reflect infrared and ultraviolet rays beyond simply using lighter colors. This is achieved through a process referred to as thermal emittance (the speed at which a roof releases absorbed heat) and solar reflectance. One company, Green Metal Roofing and Manufacturing, recently released just such a product in its reflective metal roof coatings range.

“When considering sustainable building materials, the energy efficiency of a reflective metal roof makes it a leading contender for a green home,” the company’s website states, counselling end users to consider using products with a comparatively high solar reflectance index (SRI). Another Canadian product of this type is SOPRASTAR by Suprema, a cap sheet membrane for roofs lined with reflective granules. There is also Deksmart’s Cool Colors Technology based on the same premise, which relieves infrared radiation on decks by 80 percent, according to the company.

What’s old is also new again, and the U.S. federal government is now suggesting private incentives for the installation of green roofs in areas where the weather permits. Popular for their cooling effects through the transpiration action of plants, whereby water vapour is released into the air through the surface of each leaf, green roofs essentially provide natural air conditioning, relieving the need for electrically powered air conditioning by over 70 percent, according to a National Research Council of Canada study.

The consensus amongst leading urban designers across the globe, therefore, remains to focus on incorporating as many natural elements as possible to help cool cities down. Inspired by Middle Eastern wind towers, Madrid, Spain has built a spiral wind garden filled with ferns and moss. Based on the premise that the spiral draws cool breezes down from the treetops to reduce heat by four degrees Centigrade, the effect is so successful that hopes are that fewer Madrileños will escape to the seaside each August. Elsewhere, in Asia, sponge pavements, or pavements where water can permeate the surface thanks to natural infrastructure, prevent overheating through evaporation. Cities like Bangkok, Thailand and Athens, Greece are also turning forgotten plots of land into pocket parks to help improve temperatures.

Closer to home, cities are also working hard to plant trees and create green belts to ease the heat. According to Axios.com, Raleigh, North Carolina harnesses digital heat mapping software by Esri to guide its work on establishing greenery in areas needing temperature relief. These efforts are made possible by financial support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Inflation Reduction Act. As it turns out, the city discovered that its least foliage-dense areas were also its historically underserved areas. Tackling this long-overdue task, citizens in low-income areas are now enjoying the fruits of recent investments.

Initiated in 2021, the Street Tree Equity Project endeavours to provide trees equally and equitably throughout the city. To date, two plantings since 2023 have seen 700 trees established in areas where they were lacking, with a third planting period kicking off in January last year. Now, the city even provides a map indicating the location of each new tree. In addition, following further investigation by Raleigh authorities into heat remedies, old-fashioned titanium dioxide, a reflective white, insoluble pigment used in sunscreens and as a colorant in paints, has been identified as the ideal material to apply to roads to remedy excessive heat in certain areas.

Work continues across the continent. While the United States Environmental Protection Agency published a notice in February this year advising that green infrastructure should be used to reduce power demands driven by cooling and heating devices, it also suggested collaborating with non-profits already established in the greening effort to enhance participation and drive canopy expansions in cities.

Perhaps one of the most exciting, fresh concepts, however, is that of peri-urban agriculture (PUA), a concept gleaned from time-series satellite observations over China. As arable farmland comes at quite a premium at best and is near impossible to obtain in densely populated urban areas at worst, a report published on nature.com notes that crops planted on the outskirts of smaller cities can potentially affect larger weather patterns. “By analyzing the interplay of biophysical factors, such as radiation, convection, and evapotranspiration, urban planners and policymakers can identify specific areas that require intervention through PUA management,” it states. Considering such an intervention, we may soon see the advent of the rural city of the future.

Ultimately, the effort to cool our cities will require a blend of innovation, policy, and a renewed respect for the role nature plays in the built environment. From reflective roofing materials and green infrastructure to equitable tree planting initiatives and peri-urban agriculture, communities across the globe are demonstrating that meaningful solutions already exist. As urban populations continue to grow and temperatures rise alongside them, the challenge now lies in scaling these strategies quickly and collaboratively to create healthier, more resilient cities for future generations.

The post Keeping Cool<p class="company">Combating the Urban Heat Island Effect with Smarter Urban Infrastructure</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Offering design that protects budget and schedule from day one, Chamberlain Architectural Services combines with independent construction management leader Chamberlain Construction Services and its interior design division to deliver a fully integrated architecture, interiors, and construction solution. At home in Burlington, Ontario, the group has cultivated a highly coordinated approach over the years, providing project owners with greater clarity, control, and consistency when combining their services, while remaining committed to their respective independence and service transparency.

Together, the two young giants have forged impressive growth over the past 48 years. With numerous legacy clients and industry partners, some of the company’s relationships span decades, and with over 500 hotel design projects across Canada and the United States, the company has certainly earned its merit. The 30-year-old construction company has also built more than 150 hotels, while its decade-old design division has completed work on more than 100 hotels and hundreds of other hospitality projects, including work in Hawaii.

Chamberlain Group of companies is headed by a vibrant team of young yet seasoned changemakers. They are Architectural Principals Jon McGinn, Architect, NCARB, OAA; Linnea Chamberlain; and Steve Mauro, Architect, OAA. Chris Mauro is the Construction Principal, while Adrian Mauro serves as CEO of the Construction company, with Chris and Ersilio Serafini as Vice Presidents. Jackie Mauro serves as the Interior Design Director.

With a distinct presence in the Greater Toronto Area, the company continues cultivating its North American footprint. By giving clients the option of using one or both companies, its presence continues expanding—especially as customers who combine its services once rarely return to using only one of the firms. This option is especially popular with companies that work on strict budgets, as project integration affords greater fiscal control, especially when the entire team is engaged in projects early, allowing key decisions around cost, constructability, and design to be aligned from the outset.

There are many who hire only one firm or the other, however. “We’re trying to shed the label that we only do architecture work,” says Chris Mauro. “So now people are seeing that we are a full-fledged construction management company, and we do work with other architects.”

Its high level of expertise makes the company an outstanding choice for discerning developers in need of professionals who smoothly deliver practical, buildable solutions rather than theoretical design. By removing much of the noise common in design and construction processes, these experts take the weight of project management from clients’ shoulders, streamlining coordination and reducing risk throughout the process. Highly invested in the power of technology, Chamberlain balances hard-earned skill with modern placemaking, complete with interior design. It also allows attention to detail to set every aspect of its work apart, with everything from budgets to project specifications treated with the highest regard.

As all these attributes make Chamberlain the ideal partner for collaboration, the company is evolving from working on smaller, 100-room hotels to high-rise hotels and apartment developments. It has also entered the Toronto market in recent years with two large hotels and residential projects alongside purpose-built rentals currently underway in its downtown area. Staying well-informed on the latest market trends, Chris Mauro and his team recently attended a number of prestigious conferences focusing on property conversion and renovation in this field.

With a growing number of local and American hotel groups such as Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and others enquiring about property improvements on old hotels and motels that would secure high returns on investment, the next few years look good for business. The company is also working on a number of new hotel constructions in locations like Vancouver, British Columbia and Winnipeg, Manitoba, alongside hospitality conversions in Oakville, Hamilton, and Burlington, Ontario.

One current project that stands out is the brand new eight-storey Hyatt Place at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Responsible for all processes including architecture, construction, and interior design, this is the firm’s latest flagship example of its fully integrated project delivery in action. The 196-room hotel features an indoor heated pool, a fitness centre, dining, and multiple meeting spaces. The hotel is now known for modern interiors and an outstanding layout which includes a ballroom. This was an especially challenging project as it had to be concluded next to an existing hotel—a complex task by anybody’s standards, requiring careful coordination across design and construction teams.

Principal Jon McGinn ascribes the rise in hospitality construction to the market recovering from COVID-19 pressures and hospitality conversions outperforming the office market due to increased local travel as more Canadians choose to rediscover their own country rather than travel abroad. He also notes continued growth in the residential rental market. “I think we see hospitality playing a pretty big role in the next few years,” he says.

Approved as one of Marriott Hotel Group’s interior design teams of choice, Chamberlain’s prowess on this front is widely respected. Committed to a “construction-first” mindset, this team sets itself apart by being several steps ahead of design competitors who are typically purely aesthetics-driven. This advantage is achieved in the deep understanding of the architectural layers that comprise overall designs—an aspect of the process that very few interior designers truly grasp. By establishing a clear blueprint of not only electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and other systems, but also of who performs which roles, this team establishes a crystal-clear overview of the possibilities within the existing design, installation, construction, and engineering framework before setting off on decorating hauls. The result is a team of interior designers who are unusually technically and structurally minded.

While this system may seem immaterial to the uninitiated, the reality is that interior design done correctly is nowhere near as simple as it appears. By working in this way, the company saves project owners thousands of dollars and a lot of time, avoiding disasters. Another great plus is that its interior designers directly collaborate with its architectural designers, saving even more time, as working with external companies is typically far more time-consuming. That is because relationships and meeting schedules must be established from scratch.

“The architectural team is in the interior design firm as well,” says Jackie Mauro. “We’re all working together in the office, so that constant conversation is always happening. Sometimes we find we don’t even know where interior design ends and architecture begins because it’s so blended in terms of communication,” she says, pointing out that such close collaboration also improves project coordination.

Value engineering is thus a large and ongoing part of the company’s work. Chris Mauro, Jackie’s husband, typically gets involved in establishing design and construction budgets early in the process, keeping a tight lid on expenditures for the benefit of the customer, ensuring cost is managed proactively rather than reactively. “We have these conversations all the time about how it can be more effective and more beneficial for the client group, always,” Jackie adds.

Indeed, the company has a long history of good service. Established as Chamberlain Architect Services Limited by Brian Chamberlain in 1978, and joined by Adrian Mauro a short while later, the two leaders were inspired to improve upon the status quo of the time. And so, the partners set out to create a group of companies that would eliminate the petty and large frustrations common to the design and construction process, like trades clashes and schedule coordination, to name only two. Today, the industry has changed so little that their vision and what the firm delivers still outshine competitors—even when working independently with outside contractors.

To maintain these standards, technology investments are crucial, with Design Assist being one of the company’s most important tools. It offers sophisticated renderings that allow for clearer visualization and more confident decision-making, which truly help project owners in the decision-making process. The company also uses artificial intelligence to assist in some aspects of plan and code evaluation.

“We are testing different programs and different apps to see how we can run these plans through, what we can see. I think at this point we’re still seeing a lot of remedial information provided,” says McGinn, noting that the technology is in its very early stages. “It is nice as a second set of eyes, an opportunity to catch things,” he adds, underscoring the firm’s plans to further expand its investments in this technology over the next few years.

The company is also well-respected for its project documentation acumen. For this reason, it is often employed to complete this crucial process on behalf of other designers prior to construction. It also plays the role of third-party reviewer of completed architectural drawings, a process typically headed by Chris and Adrian Mauro.

Chamberlain’s team of around 50 is also known for its charity work, with 10 members partaking in the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Ride presented by Johnson & Johnson from June 13 – 14 of this year. Moreover, the firm has made contributions to the SPCA through a large animal hospital project it is working on for them in Hamilton. Then there is its work on a 56-unit affordable and accessible housing complex, complete with a 6,500-square-foot state-of-the-art training facility for the deaf and blind in Toronto. Spearheaded by the Canadian Helen Keller Centre, this project is at 150 Eighth Street in the Etobicoke-Lakeshore neighbourhood. “We were lucky to work on the architecture and interior sides. It’s a full modular building,” says McGinn.

With Chamberlain’s construction company’s sights set on expanding its portfolio of large, long-term projects, its design division is looking toward increasing its business in hospitality and lifestyle brand hotels for the boutique market. While the group continues finding ways of responding to geopolitical price issues in favour of project owners as much as possible, the company also continues refining and improving its offerings through investment and expanding its overall capabilities.

By continuously elevating the customer experience, these teams continue to do what they love best through superb architecture, construction, and interior design—building quality, long-lasting professional relationships across North America and the Pacific.

The post Rethinking Canadian Hospitality<p class="company">Chamberlain Group of Companies</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Established in the 1990s and officially expanding into commercial landscaping in July 2003, Balanced Environments develops, installs, and maintains award-winning landscapes from its branch locations in Chicago, Lombard, Plainfield, and Old Mill Creek, Illinois, as well as its newest branch in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. What began in three barns on a century-old farm has grown into a company generating $30 million in landscape revenue.

Since its earliest days, the business has evolved into a major commercial landscape contractor. Bruce Church was introduced to the family business at a young age and joined full-time after graduating in 1983. Over time, he modernized and expanded the company with a focus on balancing urban development with well-executed outdoor space design and maintenance.

By the end of the 1990s, Church had grown the company to $15 million. His involvement in the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) and its Exterior Landscape Division Board also exposed him to broader industry collaboration, purchasing power, and operational scale. “I met some really intelligent and successful people from all over the country—great entrepreneurs, great minds, like minds,” he says of the experience. Church went on to write a white paper that was presented to Notre Capital in Houston, Texas, a group looking to create a national presence in landscaping.

Shortly thereafter, in 1998, seven companies joined forces to launch LandCare USA. Church instantly became a director of the NYSE-listed company, which expanded from $135 million to $330 million in nine months. Meanwhile, TruGreen/Chemlawn, a division of ServiceMaster, another publicly traded company, was following a similar strategy. After nine months operating as LandCare USA, ServiceMaster offered to purchase LandCare USA. The sale was completed in 1999.

Church continued managing his original branches during the buyout process, but decided to move on when the newly combined company (TrugGreen/LandCare) wanted to close the Milwaukee and Indianapolis locations. He then bought a concrete framing and forming company, R/C Concrete Concepts, with a partner, Gary Rabine of Rabine Paving. After a year, Gary wanted to expand his business and Bruce bought his partner’s ownership shares. By the time the housing market crash of 2008 hit, he had grown the new company from $2 million to $8 million and had changed the name to Hard Surface Solutions (HSS), to better reflect the services the company was offering to his commercial clientele. He had also launched Balanced Environments a month after his trade restriction in the landscaping business ended in 2003. As HSS was already serving many of the same clients that Balanced Environments would serve, Balanced hit the ground running, quickly gaining traction through those existing relationships.

Expansion followed. Today, Balanced Environments operates from offices in Illinois and Wisconsin, supported by satellite locations in Rockford, Madison, Aurora, and Joliet, Illinois and Highland, Indiana, while its sister company, HSS, earns around $10 million annually and brings additional hardscape and concrete capabilities to the group.

The company has also invested heavily in technology to improve operations and responsiveness. Balanced Environments uses ASPIRE Landscape, an end-to-end business management platform designed specifically for commercial landscape management, construction, and snow removal, and pairs it with GPS tracking and other tools to improve scheduling, accountability, and communication. Church says the platform has helped position the company among the top landscape firms nationwide.

Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Gayle Kruckenberg, says creativity is central to the company’s work, but always with a practical purpose. The goal is not just to install attractive landscapes, but to create outdoor spaces that work for the property, the people using it, and the long-term maintenance plan. “Whether the grass is green or not, I want the buildings we service to shine in full color,” she says. “I want them to shine during the day. I want them to shine during the night.” That approach helps Balanced Environments serve a wide range of clients, from building owners and managers to general contractors who need reliable bid-build support.

The company’s team includes around 280 people at peak season and about 75 full-time employees. Balanced Environments emphasizes self-performance whenever possible, using few outside contractors to maintain quality control, continuity, and stronger client relationships. That structure is especially valuable on commercial projects, where schedule discipline and coordination matter as much as design.

One of the company’s most notable projects is River Point public garden, located at 444 West Lake Street in downtown Chicago. Built as a rooftop garden over six sets of railroad tracks with only four inches of soil, the project required technical precision and careful execution. The garden’s 32’ tall Constellation sculpture in red aluminum by Spanish-Swiss architect, Santiago Calatrava, is flanked by fairy-lit trees and verdant lawn. “More than 3,000 couples get engaged annually underneath that statue,” Kruckenberg shares. The finished space combines landscape design, hardscape elements, and public use in a way that has made it a recognizable downtown destination.

Balanced Environments’ work has earned more than 20 awards since 2011, including two gold awards in 2022 for River Point and a Lake County corporate facility in Deerfield, Illinois. The company has also been recognized for projects at Rosalind Franklin University in North Chicago and the Village at Victory Lakes, a senior living community in Lindenhurst, Illinois. Those honors reflect the team’s ability to deliver landscapes that are not only visually strong, but also built to perform over time.

“We have a beautiful portfolio of award-winning properties that we’re so proud to be a part of,” Kruckenberg adds, noting that educators would do well to instill in children a love of gardening. “If we don’t have any horticulturalists, we won’t be able to feed the world,” she continues.

This global perspective underpins the company’s commitment to community, another key facet of its identity. Balanced Environments participates in Habitat for Humanity’s annual women’s build, supports children in need, and works with institutions such as the College of DuPage and Heartland College to help develop the next generation of landscape professionals. Kruckenberg also speaks to schools about careers in the industry and in March 2026, the team took part in the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), Chicago Chapter’s, Camp NAWIC. This year, they welcomed five girls from Chicago’s public school district to experience what it means to be a landscaper for a day at River Point. The final project of the day was to design and plant the spring flower rotation, and the event also explored the more strategic side of the industry, including how unions operate and collaborate, as well as the challenges landscapers face as the final trade on a construction site—often inheriting tightened budgets and timelines that demand creative thinking and problem-solving.

The company also offers consultation services for project owners facing challenging site conditions or coordination issues. In addition, Balanced Environments designs and maintains rooftop and vegetable gardens for community/building tenant sharing purposes and local restaurants, complete with beekeeping. For clients, this breadth of expertise means one partner can handle landscape construction, maintenance, tree care, irrigation, and snow removal, all under one roof.

That full-service model is especially important in a region shaped by harsh winters, freeze-thaw cycles, and changing climate conditions. Balanced Environments draws from generations of experience and an intimate knowledge of the region’s climate patterns. Kruckenberg explains that Northern Illinois, Indiana, and Southern Wisconsin share a uniquely harsh winter environments shaped by Lake Michigan, where repeated freeze-thaw cycles severely limit the range of plants able to thrive—making it one of the most restrictive planting regions in the country.

Illinois also has a high tornado count, with 56 tornadoes having hit the state by March this year. Driven by what is referred to as moisture pools, this makes plant survival increasingly tough. Balanced utilizes creative solutions, such as spraying organic oils for foliage protection on large evergreens and adding gypsum to the soil to better support turf roots in a more ecologically sustainable way, safeguarding water sources from chemical contamination. These changing climates are also the reason Balanced opened its own Tree Care and Irrigation Divisions. Once you add Snow Removal to the basket of services performed, Balanced truly offers a 12-month relationship opportunity and “One Stop Shopping” for its incredibly busy clients.

Church says the company’s approach remains straightforward: clients bring a goal and a budget, and the team builds a program around both. That focus on communication, self-performance, and dependable execution has helped Balanced Environments grow through changing markets while staying true to its core values of Respect, Service, Value, and Pride (RSVP).

The post Next-Level Landscaping and Service<p class="company">Balanced Environments, LLC</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

In what has become a highly competitive field, Starnet Commercial Flooring Partnership (Starnet) is a dynamic marketing cooperative that provides invaluable support to its members, freeing them to do what they do best on the customer-facing sides of their businesses while enabling seamless product and service procurement behind the scenes.

Because of modern structured end user agreements, “members don’t have to haggle; they don’t have to negotiate. Products have already been approved, and they can just buy off the menu,” says Mark Bischoff, President and Chief Executive Officer. “There’s no compliance risk, there’s no friction in the transaction.” The organization offers all this while supplier members grow their customer bases by securing longstanding clients.

Starnet’s commercial flooring members serve a wide range of industries, including education, healthcare, hospitality, retail, and office facilities. Many of those serving the latter sell office furniture, while there are also real estate-focused operations serving multi-family and mixed-use properties. The materials used include a spectrum of resilient flooring types like poured and polished concrete with or without epoxy finishes; terrazzo, a hardwearing stone composite; and other engineered materials alongside ceramic, broadloom and tile carpet, and wood. There are also members focused on sports facilities who are installing synthetic turf, running tracks, and providing other specialized services such as fitting protective padding, acoustics, and locker rooms.

Meanwhile, Starnet Floor Care teams, mainly comprising members in installation and product sales, service vast areas of flooring space.

Starnet also helps to address longstanding problems in the industry through technology—for example, the company has a current project to develop and source an exoskeleton for hauling onto sites and protecting fragile rolls of flooring material weighing up to 700 pounds, upon request of its members who have been battling this specific challenge for over a century. Of course, end users also benefit from the savings that are passed down to them. They also enjoy accessing professional, trustworthy installation as part of the purchasing process. Then there is the fact that members can negotiate installation times on new builds to be in sync with those of other trades, entirely erasing the chaos that often reigns on building sites.

Moreover, once people learn that renovations and revamps in existing buildings, sometimes on extremely short notice, are far easier when done by a Starnet member, they never go back to old-fashioned bidding and contracting. As members have access to a host of trades, end users can bypass the bidding process by employing a member to complete projects in record time with significantly reduced hassle. “That’s part of the reason why we like these cooperative agreements, because there’s not a lot of red tape or friction to that transaction, so it can occur right away,” Bischoff continues.

Helping its members handle everything from managing their teams to maintenance, repairs, and operations, Starnet helps free up time and capital on back-end infrastructure. This ensures smooth front-end operations, which enables a job well done and delivered on time and within budget. This makes it easier to offer higher value on projects that outsource an increasing number of functions, while also having easier access to the latest technology to further support this process.

“We’re in a strange time where traditional industries like construction and commercial flooring are more difficult because of the regulatory framework and the complexity of the business world. Part of our job is to help our members deploy technology to reduce the friction in the traditional model,” Bischoff explains.

Complete with its own online university, the organization provides connection, education, standardization, and profit sharing to members in the industry. Starting as Comspec in the 1980s as an initiative among select companies and fabricators in the industry to establish best practices and protocols and create networking opportunities, the organization was later formalized as IMG International Marketing Group. This gave operators in different parts of the country an opportunity to compare notes, join forces, and expand their reach. As a result, the organization began closing agreements with fabricators and developing products it found niches for in the industry before taking it from being privately owned to member-owned as a cooperative in 1992. Now operating as Starnet, the organization went on to expand its range of services, its products, and its reach.

Today, Starnet members benefit in myriad ways beyond improved processes and purchasing strategies. Two annual meetings and a flurry of get-togethers throughout the year allow members to connect with other operators outside their field of expertise or area of the country, providing opportunities to network with members and manufacturers. There are also training sessions, installation and technology workshops, webinars, and other similar gatherings. Each member receives dividends paid annually according to their branch-level purchasing support, which is reflected in incentives paid to the organization by the participating manufacturers on every purchase by a member.

Beyond purchasing, Starnet forges other close ties with manufacturers and material partners. Joining forces to audit and critique processes for its Starnet Floor Care division, they weigh in on product composition and equipment. These collaborations offer important insights and opportunities for improvement and fine tuning of chemical compositions and fabrication processes, while establishing members as trusted service partners for manufacturer-approved aftercare following installations.

Member committees act as data capturing mechanisms, keeping the organization up to speed with developments in the Canadian and American sectors on an ongoing basis. Based on this information, Starnet then develops relevant initiatives to inform, educate, and inspire its members to continuously evolve.

In this way, Starnet keeps members abreast of the latest technology and developments in related industries like real estate. One case in point is the notion that the commercial real estate space stands to be monetized in a similar way as Airbnb monetizes private property as guest units. To this end, Starnet is keeping its finger on the pulse of a trend that can be a considerable game-changer for its industry. “If [operators in flooring] continue to operate as they did in the ’80s and ’90s, they’ll be left behind,” Bischoff says of the technology, information value, and education Starnet provides.

Of course, one of the main member benefits remains driving value through cooperative purchasing. Having established trusted working partnerships with cooperative purchasing groups like Sourcewell and OMNIA, the organization’s buying power translates into robust savings for its members. “Government entities have a lot of regulatory oversight around how they buy things, because they’re trying to eliminate corruption and still get the best deal,” explains Tanner McHugh, Manager of Marketing and Member Services.

As the cooperative buying process eliminates formal bidding on each individual project, the onboarding process is greatly simplified while the amount of complexity and risk usually forced downstream onto subcontractors by general contractors is mitigated. “The advantage there is the end user is using the cooperative agreement to take the complexity out of their business,” Bischoff says.

The organization is also home to the Starnet Design Awards. Led by McHugh, these awards acknowledge members for outstanding performance in their fields. “We saw a big spike this year in the evolution of some of our tech providers, who make execution so much easier for our members,” he says. From easing administrative tasks to improving project flow, products like Spec-ID and Cyncly are changing the way flooring providers operate. There is even an application, CLīMIT, which monitors the real-time humidity and temperature of building sites, saving costs by helping operators choose the right day to call teams onto site to ensure they can execute in ideal conditions. Another sophisticated system, Independent Floor Testing & Inspection (IFTI), uses laser technology to map floor topography, or flatness, assisting in preventing injuries through improved safety in tiling by eliminating sub-product cavities caused by natural undulation of concrete, which can lead to damage of ceramic, terracotta, and porcelain floor coverings.

Other partners include Pittsburgh Paints—a respected coatings brand providing quality high-performance paints and finishes, who recently joined Starnet—and MDC, an exciting commercial interiors expert that leads with outstanding customized architectural finishes.

Bischoff is clear about Starnet’s continued contribution in modernizing the world of flooring, which has certainly left an indelible mark on the industry. “Our message to members is simple: lean on Starnet for the latest and the greatest, and we’ll build the frameworks that allow you to deploy so you can spend more time, energy, and resources making things real for your client,” he says.

As for Starnet’s advice to members to future-proof their businesses, its guidance leaves no room for confusion. By keeping operational costs to a minimum, flooring specialists free up cash flow crucial for field operations and new technology as industry changes forge ahead.

As field teams grow alongside project scopes, Bischoff believes demand for wider ranges of trades from a single operator will become a trend as clients develop trust and comfort with seamless servicing, not to mention the overall time and money savings involved. “Everything that they deploy inside these cooperative systems so that they work seamlessly is better for the end user because then they can focus on what they do best rather than construction or renovation projects outside of their field,” he says. With a focus on cost reduction on one hand and driving evolution on the other hand, Starnet Commercial Flooring Partnership continues refining its offering and revolutionizing the flooring industry as we know it.

The post Polished to Perfection<p class="company">Starnet Commercial Flooring Partnership</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

From modern townhouses to traditional single-family homes, the Ridgeview team takes pride in seeing every project from their client’s perspective while going the extra mile to deliver every project on time and on budget. Thanks to vigorous growth, the builder is now also exploring multi-community expansion. And its custom support does not end with designing and building; the company also helps new arrivals to its service area making the transition from their cities of origin to the Waterloo Region.

Established in 1997 by George Mouradian, Ridgeview Homes has built over 1000 signature homes stretching from Kitchener to Woodstock and London to Stratford. And, as quality never ages or goes out of fashion, its timeless designs make for homes that people genuinely relish living in. “Our homes are thoughtfully designed for the way people live today, creating spaces that balance beauty, comfort, and functionality for modern lifestyles. While a dedicated drafter creates the drawings, the overall design is a team effort. We are creating a product that people love and enjoy for years to come,” says Aleena Kabajouzian, Office Manager.

As a result, the company’s products are extremely popular, often being snapped up almost as quickly as they can be built. A recent project in Cambridge’s Moffat Creek community illustrates this momentum perfectly—entire blocks of townhomes were purchased in what felt like the blink of an eye. Buyers can visit the Moffat Creek Sales Centre & Model Home at 210 Green Gate Blvd in Cambridge, Ontario to experience the community firsthand.

In Westwood Village, the same excitement surrounds a subdivision of single-family detached homes. Demand remains strong, with a new model home opening soon for prospective buyers.

The company is also seeing great interest in its Heathwoods community in London, Ontario. Homebuyers can explore the Sales Centre & Model Home at 6973 Heathwoods Ave in London, Ontario, where thoughtfully designed homes offer modern comfort in a growing neighbourhood.

Lucky for customers ready to secure their dream home, even more developments are on the horizon. For more information on all of Ridgeview’s communities and upcoming developments, visit www.ridgeviewhomes.com.

While the company’s business model appears at first to focus on an “exclusive” approach, this is really just a great way to ensure that the team builds real, in-person connections with those who reach out to its expert sales teams. In this way, Ridgeview’s approach provides discerning locals with architecturally refined homes that are thoughtful and inclusive, especially considering the attention to detail the company puts into its efforts.

The approach is working. Ridgeview’s reputation has cultivated a loyal following, with many new clients discovering the builder through referrals from friends, family, and colleagues who have experienced its homes firsthand. In addition, property owners often seek out the company to develop land they own, resulting in a steadily growing list of prospective clients. With its sister company, Studio 334, handling interior design and décor, Ridgeview offers all-around contemporary excellence. To deliver an optimally comprehensive service, it also shares its showroom with Tricity Wholesale Flooring. The showroom offers a one-stop shop with a wide selection of outstanding flooring, home décor, small furnishings, bathroom fixtures, vanities, and tubs. There is something to suit all tastes, and this service comes with complimentary quotations.

Complementing Ridgeview’s offerings, Studio 334 turns renovation visions into reality, providing a seamless, full-service experience from concept to completion. From initial design consultation to project management and final finishes, the team ensures every detail is carefully executed, delivering homes that are as functional as they are exceptional in style. Studio 334’s impressive showroom, located at 334-A Manitou Drive in Kitchener, offers an inspiring destination for homeowners, designers, and builders alike. The thoughtfully curated space invites clients to tour and experience unique home décor pieces, premium bathroom fixtures, stylish vanities, and quality flooring—each display designed to spark inspiration and help bring every design vision to life.

Ridgeview Homes provides end-to-end service, handling structural design and permitting to deliver a truly streamlined and stress-free building experience. Each home also comes complete with a comprehensive design meeting where every detail, from flooring to cabinet finishes, is discussed and decided upon. To ease the process, a selection of harmonized design packages offers distinct styles that help save time and make the experience less intimidating for those looking for expedited style. “Clients have the opportunity to personalize every detail from start to finish, with our project coordinators, Erin and Katrina,” Kabajouzian says.

While many new homeowners are wary of what appears to be a daunting process at the outset, they have the reassurance of being supported every step of the way by the Ridgeview team—all while being protected by a new home warranty, backed by Tarion. “We all try to follow the Tarion Home Warranty Guidelines to make that transition easy for homeowners,” Kabajouzian continues. With expert guidance tailored to suit every client’s vision and investment goals for their home, there is simply no room for hesitation when working with this formidable team.

Focused on expansion, the company’s team has welcomed the recent second phase of developments at their Westwood Village site in Cambridge, which is well underway. As one of its highly desirable communities, many of the buyers here are returning customers who already live in the area. On the flip side, newer buyers also favour the Moffat Creek site, especially for its strategic location in Cambridge, conveniently located near urban amenities and the 401 highway.

To truly appreciate Ridgeview’s quality and design, prospective homeowners are invited to explore the company’s meticulously staged model homes, where every detail reflects the firm’s commitment to excellence. The most recent is a fully-staged, detached four-bedroom model home in Westwood Village, Cambridge, containing everything its standard homes would include, featuring an intentional floor plan that delivers exceptional value. Homes like these have brought the company significant recognition when it received the Builder of the Year WRHBA Grand SAM (Sales and Marketing) Awards of Distinction from the Waterloo Region Home Builders’ Association in 2020 and 2021. Winning Most Outstanding Two Storey Design; Most Outstanding Bathroom in a Home; Most Outstanding Indoor or Outdoor Living Space; Most Outstanding Home Renovation or Conversion; Best New Homes Sales Office/Presentation Centre; and Best Interior Decorating – Model Home/Suite, the team has made its mark on the local construction industry, proving that its skills and expertise are second to none. It even won an award for Model Home/Suite Under $30,000 when a unit called The Forest House took the limelight a few years ago.

The team is not all work and no play, however. Beyond being a close-knit group that spends ample time together outside of work, it also enjoys a good celebration, and so the company’s 25^th anniversary was celebrated in style with a memorable gala where suppliers, stakeholders, and trade partners joined to toast the great achievement.

As a committed part of the Waterloo Region Food Bank’s support network, this team also takes great joy in gathering donations around the holiday season. In this way, it has collected more than 400 meals for community members in need, and is also a collection point for its local toy drive.

With its noteworthy legacy in an ever-evolving construction landscape, Ridgeview Homes is dedication personified. From its office staff to its field teams, people here aim to please—no matter how much time and effort that takes—an attribute the company acknowledges with great appreciation for the people behind the work. “We have great site supervisors who really do work around the clock to make sure everything gets done in a timely manner for clients,” Kabajouzian says. As a company where establishing authentic connections and real-life experiences are more important than simply doing business as usual, nobody is ever reduced to a number at Ridgeview Homes.

The post Over 25 Years of Designing, Building, & Achieving<p class="company">Ridgeview Homes</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

During our conversation, one thing was certainly clear. Stasi Brothers is a team driven to do their best daily rather than make a quick buck.

As a resourceful family business with sufficient manpower to execute every job properly the first time, this is also a place where staff retention is as high a priority as customer retention. Self-performing around 80 percent of its work within a 10-mile radius of its office on Maple Avenue, Stasi Brothers takes its responsibility as a contractor to heart in every possible way. The evidence of this sentiment is impossible to miss on a quick tour of its offices. A beautiful wood and brass plaque displays the names of long-time staff members in reception, while a lovely collection of frames displays historic photographs of significant moments. There is even a framed, handwritten invoice from decades ago—a recent gift from a kind customer who reached out to refresh a previous installation.

The company’s creativity is as impressive as its legacy. As one enters the boardroom, you are welcomed by a retired asphalt roller that forms the base for a large, clear glass tabletop. This is flanked by a vintage MACK truck face transformed into a beverage fridge and drawer storage unit—all set up for comfortable, productive meetings.

Back in his office, it quickly becomes evident that this is not a gig Sal simply plays for a living. On the contrary, his undeniable commitment to the company and the work rings clear and true throughout our conversation. “We have a reputation for great work, and reliability, and getting things done. That’s huge for us,” he says.

The company’s history is one of adventure, hardship, and perseverance. Waving his home province of Naples, Italy goodbye in search of greater opportunities, Saverio Stasi could not have imagined the success he would establish in the United States when he left behind everything familiar on that fated day in 1960. Brave and enterprising, the young brick mason finally landed in Westbury, New York, where he founded a landscaping firm after deciding to set down roots.

Saverio did not only find his fortune here, however; he also discovered good people who helped him build his business, establishing a firm with a reputation for serving its community and a warm, multi-generational presence that says, “We care.” By 1964, he was offering masonry and asphalt driveways in addition to his other services. The ’80s saw the company expanding into local public works, which led to a rapid expansion that took it from a handful of staff to a team of 20.

Today, the company employs more than 100 people in the summer. Ripping and site preparation teams handle pre-installations while two paving crews do commercial and residential paving. Two concrete crews take care of concrete paving and repairs, and three masonry teams handle bricklaying on construction projects. Then there is a striping team, alongside a trucking department comprising dozens of vehicles. A regular snow clearing service serves many of Westbury’s sidewalks and entrances during winter—often done as a courtesy service to the town, providing fellow citizens with improved safety as they navigate the season’s slush.

“Stasi Brothers is a third-generation company that was built on quality, service, loyalty, and relationships,” Sal says. Sharing why he loves the work so much, this leader, who joined the company in 2003 as a teenager, lights up with pride. “I love to take something old and turn it into something beautiful and worthwhile. It’s interesting,” he says of the career that gives him untold joy. By now, his kids are sick of being reminded of every job he and the teams complete across Long Island.

Erin Abbatiello, Sal’s assistant, confirms this company trait. “[These guys] all remember every single job that they’ve done—all of them. All you have to do is mention the address, and if they look at a picture of the house or the street or the school, without fail, every single time, they will be able to recall it off the top of their head,” she says with a smile.

As a result of the pride the team takes in its work, the company visited PAVE/X in New Orleans in February this year, where staff could familiarize themselves with the latest in paving technology and equipment. “We’re constantly updating and trying new things, just to make everything more efficient, faster, and to offer better availability for our customers,” Sal says. The rationale behind such investments is straightforward: the work goes faster, staff have an easier time completing tasks, and quality improves.

With top quality comes good relationships, and to this end, Stasi Brothers has made it a priority to build healthy relationships with organizations in its community including schools, churches, colleges, and other institutions. Having been here for over six decades, the firm is committed to continuing to give back to the people of the area who have made the business what it is today. “We don’t require half the money upfront [for residential projects]; usually it’s a very, very minimal deposit, if any,” Sal shares. “I always tell people, ‘you don’t have to pay me until the job is done. So if you’re not happy, you don’t pay me.’ And they laugh,” he says. “They’re always happy!”

The company is as generous in showing its appreciation of its employees as it is with the local community. Big milestones are typically characterized by gifts of dinners, gift cards, individualized gifts for employees’ children, and group meals and outings. Birthdays are marked by restaurant gift cards for employees and their families. And the company’s management is deeply respected for the loans it extends to employees when big life events bring unexpected expenses.

When it comes to large commercial projects that impact the broader community, Sal is proud of the proven skills in minimal disruption that the teams have developed to complete jobs seamlessly—even during peak times like Thanksgiving and Christmas, where foot traffic could not be heavier in a commercial setting.

With most of its skills finely honed over decades, this company believes in continuous evolution by keeping its equipment fleets well-maintained and modern. By buying new machines and vehicles every three years or so, the team knows it can perform even the most demanding work with confidence. “The newer equipment has better GPS, lasers, scanners, sensors, and they’re able to make [surfaces] smoother and flatter and cleaner so that every job ends up being so much better,” Sal tells us. The same approach applies to the company’s use of software and AI.

As the company’s structure evolves with the third generation, Sam Stasi—who, at 31, has increased the company’s real estate developments by around 300 percent so far—Fran, and Augie, stepping up to take over the reins from Joe Stasi, its projects are also growing in size and complexity. The team couldn’t be more pleased with the continuity, as Sal points out. “Having a full crew of young [bloods], hungry to build on their name and their legacy is really interesting.” For a company that situates the satisfaction of its teams and customers at the core of its mandate to succeed, Stasi Brothers has most certainly done, and continues to do, an exceptional job.

The post Partnership, Passion, Professionalism<p class="company">Stasi Brothers</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Always exploring new ways to enhance customer service, Shannon Construction approaches preconstruction with the same level of attention to detail as the construction phase itself. By guiding project owners beyond their initial expectations, the team has refined its services into a sophisticated offering that fosters long-term client relationships, often spanning decades.

“We try to help customers ensure that the space they’re going to end up with will meet their needs,” says Ken Schultz, President, emphasizing the importance of identifying potential issues early. “In this way, we believe we provide more value than someone who simply quotes the drawings,” he adds. As a Purdue University graduate in Construction Management, Schultz has overseen more than $2 billion in completed projects across a wide range of sectors.

Shannon Construction considers strong relationships with subcontractors essential to its long-term success. These partnerships are cultivated with care, treating subcontractors as valued collaborators rather than transactional vendors. Schultz likens construction teams to a symphony orchestra, where each trade is an instrument, playing a vital role in delivering a cohesive result. Many of these relationships span four to five decades, dating back to the company’s earliest days.

Committed to innovation, Shannon Construction invests in advanced technology to improve both its services and the client experience. The company utilizes 3D imaging for visualization and rendering, along with weekly video inspections to monitor progress. Building information modeling (BIM) is also leveraged during preconstruction, where laser scanning enables virtual walkthroughs and overlays engineering and architectural drawings to identify and resolve design conflicts early in the preconstruction process.

Founded by Schultz’s grandfather, a carpenter who became a developer-contractor in the United States, Shannon Construction is now welcoming its fourth generation of leadership. Christian Schultz, Director, holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, as well as an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University. He spent a decade in the medical device industry, building a strong foundation of professional experience and bringing a well-rounded perspective to the family business.

Construction runs deep in the Schultz family, and Ken is generous in sharing the knowledge gained over generations. “Construction is incredibly gratifying—being able to create something tangible that serves someone’s needs,” he says. From conceptualization and planning to building and delivery, the process is marked by meaningful collaboration. “There’s a real sense of satisfaction in seeing our hard work result in a useful product for the client,” he adds, noting that client success ultimately drives company success.

A non-negotiable principle at Shannon Construction is doing the right thing—regardless of convenience or cost. “Maintaining our organizational ethos and the relationships we have with our clients in a way that our ancestors would be proud of is important to us,” says Christian Schultz. For the company, upholding time-honored values is just as critical as technical execution.

The company also remains deeply committed to supporting its communities. Contributions include natural disaster relief efforts, repair work for nonprofit organizations, and support for initiatives such as Stockings for Soldiers, March of Dimes, and the Boy Scouts of America.

Sustainability is another key focus. Shannon Construction works closely with clients to promote energy-efficient solutions and long-term operational performance. “HVAC systems are a major driver today,” Ken explains. “It used to be lighting, but now heating and cooling demand significantly more energy.” The company addresses this by improving building airtightness and increasing insulation, supported by a team of professionals who collaborate with engineers and architects to deliver high-performance buildings.

The firm also brings significant expertise to complex construction management projects, including public-sector and multi-prime work. Notably, Shannon Construction has completed multiple Family Service Centers for the second-largest public school in Pennsylvania. These projects, typically ranging from $10 million to $50 million, require extensive coordination and documentation. “Multi-prime projects demand a deeper level of management than traditional general contracting,” Ken explains. Many of these projects involve the adaptive reuse of former office buildings or school structures, resulting in modern, dynamic service centers that support collaboration and learning for students and their families.

Shannon Construction has built a strong reputation for revitalizing historic structures and modernizing legacy facilities, blending craftsmanship with contemporary performance standards across the Mid-Atlantic. One of Shannon’s most notable historic renovations is the transformation of 412 Boulevard of the Allies, a nearly century-old landmark in downtown Pittsburgh. Originally home to the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, the building underwent a full core-and-shell redevelopment (~157,000 square feet) and has been repositioned as Class A mixed-use space, featuring high-end fitness amenities, conference facilities, and modern collaboration and meeting areas.

Historic renovations hold particular significance for the company, as they preserve community heritage while creating new opportunities. One such project is the Cambria Iron Works redevelopment in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where Shannon Construction helped stabilize and restore a long-vacant structure that now serves as a school for iron arts. “We’re helping revive an important part of Pennsylvania’s history,” says Alexis McCormick, Marketing Manager. The building, which survived devastating floods in the 1800s before sitting vacant for decades, now stands as a testament to regional resilience and preservation.

To maintain quality and cost control, Shannon Construction self-performs a significant portion of its demolition and carpentry work. At the same time, its longstanding subcontractor relationships ensure seamless collaboration across all projects.

Looking ahead, the company aims to grow revenue by 10 to 12 percent annually while expanding its service offerings and geographic footprint across the Mid-Atlantic. By continuing to build strong client relationships and executing projects with care and integrity, Shannon Construction is well-positioned for sustained success.

The post Built on Trust, Accountability, and Doing the Right Thing<p class="company">Shannon Construction</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Following years of climate change and the growing threat of urban flooding, cities across the Netherlands have been forced to confront the consequences of excessive paving and concrete. These hard, non-absorbent surfaces prevent rainwater from soaking into the ground, leading to significant runoff during heavy storms and increasing the risk of damage to both public infrastructure and private property.

In response, a broad consensus has emerged among Dutch urban planners, who are now working to remove non-absorbent, man-made materials from sidewalks, city squares, and parks. By exposing and revitalizing the underlying soil—and reintroducing plant life—planners aim to make urban spaces more permeable and resilient. The goal is to create cities that function more like sponges, better equipped to absorb heavy rainfall and withstand extreme weather events with less disruption and destruction.

So far, the country has come up with what seems to be the most playful yet ecologically sound and effective way of achieving the goal—one that is well worth emulating here in North America. Now, while bitterballen, Gouda cheese, clogs, tulips, and a love of cycling are only a few of the things that shape the Dutch identity, the “Nederlanders” are also known for their outstanding water engineering and, more recently, the National Tile Whipping Contest.

The concept is delightfully straightforward and a lot of fun. Every year from around March 21^st until the end of October, 203 municipalities out of a reported 342 compete for the honor of winning the “tile whipping” (tegelwippen) contest’s golden spade. The initiative, developed by Amsterdam’s Frank Lee, a creative agency whose innovative idea came about during a COVID-19-period brainstorming session, has caught on like wildfire as people and cities leap at the opportunity to create more regenerative spaces where they can spend time connecting with nature.

Today, it is common to see neighbours across the country take to their sidewalks with crowbars and wheelbarrows full of plants, turning dreary no-man’s lands into green spaces of community, creativity, and human connection. It is no wonder, therefore, that tile whipping is now just about considered a national sport.

The Dutch, and more recently, the Flemish, have been competing since 2021, removing nearly 6 million and 1.5 million tiles respectively in 2025 in what is known as the Derby der Lage Landen, a name given to any sporting match between the Netherlands and Belgium. Supporting the initiative is an informative website that guides citizens on what to do and what not to do, while explaining how soil is enriched and plants are grown. Local municipalities also provide tile taxis to remove pavers from such sites. Last year, citizens in Utrecht removed nearly 440,000 tiles, making it the winner in 2025.

Removing hard surfaces is not the only strategy cities are using to address the problem of non-absorbent paving. In many cases, paving remains necessary for accessibility, transportation, and public use. Rather than eliminating it altogether, some municipalities are exploring ways to make those surfaces more permeable.

One such initiative comes from Aquipor Technologies, which has developed permeable concrete pavers designed to absorb and filter rainwater. Made with a catalytic aggregate, the material allows water to pass through the surface instead of running off into storm drains. If more cities were to replace non-essential paving through tile whipping, while upgrading essential paved areas with an absorbent alternative, the impact could be significant. Urban flooding could be reduced, easing pressure on stormwater infrastructure and the public systems and services that are often overwhelmed during heavy rainfall.

If the goal is to recreate paradise in cities, it could be argued that natural options should be explored whenever possible. This is because they take advantage of an ancient and complex natural system. Soil genesis is interrupted when crucial natural components are removed from the cycle (and all natural components are crucial to soil formation), and manmade paving materials are thus not sufficiently sophisticated to help soil maintain its natural cycles, and so nature is still disrupted. Of course, how alternative pavers are used and in what volumes would ultimately determine the scale of the impact.

When natural cycles are altered, soil formation suffers and the remaining ground performs poorly overall. In turn, when planners and engineers modify these systems without carefully planned, pre-emptive solutions in place, the consequences can be severe, often leading to environmental damage, infrastructure failure, and even human displacement.

So, how is soil formed, and what gives it its tremendous sponge capacity that the Netherlands is now leveraging in the climate change struggle? All organic matter, from decaying invertebrates and other creatures to leaves, rocks, and sediment, combine in a slow decomposition process, driving bioturbation or soil formation. This is supported by a host of soil-engineering micro and macroorganisms like mycelia and insects like arthropods (known as soil flora and fauna, respectively). Plant roots are also a form of soil flora that further support the process.

The beauty of this system is that the healthier the soil, the healthier the supporting matrix that supports it, and vice versa. Now, one might ask why this health matters and how this natural system of soil genesis protects urban landscapes from flooding? Because, without us giving any thought to it at all, silent, near-invisible helpers create the conditions needed for soil to become absorbent, making the creation of urban paradises and the natural reduction of flooding possible at a far reduced cost over commercial solutions. They achieve this by decomposing organic matter, burrowing, aerating, and “gluing” the microparticles of soil into a living substrate.

Microbial glue, or extracellular polymeric substances produced by fungi and bacteria, is a collective term for biopolymers that form the basis of biofilms. Typically excreted as protective sheathing for these organisms, microbial glue prevents flooding and erosion by holding soil together at a microscopic level, giving healthy soil its characteristic staying power, porosity, and water-holding capabilities. Moreover, as it traps water and nutrients, microbial glue conveniently promotes further microbial health, making uninterrupted soil genesis a slow, yet perfectly self-sustaining geological process.

And what says “paradise” better than an automatic, self-sustaining system that costs nothing but a healthy sense of non-interference? In initiatives like tile whipping, we can see that soil genesis appears to be gaining the respect it deserves within urban regeneration policies for its role in maintaining healthy ecospheres while protecting human infrastructure and assets. By getting out of nature’s way, natural processes are free to do their jobs beautifully and efficiently.

Having come this far in our collective understanding of paving versus soil within a regenerative urban construction context, one trusts that the Dutch trend of tile whipping will only gain further momentum—even if simply to ensure that the part of Mitchell’s song that describes paying an arm and a leg to visit a tree museum remains a figment of the imagination forever.

The post Turning Pavers into Paradise<p class="company">Paving Whipping: A Growing Trend?</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

As it turns out, many of those asking these questions have been providing practical, well-researched solutions for decades. Connecting with one of Canada’s most respected pro-environmental icons, Herb Hammond, forest ecologist and co-author of the 2024 book, Nature-First Cities: Restoring Relationships with Ecosystems and with Each Other, yielded fresh insights. I asked him for insight into practical tools to support those in the construction industry in making the shift toward regenerative design and building.

In Hammond’s experience, developing a sufficient frame of reference to understand regenerative design and how to achieve it demands education and a reset of perspective. Beyond his most recent publication, he cites another important read in developing this understanding—Earth Democracy: Justice, Sustainability, and Peace by Vandana Shiva, PhD in quantum theory from the University of Western Ontario. In Hammond’s opinion, this book is so crucial to the greater mission of urban ecological regeneration and saving the planet at large that it ought to be a prescribed work in high schools.

“For those [who] have already passed high school, her book [should] be required to be part of [design and construction] professions and all other occupations, particularly the occupation of politics,” he says. “Along with the brilliance of ecological apartheid, another of her important observations is ‘In Nature’s economy, the currency is not money, it is life.’”

For designers and those in the construction industry who find themselves stuck in outdated world views and ways of doing things, Hammond counsels establishing a connection with nature. Walking in nature, he suggests observing the self-regulation and self-maintenance that underscore biological processes and their seasonal changes—that we should notice how interconnected, interdependent ecosystems seamlessly combine to form larger systems. “Note that ecosystems exist at the full range of spatial and temporal scales, and, thus, when we plan activities in ecosystems, we must consider and accommodate the full range of spatial and temporal scales,” he says.

Once the basic experience and understanding of whole, intact ecosystems become clear, the need for equally complete service systems and their mechanisms—to develop genuinely healthy cities that are good for people to be in and resilient to flux—becomes obvious. He also notes that nature’s services to accomplish many such tasks are far cheaper than man-made and engineered solutions that are not resilient to change and cost a fortune to maintain.

For those in the construction industry looking to make a difference but uncertain of where to start, he also has a few suggestions. “Start with restoration of the natural composition, structure, and function of ecosystems in locations that are amenable to nature. Where people see her advantages [as opposed] to technical engineering fixes,” he says. He also suggests testing concepts on private land that is preferably free and easily accessible. “This restoration will lead to nodes of restored ecosystems, which become anchors for a network of fragments of nature and restored ecosystems.” Within the larger ecological matrix, these nodes include and connect to what Hammond refers to as the natural water movement network, originating in the backyards of private homes, which serve to restore and balance the impact of urbanization.

Equally imperative is realizing that regenerative design and construction are impossible without the valuable and powerful voices of industry leaders. As part of the education process that must underpin such involvement, Hammond’s advice is to consider collaborating with “practical ecologists able to think in the range of spatial and temporal scales within which nature exists.” In this way, industry leaders gain access to the academic, practical, and intrinsic understanding necessary to work harmoniously within the frameworks of ecological complexity rather than against it.

“Start by learning about natural ecosystem composition, structure, and function; ecosystem diversity; and the breadth of benefits, [such as] services provided by intact, natural ecosystems. Then compare that with the breadth, cost, and equity of engineered technical services,” he says.

In Nature-First Cities: Restoring Relationships with Ecosystems and with Each Other, an outstanding collaboration between academics from various disciplines, the authors provide practical solutions for inviting nature into cities without “disowning” inhabitants. The authors’ motivation for writing it invites the industry to deeper contemplation on the whys alongside the how-to of regenerative design. “People in cities want nature nearby. But when developers and city planners seek to incorporate nature, they often settle for the wrong nature (homogenized green space), in the wrong location (isolated patches determined by economic considerations), and in the wrong amount (not enough),” they write.

The solution underscoring the book’s thesis is led by the science and practice of Nature-Directed Stewardship (NDS). As the creator of the NDS system, developed in collaboration with First Peoples over decades, Hammond suggests becoming a respectful part of the ecosystems we ultimately embody, making NDS a field of study that will hopefully find its way into all civil design courses and even high schools. Because, as mainstream designers, architects, and construction experts inch ever closer to reimagining the wild side of urban human spaces and their impact on our wellbeing on a more intrinsic, wholesale level, meaningful resources and thought leadership like NDS stand to make it possible for just about anyone in the construction industry to contribute positively to this new epoch in the evolution of space making.

The key, however, is to bring home the message that we, as a species, are not at the top of a pyramidal food chain, but rather an integral part of many complex systems. David Suzuki perhaps put it best at a recent Broken Promises rally in Nelson, British Columbia. “We’ve shifted from an eco-centric way of seeing the world to an anthropocentric way. We think that we’re at the top of the pyramid. [That] we’re at the top [and] everything [else] is down below us,” he said. Therefore, to take regenerative urban development from the fringes of design (as the World Economic Forum describes its current position) into the mainstream, universities and other tertiary institutions must embrace the subject, as some institutions in Canada and elsewhere in North America are doing.

As this exciting new era of regenerative urban design takes root, the Universities of Calgary and Vancouver appear to be the most active so far. Some cities are also working hard to bring about change. One outstanding example of an American city that has committed to integrating environmental wellness into its development is Dania Beach in Florida, through its Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program (BCSTCP). Along with the county, the city and its locals act as true stewards of the loggerhead, leatherback, and green turtles that nest along its beaches. Even though these efforts are perhaps not a pure example of regenerative design per se, the passion and commitment with which Dania Beach and its communities work to provide extensive lighting ordinances, raise public awareness, and monitor initiatives to protect these vulnerable species—all while actively finding ways of adjusting urban development plans and the local lifestyle to safely accommodate these wild animals—is nothing short of commendable and an example to other cities across the continent.

Albeit slow, industry changes are becoming evident. In the world of architecture, the green wall concept is morphing from a futuristic design statement to an increasingly common feature. Interior design has seen many avant garde homes and even offices, like Google’s in Dublin, which features enough greenery to make it reminiscent of the Amazon on a massive corporate terrarium scale. Now that the world has awakened and biophilia is evolving into a recognized subject as regenerative urban design, the concept of smart cities appears to be reverting to the original definition of the word in the wake of technology failing human well-being.

Firmly rooted in social cohesion, regenerative urban design also stands to play an integral role in reestablishing the equilibrium that we lost during the brutalist post-World War design eras, which are ultimately the sources of social decay in many communities. By actively listening to the needs of communities and considering questions like those posed by Mahmoud Keshavarz on the obscured racialization of humanitarian design, civil designers aiming to establish social ownership of functional natural integration projects are more likely to achieve successful, sustainable outcomes in the long run when they become aware of the unconscious bias often involved in designing for multicultural societies.

Hammond agrees that it is helpful to remind ourselves of our unconscious biases. “The ecological, social, and economic benefits that flow from [the regenerative] process will convince virtually anyone that cities and urban areas that protect and restore nature work for everyone. One important caveat to this statement is that this process must be rooted in equity, where all benefit,” he says.

And so, the final takeaway is simple. While regenerative design may be a shiny new buzzword, the reality is that achieving it will take a commitment to changing how we think about establishing nature within urban settings. Successfully creating connected, thriving ecosystems within the urban landscape demands closer collaboration between landscapers, architectural and interior designers, and even nature conservators and the preservers of traditional knowledge of the land—as we see in the range of academic schools of thought that brought Nature-First Cities to life.

As Herb Hammond says in this timely book, “Nature belongs where we are, and we belong in nature. From that premise flows an invitation that enhances cities, restores our relationship with nature, and rebuilds our relationships with each other.” While these ideas may appear foreign to us now, his team’s research shows that combining nature with higher density through regenerative design is the secret to success. “Most importantly, [regenerative urbanization] needs to be built on reciprocity. We’re given a gift. We have an obligation to give back,” he adds.

The post Building With Nature<p class="company">Urban Renewal through Regenerative Design and Construction</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.