Proposed in 2003, the Nakheel Tower was described by the Council on Vertical Urbanization as “a beacon of inspiration for the region and the world, incorporating elements from Islamic culture.” More than another large-scale construction project, the $38 billion USD complex was set to contain four towers appearing as one, connected by sky bridges about every 25 floors. A mixed-use space, it was to include apartments, commercial, retail, hotel and hospitality space, cultural centres, restaurants, and gyms, along with parks, canals, and other outdoor amenities.

Despite foundation work and initial piling put in place, the ambitious project halted indefinitely in early 2009 because of the global economic downturn. Although unfinished to this day, Nakheel Tower brought the idea of vertical cities to the minds of many who had never considered the concept.

Beyond skyscrapers
While we might think of vertical cities as being similar to skyscrapers, there are important differences. Coined in the 1880s, ‘skyscraper’ originally referred to buildings between 10 and 20 storeys. Thanks to architectural innovations like underground piers, girders, columns, and wrought iron or cast iron aboveground frames, these buildings grew taller over time. Today, not every tall building is a skyscraper, which usually refers to structures over 100 to 150 meters (328 to 492 feet).

Unlike skyscrapers—often dedicated to offices, residential spaces, or a mix of the two—vertical cities often comprise several enormous, multi-story structures and are truly mixed-use, housing day-to-day amenities like workplaces, recreation areas, gyms, green spaces (sky parks), restaurants, retail, medical facilities, movie theatres, schools, and even agricultural areas. Many times, huge vertical city towers are connected, making it easy to access different buildings without having to step outside.

Advantages of vertical cities
Sometimes called ‘vertical urbanisms,’ vertical cities boast myriad benefits because of their all-in-one designs. Rather than one building dedicated to residential space, another focused on offices, and still others designated for retail, entertainment, restaurant, sports, medical, or administrative spaces, vertical cities bring everything together in one highly functional complex. Redefining urban living, vertical cities like The Line in Saudi Arabia and Melbourne’s Southbank by Beulah effectively unite residential, commercial areas, and other elements. Some, like the innovative Bosco Verticale in Milan, focus on greenery, which improves air quality, fosters natural wildlife habitats, and showcases biodiversity.

As land becomes more expensive and increasingly scarce, large cities worldwide are having to build up, not out. Fast disappearing are the days of single-family homes in favour of skyscrapers, which enable greater density. This is especially evident in 569 skyscraper-strong Hong Kong; Shenzhen, China and its 468 skyscrapers; and New York City, home to over 300 skyscrapers. At 128 storeys and 632 meters (2,073 feet), the Shanghai Tower remains the tallest building in China, able to accommodate 16,000 people.

Along with more efficient land use by building up on a smaller footprint, vertical cities help to combat urban sprawl, congestion, and pollution. Combining numerous amenities in mega-structures means spaces are more efficient; instead of driving from one location to another, residents can walk, bike, or use integrated transit, saving time and money. And much like regular cities, vertical cities are self-sufficient, with their own water, sewage, and recycling systems built in.

Sarah Smith of Smart Cities Dive, which focuses on trends shaping today’s cities and municipalities, says vertical cities are “an entire human habitat contained in a massive skyscraper,” and that they “hold the key to solving overpopulation and overcrowding.” Although no one solution will ‘fix’ housing, vertical cities can go a long way toward addressing these and other issues.

Vertical cities are a natural extension of skyscrapers like the Shanghai Tower, and like massive towers, can go a long way toward alleviating housing shortages and overcrowding. Spread across multiple interconnected towers and millions of square feet, it is possible for vertical cities to accommodate 30,000 or more residents while using far less land than buildings of fewer floors. This is especially important today, with more and more farmland, ravines, forests, and other natural spaces being lost forever to massive new housing developments. In recent years, for instance, the Ontario government did an about-face on converting thousands of acres of protected land in the province’s Greenbelt.

Vertical challenges
Just like creating a skyscraper, building vertical cities is a major construction undertaking, and funding remains an issue. Vertical cities are not one-off buildings, but enormous projects that take years to construct. Depending on size, skyscrapers cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and more, to build; vertical cities require the same parameters, including the cost of land, paying for site surveyors, civil, mechanical, and structural engineers, permits and building codes, architects, and designers. And then there is the cost of materials like reinforced steel and aluminum, concrete, glass, insulation, drywall, plumbing supplies, electrical wiring, and more. To ensure utilities like HVAC, electricity, and water and sewage are consistently available to residents from the ground floor to the hundredth, mechanical systems must be designed to ensure consistency at all heights. This requires localized units, staged water pumping and intermediate storage tanks, chillers, heat pumps, and other costly mechanicals.

The enormous cost of vertical cities expands with the number of towers and their heights. Extremely tall buildings require dozens of elevators servicing different floors and sky lobbies. (Essentially transfer points in skyscrapers, sky lobbies save floor space and serve as transfer points between express and local elevators.)

Another consideration of living and working in a vertical city is maintaining one’s well-being, both physical and emotional. While having live and work amenities in one location is practical because it saves traveling time, it can lead to a sedentary lifestyle, since there is less need to go outdoors. This comes with several drawbacks, including a lack of social interaction and feelings of anonymity. Being indoors also means a lack of sunlight and disconnection from natural spaces such as parks, forests, and bodies of water. Depending on the time of day and how the towers are oriented, it is also possible to be in shadow for hours at a time.

Sky-high towers can greatly increase housing density and free up land for agriculture and nature, yet vertical cities must also be designed to balance functionality with a healthy lifestyle. Their success will ultimately depend on more than engineering feats or record-breaking heights. Natural light, access to green space, opportunities for social interaction, pedestrian-friendly environments, and connections to the world beyond the building will all be essential to creating places where people genuinely want to live.

As cities continue to grow and available land becomes increasingly scarce, the vertical city may offer one possible answer to the challenge of accommodating more people without endlessly expanding outward. By bringing homes, workplaces, services, recreation, and green spaces together within a relatively small footprint, these developments have the potential to make better use of land while reducing some of the environmental and infrastructure pressures associated with urban sprawl.

The concept is still evolving, and projects such as Nakheel Tower demonstrate just how difficult (and expensive) it can be to turn such an ambitious vision into reality. Yet the idea has endured. The vertical city is no longer simply a vision of a distant future but an increasingly important part of the conversation about how—and where—we will live as urban populations continue to rise. The challenge now is not simply to build higher, but to build smarter, creating complete, livable communities that balance density, efficiency, sustainability, and human needs.

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Forty years later, many of these once-bustling shopping malls have closed or are shadows of their former selves. Once-massive retailer Sears—which had about 3,500 locations nationwide at its peak—has been largely replaced by e-commerce sites and has just five full-line department stores remaining in the United States. So what lies ahead for these seemingly outdated spaces?

A new life for the oldest mall
For GGLO, the decline of shopping malls has presented exciting new opportunities, as in the spectacular revival of Seattle’s famous Northgate Mall.

In the post-World War II glory years, Northgate became the first shopping mall built in America. Like other malls, it vigorously expanded over the decades, at its busiest drawing tenants like Toys “R” Us, Foot Locker, and Nordstrom. Then the tide slowly began to turn, and by 2018-2019, large retailers like Macy’s and JCPenney announced they were closing.

But it wasn’t the end of the line. GGLO was approached by a long-time housing developer client who looked at vacant land, including large, empty parking lots surrounding the mall, and wondered if housing could be developed. Soon into this study, it was questioned if housing would be successful if the mall was to remain in its original form.

This question unlocked the opportunity to reimagine the 55-acre mall site into a mixed-use center with new residential housing, office, hotel space, and a community ice rink which is also the practice facility for the National Hockey League’s Seattle Kraken.

“The work we’re doing out at Northgate in Seattle is really transformative,” says Jon Hall, AIA, LEED AP BD+C & Homes, and member and principal of GGLO. In the works for about a decade, the massive project will continue for another 10 to 20 years. “It’s massive,” he says.

Just nine miles north of central Seattle, Northgate Mall (now known as Northgate Station) was recently connected to downtown Seattle and the airport with a light rail line. This rail line now provides transit access to and from this vibrant mixed-use area, which GGLO describes as innovative, contemporary, and “a transformative model for future mall conversions.”

With existing tenants like Starbucks, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Barnes & Noble, the Seattle Kraken Team Store, and Bank of America, and with the now completed first of four mixed-use apartment buildings, first of two new hotels, and future new tenants like Shake Shack and Mendocino Farms, Northgate is once again becoming a strong regional draw.

An integrated design experience
Renowned as one of America’s foremost multidisciplinary architectural firms, GGLO was founded by Bill Gaylord, Alan Grainger, Chris Libby, and Clayton O’Brien Smith, as reflected in the name “GGLO.”

Today, the GGLO team of about 50 includes architects, landscape architects, interior designers, and urban planners. Emphasizing the importance of environmental sustainability and social equity, the firm is truly a one-stop shop for its clients, many of whom are repeat clients. “We strive for an integrated design experience,” says Hall. “Everything from the outside to the inside, and everything from the scale of a 100-acre master plan to the cabinetry details on the interior of a clubhouse. No project is too big or too small.” Today, GGLO serves clients from its locations in Seattle, Washington and Boise, Idaho.

Celebrating his 30^th year with the firm, Hall has watched the market evolve for decades, including a growing focus on sustainability and adaptive reuse of sites like Northgate.

Initially, Hall was drawn to GGLO because of its work in affordable housing. “It’s what attracted me. But what’s kept me here is the variety of the work we’ve done—everything from affordable to market rate to student housing, retail, and office.”

Along with more work in Seattle and Idaho, GGLO is experiencing growth in regions including Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, California, and throughout the West Coast. The reasons are often environmental and sustainability-related. Summers are getting hotter, and wildfires are worsening. Clients are increasingly concerned about air quality and healthy living. Some come to GGLO with knowledge of green design and construction, and some learn from GGLO staff about the benefits of incorporating energy-efficient designs and materials to reduce their carbon footprint and create structures which are not only aesthetically pleasing, but built to last.

“More than half of our clients are repeat clients, people we’ve been working with for quite a long time,” Hall explains. “But we also try to share our expertise at conferences and events, publishing information and stories, which helps draw new clients, finding people who align with our values and our culture. This includes suitability values, mixed-use/mixed-income values, and moving those things forward.”

Additionally, GGLO explores different sustainability initiatives and programs, including LEED, Living Building, and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Framework for Design Excellence. With its 10 principles, “the framework informs progress toward a zero-carbon, healthy, just, resilient, and equitable built environment,” says the AIA.

Customers are also increasingly interested in HVAC and other energy-efficient filtration and cooling systems. “We focus on what the benefits are, whether it’s saving utility costs, lower maintenance, or a more durable building which is going to last them longer,” says Hall. “It’s not so much about the plaque as it is about the real, direct benefits they get out of doing something more sustainably.”

Clients are increasingly choosing more durable products, such as wood flooring instead of vinyl, solid cabinets instead of laminates. These materials require less maintenance and will last decades rather than years. This is especially valuable because so many of GGLO’s clients are long-term property holders, local non-profit and for-profit housing developers, Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) companies, and family residential outfits, such as AMLI Residential and Vivmark Residential.

“While first cost is important, they recognize long-term maintenance and operation costs are also important, and they want to make sure they’re not spending a little upfront but too much down the road,” says Hall.

Transformative community projects
Over the years, GGLO has amassed a portfolio of unique projects, many concerned with repurposing existing land and buildings to meet future needs. In addition to its role in Seattle’s Northgate development, GGLO has been instrumental in the Spring District in Bellevue, Washington.

In an area known as the “Bel-Red Corridor,” the Spring District is moving away from its past as an industrial area into a reimagined urban neighborhood. To date, GGLO has been involved in the design of several area projects, including informing the urban planning, three market rate residential communities, one affordable housing community, and a brewpub/office complex for the local tech workforce. “It’s another large series of developments,” says Hall. Other companies have constructed additional office and residential buildings in the area, near the Meta (Facebook) campus.

The Spring District is located on the light rail line which has recently expanded to Bellevue and Redmond on Seattle’s east side. The new transit line connects to Seattle and Northgate Station as well as south to SeaTac Airport and the City of Lynnwood to the north of Seattle.

“It’s a whole new neighborhood which sprung out of what used to be warehouses and distribution centers,” Hall adds, “but now, it’s a real mixed-use/mixed income neighborhood.” As a long-term project which began in 2012, Hall estimates the developments may require GGLO’s involvement for another 20 years or more.

Another source of pride for the firm is the Schoolhouse District. Located in Woodinville, Washington, the Schoolhouse District is a mixed-use, multifamily development which includes a local historic site. It also highlights the success of a private-public partnership.

Blending past charm with modern amenities—and without releasing some of the embedded carbon of the area’s original structures—GGLO helped create a dynamic neighborhood with living spaces, restaurants, a farmers market, sports fields, a daycare center, retail shops, and Wine Walk Row.

The original site included an underutilized 1970s masonry school and an abandoned 1930s-era schoolhouse. The project team repurposed some of the existing structures to preserve the local history of the site and create a catalyst for a new neighborhood. Artwork featuring reclaimed items from the historic schoolhouse is integrated throughout the buildings as a nod to the site’s heritage as well as the custom mural in the lobby which showcases the evolution of Woodinville through chalk art. A new market rate housing development adjacent to the existing playfields provides 264 homes for families in this community northeast of Seattle.

As with many other projects, the Schoolhouse District saw GGLO receive awards, including the CREDAWA Mixed-Use Development of the Year (2022) and the Multifamily Executive Grand Award: Multifamily Project of the Year (2022).

Building the future
For the team at GGLO, malls, former industrial sites, and land which is underutilized or vacant are all becoming prime candidates for redevelopment. “Affordable housing is going to continue to be a need, and we’re seeing it across the country,” says Hall. The firm is thus presently working on developments in many areas, including Jackson, Wyoming and Sun Valley, Idaho. “I see us continuing to expand across the West. We still have developments in California, as challenging as they are, and in Arizona and Montana. Our work across the West is going to continue,” he shares.

As for the future, Hall believes the office market is changing. Many cities, such as Seattle, still have vacancies in office buildings long after the pandemic, and little new construction. “In the current conditions, a lot of our clients are focusing on renovation and rehabilitation of their projects, rather than new construction,” he says.

“We’ll continue to see this kind of adaptive reuse of office buildings, transforming them into something other than 100 percent office use. Maybe they become residential, maybe retail, but they will become something other than what they are.” GGLO will be there to lead the way, bringing together the visions of both clients and communities.

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At Specialty Technology and Research, Inc., better known as STAR, Inc., licensees are cared for like family and supported at every step. Founded in 1986, Columbus, Ohio-headquartered STAR has long worked on a licensee model. With a web page dedicated to Owning a STAR Seal Plant, the company outlines the many benefits of becoming a licensee. These include the provision of plant layout details, detailed engineering drawings, research and product development, technical support, quality control and assurance, technical training, and even marketing.

“It’s like a big family, and we always value the support of the licensees that we have,” says Girish C. Dubey, STAR Seal’s CEO and Founder. Dubey continues overseeing the company’s success in the pavement preservation industry and today, STAR has about 150 staff members in North America, 15 plants, and three international facilities, in Australia, China, and Mexico.

Designed for success: technology licensing
Compared to conventional franchising, STAR’s unique Technology Licensing program is much more cost-effective and is designed to set up licensees for success. As the company states, “Our sole responsibility is to support our member companies and their customers. STAR’s diversified management capabilities and strategies are highly focused and specifically designed to serve our members ensuring their future growth.” Backed by the strength of STAR, licensees benefit from negotiated prices for equipment and raw materials, connections with suppliers, directions on plant layout, equipment, staffing, and more.

“We always listen intently to all our licensees,” states Dubey of STAR, which holds monthly telephone conferences with all plants, discussing product and process development, equipment and raw material requirements, industry demand, and suggestions for improvement. These meetings are always productive, with plenty of ideas on how to prioritize projects. “There is nothing flowery; it is all meat and potatoes,” says Dubey, which makes sense because STAR licensees are on the front lines. The first to receive customer feedback, they receive full technical support and production processing support. Like a big family, every aspect of the business is discussed openly and honestly.

Built on sealcoating expertise
Long before founding STAR, Dubey studied chemistry, earning Master’s Degrees in Inorganic Chemistry from India’s Upadhyay Gorakhpur University and Polymer Chemistry from Wright State University. This saw him take on the role of technical manager at marine paint specialist Hempel before creating STAR and launching his first basic sealcoatings. These were followed by a line of additives to boost sealcoating performance and other products like STAR Supreme, STAR Aviator, and Better and Best.

“STAR Seal is the basic workhorse of the industry,” explains Dubey. “The Better grade is professional grade with better performance, and then there is Supreme. Our specialty product, STAR Aviator, is designed to meet FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) specifications for airports.”

Today, STAR is behind about three dozen different products, including sealcoatings, color coatings, crack fillers, traffic paint, primers and specialty products, and additives. Knowing its market extremely well, STAR doesn’t sell sundries like brushes, brooms, nozzles, or cleaning compounds. “Our focus is on technologically superior products in coatings and additives. That’s our main business,” states Dubey.

Along with legacy products like STAR Triton, STAR Spectrum, and STAR-Seal Refined Tar Sealers, the company has introduced two exciting products. One of them is Star LTCA, which stands for Low Temperature Cure Additive. This unique product is formulated to optimally cure in cooler temperatures, when sealcoating is usually not done. “With this additive, now you can take it down to 40°F, so that opens these seasons a bit more and gives a couple of weeks on both ends,” says Dubey. “The industry is so seasonal that this gives contractors a big advantage, having more weeks to do work early spring or late fall.”

Last year saw the company introduce STAR MAX-GRIP. An additive, STAR MAX-GRIP is based on specialty polymer latex and bonding agents and “is designed to reduce drying and cure times by 50 percent or more and improve adhesion of sealcoatings. Additionally, STAR MAX-GRIP improves the oil and chemical resistance of the sealcoating.”

As its name implies, STAR MAX-GRIP demonstrably improves the adhesive properties of sealcoating, especially in challenging areas like polished aggregates. Parking lots and driveways are asphalt mixed with aggregates and paved; over time, with age and usage, aggregates in the pavement become polished or slick, and it is hard for coatings to bond to slick surfaces. A polymer latex-based additive fortified with bonding agents, STAR MAX-GRIP is ideal for areas that must be resistant to chemicals and oil.

“It’s like painting a mirror,” Dubey explains. “Nothing will stick to it. This additive is great in those areas and all over, especially in areas experiencing more traffic, like exits and entrances.”

Marketing moves
STAR, Inc. and Girish Dubey have always excelled at marketing. Going back to the beginning, the company presented at industry conventions and shows and had a presence in magazine and print advertising. And as a sealcoating specialist, Dubey has written many technical papers. With marketing shifting largely away from print media, STAR has stepped up its online presence through its blog, which discusses advances in sealcoating, explores new products, and highlights projects completed by licensee plants. “People are talking more about our products, and it is working,” comments Dubey. “We have sharpened our marketing strategy and are putting more focus into certain aspects of that. We are launching a branding campaign for our name, which will be synonymous with quality, service, and integrity.”

As part of the branding program, the company is launching a new website dedicated strictly to persons interested in expanding into manufacturing, https://starsealmanufacturing.com/. People in the sealcoating industry tend to start small, keep growing, and, with the right support, reach a point where they have sufficient volumes of sealcoating and want to manufacture themselves, with STAR’s strong support. Others being approached include companies who do paving and subcontract the sealcoating to others. “So there are two pathways,” says Dubey. “People who do paving maintenance is a natural extension, but with hands-on experience in the industry.”

With considerable international turmoil at present, the company is emphasizing licensing opportunities in the United States instead of overseas, and is targeting locations along the eastern seaboard, the west coast, and the Midwest. There are many U.S. opportunities, and STAR is eyeing areas where it doesn’t currently have representation.

Another way STAR Seal supports its licensees is through its internal online magazine, which is distributed to all plants. The magazine showcases products and licensee activities, and contains articles on technical aspects of sealcoating, plant operations, and equipment. Plants are encouraged to share the magazine with their customers so they know about new products and activities.

At present, about 90 percent of STAR’s business is in commercial products, with the remaining 10 percent residential. Some businesses using STAR sealcoatings include big-box stores, commercial properties, industrial complexes, and homeowners associations. “Our aim is to enhance the performance of sealcoating, with very effective add-on offerings to the sealcoating,” states Dubey. Incorporating the right additives—even comprising just one or two percent of the product—makes the difference between a sealcoating performing and not performing. As Dubey explains, “We are always looking to do things in a different way and take full advantage of the known chemistry of ingredients.”

Proud of STAR Seal’s 40^th anniversary, Dubey and his team are planning promotions and celebrations, which will include recognizing the company’s many plants. “STAR is like a big family, and we always value the support of the licensees that we have, and we definitely want to show our appreciation,” he says. “2025 was one of our best years, and 2026 is tracking to be even better than last year. We are in the process of promoting for new plant locations, so I’m hoping we’ll have a couple of new plants next year.”

The post Protection and Preservation: The Importance of Sealcoating<p class="company">STAR, Inc.</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Continuing to build his résumé, Vassallo was headhunted by a homebuilding company where he gained experience across both commercial and residential projects. Even with his extensive knowledge, breaking into the commercial construction sector proved challenging, as entry often required a degree in engineering or architecture. It was during his final role as a senior project manager for a local Commercial Construction company that Vassallo decided to launch his own business, KDR Homes.

An acronym for Knowledge, Design, Reliability, Winnipeg-based KDR Homes has since earned a reputation as one of Manitoba’s premier turnkey homebuilders. “From day one, we focused on homebuilding,” says Vassallo, President of KDR Homes. “As a smaller company, the ability to take on commercial work as well as renovations allowed us to maintain a consistent workflow. When one area slowed down, another picked up.”

Better building through technology
Celebrating its 25^th anniversary this coming October, KDR Homes is proud of the hundreds of quality homes it has built across Winnipeg and the surrounding communities. Since its founding, KDR Homes’ experienced team has remained committed to exceptional customer service, listening carefully to client needs from the very beginning of each project.

From overall budgeting to cabinetry selections and flooring finishes, no detail is overlooked. This meticulous, hands-on approach ensures that every home aligns with the client’s expectations and personal vision. Buyers are guided through the process with clarity and transparency, resulting in homes that feel both customized and thoughtfully executed.

KDR Homes continues to operate with a powerful set of core values and beliefs, including integrity, enjoyment, and uniqueness—attributes that clearly differentiate the company within a competitive industry. As stated on the company’s website, “We must be different from and more progressive than all other construction companies; we stand for something. Ever forward, we believe in continual self-initiated change, improvement, learning, and the advancement of standards for their own sake.” To uphold these standards, KDR works exclusively with experienced and safety-certified COR subcontractors.

Unlike many homebuilders, KDR Homes has embraced technology since its earliest days. “We are at the forefront of technology,” says Vassallo, pointing to several innovations that have helped the company enhance both the design process and client experience.

One of the most significant examples came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when show homes were forced to close. Rather than pause operations, KDR invested in advanced European software to create highly realistic, high-resolution imaging. Through fully immersive virtual reality (VR) show homes, the company continued selling a significant number of homes despite the restrictions.

When in-person show homes reopened, demand surged. Clients arrived eager to step into spaces they had already experienced virtually, seeing firsthand the craftsmanship, layouts, and quality finishes. Today, VR remains a central part of KDR’s design and marketing strategy.

Using large-format screens and AI-powered glasses, potential buyers can explore conceptual home designs in full 3D. Clients can walk through hallways, kitchens, and living spaces, then move upstairs to bedrooms, bathrooms, and closets—all while standing in one place. “It’s like watching a conceptual video, but you are actually immersed in the space,” explains Vassallo.

This technology is especially valuable for buyers who have difficulty visualizing finishes from small physical samples. Colours, textures, cabinetry, countertops, and flooring can all be changed in real time, allowing clients to instantly compare options and make confident decisions.

KDR pushed the limits of VR even further for the St. Boniface Hospital Lottery. The company created a complete virtual walkthrough of a conceptual lakeside cottage, making the surrounding environment as much of a feature as the structure itself. Viewers could experience the home in different seasons and lighting scenarios, complete with sunrises, sunsets, rainfall, star-filled skies, and even snowfall. Within two months, the virtual experience generated more than 25,000 views.

Alongside VR, KDR Homes continues to modernize its internal systems using cloud technology and artificial intelligence. With hundreds of daily emails, texts, and phone calls, the company is developing a customer portal that will allow homeowners to track construction progress and view product photos, streamlining communication and improving efficiency for both staff and clients.

Unique home collections
KDR Homes offers buyers a variety of home styles and price points designed to meet different needs and lifestyles. The entry-level Casa Bella Collection features pre-designed homes such as Casa Nordica, Casa Adrianna, Casa Elena, and Casa Moderna. These models are particularly popular with young couples and growing families seeking modern design at an accessible price point.

The Dolce Vita Collection provides a more customized experience, allowing buyers to select colours, materials, and finishes that suit their personal tastes and budgets. Homeowners in this category often include professionals, established families, and empty nesters looking for a refined yet practical living space.

In all cases, clients work closely with KDR’s in-house interior designers, who guide them through each stage of the selection process. “All our homes include a professional design team,” says Vassallo. “That collaboration is what creates the custom look you see in our finished products.” With designers and draftspeople on staff, all drawings, detailing, and research are completed in-house—a defining feature of the KDR experience.

Never content to rest on past success, Vassallo and his team continue to pursue new opportunities. One of the company’s most recent ventures is Bridgwater Trails, a unique development located in Winnipeg’s south end near parks, pathways, and natural green spaces.

The project consists of five modern rowhouses—the first development of its kind for KDR Homes. With drawings complete, the company is currently working with hydro and surveyors in preparation for permitting and construction, which is scheduled to begin this summer.

Each rowhouse measures approximately 1,650 square feet and features a walk-out basement. Buyers can choose between layouts that include a main-floor bedroom with three bedrooms upstairs or a configuration with three upstairs bedrooms only. As with all KDR projects, the homes will be fully move-in ready.

Known for its striking modern aesthetic, KDR Homes consistently delivers properties with contemporary exteriors, expansive windows, and designer interiors. Features such as stainless-steel accents, sleek staircases, glass-enclosed showers, and modern amenities give each home the distinct “wow factor” that continues to attract buyers.

Vassallo remains personally involved in all aspects of design and frequently introduces new products in show homes to assess both appearance and performance. “We warranty everything we build,” he explains. “That means we test products ourselves to ensure they work. We aim to create homes that are stylish but also livable—places where families can truly feel comfortable.”

This willingness to take calculated risks benefits not only KDR Homes but also its suppliers. Show homes effectively serve as a showcase, generating interest in materials such as Dekton, a carbon-neutral ultracompact porcelain surface, as well as ceramic countertops with innovative, suede-like finishes.

Always evolving
KDR Homes continues to invest in both brand growth and operational innovation. The company employs a full-time marketing professional who uses AI tools to analyze web performance and identify opportunities for improvement. Based on data and client feedback, KDR is currently revamping its website to better serve prospective buyers.

Billboards featuring conceptual renderings and QR codes direct interested customers to online resources, while internal tools are also evolving. The company is developing a virtual colour board that displays all materials and finishes used in each home, complete with QR codes linking to product details. This system improves clarity for clients and eliminates guesswork for site supervisors.

Recently celebrating his 55^th birthday, Diego Vassallo has been involved in well over 1,000 residential and commercial projects throughout his career and shows no sign of slowing down. Quality craftsmanship, customer service, and a willingness to innovate remain the defining characteristics of KDR Homes.

“What truly separates us from our competitors is our service,” says Vassallo. “We respond quickly, we stand behind our work, and as the company continues to grow, we never stop looking for ways to do things better.”

The post Knowledge, Design, Reliability<p class="company">KDR Homes</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Unlike residential building, which typically sees projects measuring a few thousand square feet, creating vast industrial facilities exceeding 100,000 square feet is a highly complex endeavour. While many requirements overlap—such as plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems—the design and installation of these systems in industrial settings differ significantly from those in office or residential environments.

Residential properties are designed for comfort and livability, while commercial buildings are built to withstand moderate daily use. These structures often utilize lightweight materials like wood for framing, but the opposite holds true for manufacturing facilities, warehouses, and specialized industrial buildings like production facilities, electrical and utility buildings, cement and smelting plants, and oil and gas refineries. These structures are designed, engineered, and built to withstand the constant vibration of heavy machinery, forklifts, telehandlers, and heavy-duty pallet trucks, as well as the immense weight of stored goods. Consequently, industrial builders rely heavily on steel and concrete, employing extensive engineering to ensure buildings remain resilient under brutal, round-the-clock operating conditions.

Unique buildings, different needs
Depending on their purpose, huge industrial facilities have distinct requirements. Fulfilment centres such as those operated by industry giants require robust designs that accommodate continuous shipping and receiving. These projects demand construction firms capable of handling massive footprints, coordinating large-scale steel and concrete delivery, and mastering industrial-specific building codes. This includes specialized knowledge of electrical load demands, industrial-grade ventilation, and complex wastewater management systems.

Unlike traditional warehouses designed for long-term bulk storage, fulfilment centres are optimized for fast-paced work, and rely on high-tech software and automation including Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs). Goods here aren’t intended to stick around for months or even years, but to be picked, packed, and shipped at lightening speed. In many cases, both fulfilment centres and traditional warehouses are built near transportation hubs such as rail lines and primary roadways to facilitate rapid distribution.

Manufacturing facilities share many of these logistical traits but have their own unique demands. Many operate 24/7, requiring space not only for storage but for housing colossal machinery like injection molders, welding stations, stamping presses, heavy motors, and furnaces. In many cases, these facilities also utilize overhead cranes to safely move items weighing thousands of pounds. Because these buildings must withstand constant vibration and bear the extreme weight of equipment, machinery, and materials, they require more solid construction than warehouses intended solely for storage.

Energy demand is another commonality across all industrial sectors. From high-intensity lighting for worker safety to specialized ventilation for paint booths, these structures demand robust, safe electrical systems, often calling for 3-Phase 480V or 600V power to support heavy machinery and conveyor systems.

Top to bottom
In addition to vast floor space, industrial facilities feature high ceilings and massive bay doors to facilitate the movement of equipment. The flooring, however, is perhaps the most critical structural component. Requirements vary based on load; while 4,000 to 6,000 PSI concrete is standard for most warehouses, areas supporting heavy machinery often necessitate reinforced concrete slabs 18 to 24 inches thick.

As the demand for online retail continues to drive expansion, these facilities are growing in scale. A few years ago, 50,000 square feet was considered a significant footprint; today, facilities frequently exceed a million square feet. Amazon’s recent expansion in the Ottawa region, which will contribute to a massive cumulative total of seven million square feet of space, highlights the sheer scale of modern distribution infrastructure.

Specialized skills
Executing these large-scale projects requires specific equipment and expert management. Project Managers (PMs) and Construction Managers (CMs) are essential to the success of any industrial build. The CM ensures the project is executed safely and efficiently, planning every stage from pre-design through closeout. Working in tandem, the PM oversees resource allocation, manpower, and budgetary oversight. Success in this field requires not just technical knowledge of thermal and dead loads, but also exceptional leadership and communication skills to ensure seamless coordination between clients and the construction team.

The construction of industrial facilities represents a highly specialized sector that serves as the backbone of our economy. The immense scale, complex engineering requirements, and integration of advanced automation necessitate a level of technical expertise far beyond standard commercial or residential building. As industries continue to evolve, demanding larger, more efficient, and more technologically integrated spaces, the field of industrial construction will continue to innovate.

By pushing the boundaries of material science, structural engineering, and precision project management, these builders deliver the robust, purpose-built environments that power global trade and sustain the manufacturing lifecycle.

The post Industrial-Strength Structures<p class="company">Building for Modern Industry</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Chief Executive Officer of Arlington, Texas-based MCR Oil Tools, Robertson’s extensive experience includes petroleum engineering, project management, operations management, business strategy development, and strategic planning. These skills, and a passion for innovation, are reshaping the petroleum industry, making it safer, more effective, and more cost-efficient.

It sounds like quite a claim, until you look at the facts.

To date, MCR Oil Tools has been granted over 200 patents, with 32 pending. Almost all are thanks to Robertson, who isn’t shy about his journey, including legal issues (proof once again that when someone comes up with better ideas, the praise and admiration are often tempered with jealousy).

The origins of MCR go back to 1982. When Robertson was working as an Engineering Manager for an oil service company in Fort Worth, there was an industry-wide downturn, and the business was going under. Robertson left for a local, smaller oil service company, where he proposed developing what is now MCR’s Radial Cutting Torch™ (RCT™ tool). Nowadays, the RCT tool is the company’s flagship product, safely and efficiently severing drill pipe and tubing without explosives.

This saw Robertson enter into a development contract whereby the company he worked for, Pyrotechnologies, was responsible for building 180 tools—a 25-year exclusive licensing contract with a large oil services technology company. Unfortunately, the tech giant didn’t keep the agreement, and a lawsuit followed in 1990. “Pyrotechnologies could not market the torch in any form or fashion,” says Robertson, who wasn’t initially part of the lawsuit or the licensing agreement. Cancelling his contract with Pyrotechnologies, he formed MCR Enterprises and began marketing his radial cutting torch to oilfield service companies throughout Louisiana and Oklahoma.

Better and safer
For years, pipes in the oilfield were often cut with explosives. A charge was formed to a specific shape, screwed onto the end of a wire line, then run down a hole and detonated. Even with strict safety protocols, this method is problematic. “More than 50 percent of the time, it doesn’t cut,” Robertson explains. A second cut is usually needed, and explosives can only be used in fairly cool wells.

Many wells are in the 350 to 500° Fahrenheit range, which is ideal for the MCR Radial Cutting Torch. “Our tool loves that temperature,” says Robertson. “We cut in many wells at 480 to 500° Fahrenheit, and we’ve probably made the deepest cut in the world at 32,000 feet deep in 8,000 feet of water. When the big guys are in real trouble, they call us.”

Widely considered the safest, most efficient pipe-cutting device in the industry, MCR’s RCT tool doesn’t use explosives to sever drill pipe, coiled tubing, and casing, but thermite, which is nonexplosive and nonhazardous. “We’ve never had an accident or an incident in 40 years, and we’ve shipped more than 40,000 tools all around the globe,” says Robertson.

Robertson developed his revolutionary new technology in the 1980s and 1990s, offering the oilfield industry a safer, nonexplosive, thermite-based technology. A mixture of aluminum powder, iron, and/or other metal oxides, thermite can reach temperatures of 2500 degrees C (4500 degrees F). Despite this high energy output, it is stable to transport since thermite requires extremely high temperatures to ignite.

Shouldering the responsibility
Robertson’s innovation came with “a lot of responsibility, and a lot of scrutiny,” he says. Years ago, the only competition for his RCT technology was explosives, which are dangerous to store, handle, and transport, and come with myriad regulations. The MCR Radial Cutting Torch changed the landscape, offering customers a much better, safer product that could reach them quickly.

“When a pipe is stuck, it can cost oil and service companies significant amounts of money, because time is of the essence,” says MCR President Cory Huggins. In 2019, 2020, and 2021, Huggins says “a few bad actors” contacted the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and attempted to influence their regulation of the thermite product. If MCR’s Radial Cutting Torch were deemed a Class I explosive, it would no longer be considered nonhazardous and nonexplosive.

Ultimately, MCR Oil Tools had to sue the U.S. Department of Transportation for its actions and successfully received relief from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), an arm of the DOT. “This comes just under a year after our landmark legal victory in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which confirmed the nonexplosive nature of our technology,” says MCR on its website. “PHMSA has also acknowledged that it is reevaluating its interim thermite classification policy and will be seeking input from domestic manufacturers like MCR.”

MCR is allowed to ship its proprietary B15 thermite mix as a nonrated material. For customers, this win means lower shipping costs, faster worldwide delivery, and easier access for oilfield operators to the company’s safe and field-proven technologies.

“We finally convinced PHMSA that we were not an explosive,” says Robertson. “You can take our tool and put it in the belly of a passenger airplane. If the plane caught fire mid-flight, all the aluminum would melt away at 660° Centigrade, which is about halfway to the ignition temperature of thermite. That is one of the most robust aspects of the technology; it is extremely stable. When other explosive-based technologies and hazardous materials are activated at lower temperatures, our thermite activates well north of 1000° Centigrade.”

Training and licensing
Taking safety seriously, every company using MCR oil tools pipe-recovery and well-intervention systems, including the RCT, is required to enter into a license agreement and be trained and certified. “You won’t encounter personnel in MCR coveralls at a rig site,” says Huggins. “We do not operate a service arm; we are a technology and R&D company. Our model is to license our technology to service providers and deliver the training required for its effective use.”

Since 1992, Bill Boelte has led the company’s robust training program. “We take training very, very seriously,” he says. “It’s a unique product; when Mike developed this technology, it was the first of its kind. The thermite cutter did not exist in the marketplace, so training was critical in that cutting pipe was not new, but the method that was used to sever the pipe was brand new.”

Like the RCT, the Perforating Torch Cutter™ (PTC) is a safer, dependable alternative to using explosives in the oilfield, and “effectively perforates coiled tubing, tubing, casing, and drill pipe without the use of restrictive technologies,” according to the company. Once the tool is lowered into a well and reaches the appropriate depth, a thermal generator is activated. Internal pressure increases, and the pipe is perforated when plasma exits through the sides of the torch nozzle.

Made in America
The RCT, PTC, and the company’s many other products are all made in the USA with American materials. MCR manufactures approximately 95 percent of the hardware it sells, while the remaining five percent requires specific manufacturing processes that are outsourced domestically.

MCR’s dedicated team includes engineers, designers, and lathe and mill operators using CNC machines. Qualification processes are performed in-house, and the company’s quality management system (QMS) has been refined over the years to ensure consistency and reliability throughout the supply chain.

“We have an approximate 98 percent success rate in the field, which is astounding,” remarks Huggins. “We attribute that not only to our training and our licensees—our customers that we work with—but also the steps that we take here before our customers receive the product.”

Adds Robertson: “MCR retains full control over its internal quality management system, enabling flexibility and the ability to meet customized customer quality requirements.”

MCR works directly with large oilfield service companies, and being near an international airport makes it easy to ship products worldwide. Sometimes, customers will come to Texas. In one case, a high-profile client with a well in Indonesia engaged two flight crews, rented a 747, and flew to MCR to pick up tools. “The combination of a nonhazardous material classification and in close proximity to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport allows us extreme flexibility to transport our product efficiently, effectively, and under extreme time constraints,” says Huggins.

Innovating new opportunities
MCR’s ability to do its own prototyping is another example of the company going far beyond just selling products. In one case, MCR got a call for a deepwater job for a much-needed technology that… didn’t exist. Within just 72 hours, the company developed a tool specifically for the application, tested to the correct parameters in MCR’s 30,000 psi pressure vessel. The tool was deployed within 48 hours, and the cut was successfully carried out later that week.

Says Huggins, “Within one week, we received a call from a customer—where we did not have a production off-the-shelf unit—and we internally qualified for their specifications and presented them with a unique technology that no other company could provide. So the rapid response is not only us getting product into our customers’ hands; it’s also for custom development. That is extremely critical, and sometimes larger companies struggle with that process.”

MCR’s reputation extends beyond its dedicated customers. In 2024 and 2025, the company was recognized as one of the Top 100 Workplaces in North Texas by the Dallas Morning News. And where many businesses say they treat employees like family, MCR acts, even supporting staff members who are unable to work through serious illness.

MCR Oil Tools sees a future where its already considerable influence in the oil industry expands even further. “We have other products we are working on that can revolutionize the oil industry as we know it today,” says Robertson. “This includes a product that will enhance old wells to produce 20 times what they are producing at their current state. Treat those wells, and get much more oil extracted than they ever dreamed possible.”

Indeed, from hard-won legal battles to groundbreaking technological advances, MCR Oil Tools’ journey reflects a company built on resilience, precision, and an unwavering commitment to safety and innovation. Under Michael Robertson’s leadership, what began as a single idea has grown into a globally trusted suite of solutions that continues to challenge industry norms. As MCR looks ahead to its next wave of breakthroughs, its story stands as a powerful reminder that true progress often comes from those willing to rethink the status quo.

The post Redefining Oilfield Technology<p class="company">MCR Oil Tools</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

For many, building is in the blood. Over the years, Construction in Focus has profiled many family-owned and operated firms across North America. Some choose to remain small, boutique-style businesses, taking on a handful of luxury residential projects a year to ensure quality and control. Others have expanded to distinct divisions and multiple locations across Canada and the United States, taking on everything from multi-million-dollar buildings to bridges. Even with their size differences, though, many started off the same way: as one-person operations armed with a pickup truck, a toolbox, and a dream.

It isn’t unusual for many second, third, fourth, and even fifth-generation construction companies to bring on family members and start them at the bottom. Ask around, and you’ll find many construction company owners, presidents, and CEOs who remember working as kids after school and on weekends with their dad or uncle picking up wood, drywall pieces, and other debris. Although some say they missed out on regular childhood activities like playing with their friends, many admit working with family was the best thing that could have happened, because it prepared them for their future in construction.

Watching carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and other trades, these kids learned how to do things right, and more importantly, they learned what not to do and the importance of safety. Many watched workers using hammers and drills, framing walls, pouring concrete, and fishing electrical wiring behind walls. And when they weren’t tidying things up or watching tradespeople, many spent time at the office. There they saw invoices being prepared and construction supplies like wood, copper pipe, wiring, and screws being ordered. Combined with being on job sites, it was an education unlike any other.

In the traditional sense, younger family members learn by doing. This type of informal skill transfer comes from being immersed in work, asking plenty of questions, and making mistakes. Although less common today, many kids in the past learned which tool was best for the job long before they entered their teens.

Today, much of this hands-on, trial-and-error learning is supported by formal education in a trade school or college. Often, family members who show promise and a genuine interest in the industry also choose to take construction-related courses.

And it’s a good thing, too; decades of promoting white-collar careers over blue collar jobs—combined with many veteran tradespeople retiring—has resulted in a dire shortage of skilled workers across North America. In Canada, federal and provincial governments are encouraging skilled trades as a career path, with over 300 designated trades to choose from, 54 of them Red Seal. These include not only construction but transportation, manufacturing and industrial, and the services sector. Financial support, in the form of loans and funding programs, is also available. In Canada, it is estimated that one in six job openings will be in skilled trades-related occupations by 2034.

With a wealth of courses, students are exposed to many construction-related disciplines. Depending on their interest, they can immerse themselves in hands-on training in carpentry, masonry, welding, HVAC, and other trades. Others may be better suited to classes in construction or project management, cost estimating, construction engineering, surveying, architecture, drafting, or safety. And for students with an interest in technology or green building, they can pursue Building Information Modeling (BIM), drone operation, sustainable construction, modular building, and LEED certification.

One characteristic of family-owned construction companies is their core values, and this is especially important for smaller builders and renovators, whose word is their bond. For smaller builders, just a few projects delivered late, over budget, incomplete, or poorly done can ruin a reputation in an industry where you are only as good as your last job. This is why many family-run builders emphasize quality, integrity, safety, a commitment to innovation and continuous improvement, accountability, and respect for workers, customers, and the environment.

It is this value system that steers many family businesses and informs decisions from the job site to the head office. Adhering to these values pays off over time with employees, suppliers, subcontractors, and clients who demonstrate loyalty through repeat work. Many people can be trained to work in the trades, but if they have a poor attitude or aren’t onboard with a company’s values and mission, their construction careers will be brief.

For family-led construction companies to endure, they must not only get the next generation involved but ensure younger relatives—be they children of the founder, nieces, nephews or others—are informed about what is expected of them. We’ve all heard the idiom ‘handing over the reins,’ but transferring responsibility to someone else is never simple, nor should it be.

For retiring construction company founders, ‘emeritus’ is sometimes more than an honorific. If possible, the original owner being called upon occasionally for advice or guidance can work, provided that person is also willing to relinquish some control, which can be a challenge. And if the man or woman who built the company isn’t happy with the way things are being handled, that person often isn’t shy about letting others know.

Smart succession planning doesn’t start weeks or months before owners announce their intent to retire, but years. Even with smaller construction firms, much more planning is involved than simply naming a replacement. Long-term transference requires plenty of questions: where will the business be in the next few years? What skills are needed by the next generation? Is there a governance structure in place? How will the succession affect existing employees? These questions, and many others, need to be documented and supported by the existing leadership and the next generation.

Proper construction company succession requires honesty. It isn’t enough to simply name an heir; the future of the business depends on selecting someone who is both capable and committed, with a clear vision for what comes next. In some cases, that successor may not be an immediate child, but a grandchild, extended family member, or even a trusted employee who has earned their place through years of dedication and leadership.

Ultimately, legacy in construction isn’t defined by how long a company has existed, but by how well it adapts to what’s next. Many firms have weathered economic downturns, shifting markets, and generational change, only to falter when succession is treated as an afterthought. The most enduring family businesses recognize that succession planning is less about stepping away and more about moving forward. By investing in the next generation, reinforcing core values, and planning years in advance, family-owned construction companies can ensure that what began with a single truck and a dream continues to stand strong for decades to come.

The post From Foundation to Future<p class="company">Building a Construction Family Legacy</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

New home buyers tend to focus on aesthetics, like kitchen countertops and cabinetry, says Construction Manager, Jason Cabrelle. “A lot of people take energy efficiency for granted—until they see the savings on their hydro and gas bills.” In the past few years, Park View Homes has focused even more on its commitment to creating properties of the highest standards, and this includes what Cabrelle calls “behind-the-scenes” activity, like air barriers and mechanical systems.

Going “airtight”
Around 2022, Park View started as an ENERGY STAR^® for New Homes Standard builder. Only builders licensed by the Government of Canada “can promote themselves as ENERGY STAR^® builders and can apply to have their homes ENERGY STAR^® certified,” according to regulations.

Owing to the program’s exacting standards for new homes, there were some growing pains surrounding airtightness. “We air test every single one of our houses, which, at the end of the day, gives people more comfort in their homes,” Cabrelle explains. “We want to make sure that you’re as comfortable as possible in your house and that your house is as efficient as possible.” Some of the many advantages of airtightness include fewer drafts, greater comfort, a healthier and quieter home, reduced heating and cooling loads, and less energy waste.

Far from just talking quality, the company measures it, air testing every single house for potential leakage. “Testing each house keeps us accountable; we can’t get away from the results,” Cabrelle says. “We have to honour them. It’s not just that we say, ‘we are ENERGY STAR^®,’ it’s that we are tested, and we live up to it.”

To ensure houses meet rigorous standards, the company works with a third-party energy advisor on energy efficiency designs. Once homes are reviewed and signed off, they receive an ENERGY STAR^® sticker. And Park View has been featured several times on Homesol’s social media as a ‘Tight Home of the Week.’

“Because our homes are so energy efficient, it helps homebuyers qualify for green financing options,” says Cabrelle of the RBC Green Home Mortgage Program, where buyers have the option to extend their amortization period to up to 35 years (compared to typical amortization periods, which are usually a maximum of 30 years).

Attention to detail
Starting as a site supervisor and working his way up to Construction Manager, Cabrelle has seen plenty of changes to Ontario’s home-building sector over the past 14 years. Regardless of home model, location, or price point, all Park View homes are created with the utmost attention to detail and a tight build process.

“We take a custom home feel and quality and transfer that to all our homes, whether it’s a single home or townhouse. We pay the same attention to detail to all our products. It really raises the consistency of our final build quality and the comfort of our houses,” he says.

“People are extremely happy with us as a company and with our communication and attention to detail. We aim to exceed expectations, and number one is our attention to detail. We take pride in our homes and in ensuring the buyer is happy. For me, it’s about building relationships and making sure those homeowners are happy. I don’t think a lot of companies do that; they are just there to build the house and turn away.”

Bellamy Farm Phase III
Founded in 2002, family-owned Park View Homes focuses on secondary markets, which are largely more rural than urban. The company is proud to be part of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA), the Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA), and the Lanark-Leeds Home Builders’ Association (LLHBA).

Much of the company’s marketing is in two significant categories: downsizers and first-time homebuyers. Believing that high-quality houses built without cutting corners should be within reach, Park View Homes properties are priced in the low $400s; some, like Bellamy Farm Phase III, start at $379,000. And Park View Homes is offering a promotion on select inventory homes where only a $5,000 deposit is needed to secure your new home.

In the heart of Smiths Falls, Bellamy Farm Phase III is in an area known for its stunning natural beauty. Just an hour’s drive from Ottawa, Smiths Falls boasts small-town charm and nearby amenities like shops, restaurants, and medical facilities, without the stress of big-city traffic congestion and noise. Three home styles are available—Garageless Bungalows, Bungalow Townhomes, and Two-Storey Townhomes—all beautifully designed with ENERGY STAR^® efficiency.

Attainable bungalow townhomes have the option of one or two bedrooms. About 1100 square feet in size, bungalows have a finished basement and are completely freehold. Along with a driveway, the properties have sheds ideal for tools, recycling bins, and other items. Equipped with a heat pump, these homes run an 8kW backup electric heater as secondary heat in the system.

“Those specific buildings—with some changes in our paperwork—could be registered as Net Zero Ready homes,” explains Cabrelle. “The quality is exactly the same as in our $1.5 million homes, as far as finished quality goes.” Creating houses that balance craftsmanship and attention to detail with energy efficiency is a team effort.

Something for everyone
Along with Bellamy Farm Phase III, Park View Homes has two other main subdivisions underway in the Ottawa area: Russell Ridge estates in Marionville (just outside of Russell), and Merrickville Grove in the heritage village of Merrickville. Combined, these three subdivisions cover the varying tastes and needs of many different buyers, from singles to young couples looking for their first house, to families with children, to older empty-nesters seeking the peace of a laidback, rural lifestyle.

Established in 2021, the Russell Ridge community consists of spacious homes on three-quarter-acre country lots with nearby nature trails and quiet country roads. Available in three, four, and five-bedroom designs with optional finished basements, Russell Ridge embodies the finest in construction and efficient ENERGY STAR^® design.

With just 24 homes and no through streets, Russell Ridge is tranquil, secure, and exclusive. With nearby access to schools, shops, and restaurants, easy access to Highway 417, and a 25-minute drive from the east end of Ottawa, this community is perfect for hybrid workers and families alike. Built to order in about 12 months, the Sussex Craftsman Model measures 2,250 square feet and is priced at $1,069,000.

The company’s Merrickville Grove is an 83-home community near Merrickville’s historic Main Street. Known as the “Jewel of the Rideau,” the development is five minutes on foot from the Rideau Canal, coffee shops, quaint local stores, and restaurants. These bungalow townhomes and two-storey townhomes start at an attainable $499,900.

With nearby parks, schools, shopping, and safe, quiet streets, Merrickville Grove is the perfect place for young couples to raise a family and for active retirees who want the comfort of a home with low maintenance. It is a quiet place where homeowners can walk downtown, grab a coffee or a meal, browse shops, and say hi to neighbours. And, to give back to the municipality, Park View Homes hired a company to build a park with structures for everyone to enjoy. Most times, builders will save the park until the very end of the subdivision development; Park View did the opposite. By installing the park early in the construction process, buyers were able to enjoy it as their homes were being built, and locals could take advantage of the space. “We try to help out the communities we work in,” says Cabrelle. “Recently we helped put a new deck and accessible ramp on the public library in Merrickville at no cost.”

Living its values
For most of us, buying a new home is not only a big financial investment, but an investment in the lives of our families. Realizing this, Park View Homes treats homeowners and potential buyers with the utmost respect and integrity. “It’s all about things like that, the relationships we build with homeowners,” says Cabrelle. “We give everybody the same treatment.”

Focused on more than product, Park View Homes builds not only homes but entire communities, and the company’s team stands behind its proven track record of over 1,200 houses constructed to date. “For me, that’s an important thing, where we can help out and show that we aren’t a ‘big bad builder’ who doesn’t care about homeowners,” says Cabrelle. “Actually, it’s the complete opposite; what we care about is that the homeowner is happy with their home and community,” he says.

“We are super proud to be building in those communities, and proud of where we’ve come from. We’re proud to be focusing on home comfort and making sure that we exceed expectations while we try to give them the best experience, start to finish.”

The post Crafting with Care<p class="company">Park View Homes</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

It is impossible to turn on the news today without hearing about Canada’s housing crisis. There is an urgent need to build almost five million new homes by 2035, which represents between 430,000 and 480,000 new housing units every year. Although 2025’s housing starts reached 259,028 nationwide—up 5.6 percent from 227,697 in 2024—there has been a dramatic shift to building units for rental rather than for ownership, and the country isn’t even coming close to the units needed to meet demand for our population of almost 42 million.

Factors behind the shortfall include everything from high development taxes to unnecessary red tape, wildly different building codes (even in the same city), NIMBYism, and more. The lack of attainably priced homes is a multifaceted problem, requiring a multifaceted approach.

All three levels of Canada’s government must come together to solve Canada’s housing challenges, says Kevin Lee, CEO of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA), which represents some 8,500 builders, renovators, land developers, and others in the residential construction sector. For the past 13 years, Lee has been fully immersed in the challenges faced by one of the nation’s largest sectors and has led the charge in developing CHBA’s policy recommendations for the federal government on how to close Canada’s housing supply gap and help restore affordability for Canadians.

Some provinces stuck in neutral
Despite the urgent need for housing, some provinces have pulled ahead in housing starts while others have stalled. Recent Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) housing starts statistics reveal that Alberta—with a population of about five million—is pulling far ahead of 16-million strong Ontario. In the past five years, Alberta’s housing starts have jumped an impressive 71 percent, while Ontario’s have tumbled by over one-third. British Columbia isn’t faring much better. Significant differences in government-imposed taxes and charges in regions across the country have contributed to this discrepancy, says Lee.

“Ontario has become very expensive over time,” says Lee. “In the worst cases, government-imposed fees can now make up over 30 percent of the price of a new home.”

Across the country, municipal development charges (DCs) have increased by more than 700 percent over the past 25 years, says Lee, adding that they are a significant, yet often overlooked, factor driving up the cost of building new homes. For example, CHBA’s Municipal Benchmarking Study reveals that DCs have reached nearly $200,000 on a typical home in the Greater Toronto Area and almost $100,000 in the Greater Vancouver Area. By contrast, DCs make up less than $10,000 of a typical new home in smaller centres like Charlottetown.

In principle, DCs are intended to ensure that growth helps fund the infrastructure required to support it. However, over time they have expanded far beyond that purpose, says Lee. In many municipalities, DCs are increasingly used to help pay for broader infrastructure upgrades or to reduce pressure on property taxes for existing residents. As a result, those who buy new construction homes are often left paying for infrastructure that benefits the entire community, while also facing charges that are dramatically higher than those paid by previous generations of homeowners.

As result of the advocacy work of CHBA and HBAs across the country, the federal government recently stepped up alongside the province of Ontario to help municipalities reduce their DCs by up to 50 percent, with more supports for other province slated to come. This is an encouraging step, and Lee believes now is the time explore longer-term alternative funding models that distribute infrastructure costs more broadly across the tax base, as was more common historically. “There is a role for fee-for-use items such as water, wastewater, and transportation, and for allowing more municipal debt financing to occur. Instead, charges are put on the backs of new buyers on 25-year mortgages; they should instead be financed over the lifespan of the infrastructure—50 or 75 years—at the much lower interest rates that governments can secure, for example,” says Lee. “It’s time for a more long-term, balanced approach that would reduce the disproportionate burden currently placed on new home buyers, which would support increased housing construction and better reflect the reality that infrastructure investments benefit entire communities, not just those purchasing homes in new developments.”

Red tape and code changes add to home building costs
Many policies introduced at all levels of government—often without sufficient consultation with the residential construction industry—have added unnecessary complexity, delays, and expenses to the home building process.

While policy changes that strengthen building codes and regulations can serve important policy goals, they can also be costly, says Lee. In some cases, new requirements overlap with existing rules or impose measures that are not yet practical or cost-effective to implement. As these layers of regulation accumulate, they continue to drive up the cost of building homes, ultimately affecting housing affordability for Canadians.

To help prevent further pressure on housing costs, Lee recommends that all new policies and regulations be evaluated through a housing supply and affordability lens. This includes making affordability a core objective of the National Building Code and ensuring that regulatory changes that significantly increase construction costs are not implemented until viable, cost-effective solutions are available. In fact, at this point, CHBA has called for a full pause on changes to the national building code, and a revamping of the code development system. This is being done in Australia, which faces similar challenges, and needs to be done here too, says Lee.

Support needed for productivity improvements
Labour shortages have been an issue in the residential construction industry for years, and there are currently not enough construction workers to pursue federal housing targets, let alone meet the status quo. Recognizing this challenge, CHBA says support is needed in three areas: growing the domestic workforce; reforming Canada’s immigration system to welcome more newcomers with the skills to contribute to building more housing; and increasing productivity. Part of the problem is the federal government’s emphasis on Red Seal occupations and skills training for unionized labour, as well as its prioritization of highly educated immigration pathways.

“The fact of the matter is, outside of Quebec, 90 percent of the residential construction industry is not unionized,” says Lee, who is in talks with the federal government about recognizing the people who actually build houses and the skills required. Unions have their place, but Canada also needs to support the vast majority of the residential workforce, which isn’t unionized. The same goes for the apprenticeship system, which can be well-suited to non-residential construction, but so often doesn’t work for the workforce building housing.

“For example, the residential construction industry needs framers, who don’t have to be Red Seal carpenters to have very successful careers in the industry,” says Lee. “We need to revisit how we get those people trained, credentialed, and working. That’s a systemic issue we need to address.”

Lee further emphasizes the need for immigration reform. “In Canada, immigration works on a points system based on education and qualifications. At present, the people we need to bring in to build houses don’t score enough points in the current system, so they can’t immigrate to Canada, and this must be addressed.”

Another area of housing construction where there is enormous opportunity is factory-built construction. In 2017, CHBA launched its Modular Construction Council, which rightfully anticipated industry labour shortages and the need to increase productivity. While factory-built construction has its benefits—it’s faster, less labour-intensive, and reduces construction waste compared to traditional site-built methods—Lee says it’s part of the solution, but not a silver bullet. “Moving toward more factory-built construction is an important part of the future, but it’s not as simple as just switching over,” he says.

Among the barriers to scaling up, factory-built construction is often challenged by municipal building code interpretations, where the same house cannot be built twice across different municipalities, and sometimes even within the same municipality, depending on the interpretation of the individual building official. This is of course a huge barrier for site builders as well. “We really need to eliminate all those different interpretations and variances within cities,” Lee says. “We really need to get everything aligned. We can’t increase productivity when we are dealing with different rules [across or even within municipalities] like we are right now. Repetition is the key—to increase productivity, we need to be able to build the same units repeatedly—and right now, all the differences municipally make scaling up too difficult.”

CHBA’s Sector Transition Strategy well outlines the challenges preventing a widespread transition to factory-built construction and offers a multitude of actions governments can take to mitigate them and de-risk investments in these methods.

Come together
For sufficient housing to be built, all three levels of Canada’s government must be focused and aligned on the same strategies. “Should all these rules be aligned so we can scale? Absolutely!” says Lee. “We need to get everybody together to work on that—and it will have to come from all levels of government in coordinated fashion.”

In February, members of CHBA met with Members of Parliament in Ottawa for CHBA’s Day on the Hill. This saw CHBA delegates meet with 84 MPs about CHBA’s recommendations. One of the key issues was removing the GST on new homes, which, after extensive CHBA advocacy, finally came through in March for first-time buyers after nearly a year being stalled in Parliament, and was extended to all buyers for one year in Ontario through a joint deal with the federal government. Lee says it’s important that the GST relief be expanded to other provinces. Another was attacking regulatory red tape at the municipal level and being more flexible on zoning. For the construction of new housing to speed up, it is critical that these issues and others are addressed.

“We need to deal with taxes at all three levels of government,” says Lee. “The federal government needs to remove the GST for all buyers of new construction homes and renovations that create additional units of housing, like secondary suites and laneway housing in all provinces. For those provincial governments that have PST on new construction homes, they need to remove it. Municipalities also need to dramatically reduce their DCs and find better funding models, which CHBA is happy to see come through in Ontario. Those measures should help turn the market around in Canada’s most expensive regions as right now, the industry is seeing substantial layoffs, particularly in Ontario and British Columbia, which will permanently scar the industry in terms of workforce capacity moving forward. All three levels of government need to work together on issues like taxes, alternative funding models to DCs, more rapid approvals, and being smart with the building code and not too intrusive. This industry needs support to turn the market around. We simply can’t double housing starts with so many policy barriers in the way,” he says.

“There is a lot of systemic, three-level collaboration that could happen to help move things along.” These kinds of improvements, CHBA believes, can’t come soon enough.

The post Homes Over Headlines: Addressing the Housing Crisis<p class="company">Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) </p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Returning home after the Second World War, the young Marvin was eager to launch his own business, which he named Bloomsdale after the small Missouri town in which it was based. Soon joined by his brother Ralph, the two grew the fledgling enterprise from excavating and delivering gravel to farmers to larger infrastructure projects, like installing public water supplies and sewage systems.

To keep up with the workload, the brothers hired staff and invested in bigger pieces of machinery. A few years later, Marvin’s six sons joined the business, and the rest is history.

Employee ownership
Family-owned for decades, Bloomsdale Excavating wrote the next chapter of its story in September 2024 when it announced that the company was to become 100 percent employee-owned through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Staff now have ownership interest in the company, a qualified retirement plan, and other benefits. Heptacore Inc.—a Drury family holding company providing excavation and foundation work—and subsidiary companies Bloomsdale Excavating Co., Central Fleet Inc., and Nexus Construction Service Group LLC, are all now ESOPs.

“This transition ensures that our dedicated team members, who have been the heart and soul of our success, are now also owners,” said the company in a LinkedIn post. “We’re proud to continue our legacy of excellence, commitment to our communities, and strong company culture—now with the added pride of employee ownership.”

When Bloomsdale made the transition into an ESOP, it also restructured its top executive positions, and Daniel Latham moved into the President – Integrator role, becoming the first non-family member at the helm. As Latham says, “Stepping into the role as the first non-family president of Bloomsdale Excavating Company and being trusted to continue an 80-year legacy is both an honor and a responsibility I take very seriously. As President, I’m committed to preserving the culture and values that built this company while continuing to strengthen our brand for the next generation. Our recent transition to an ESOP reflects that commitment by putting ownership in the hands of the people who make our success possible every day. It’s an exciting time as we honor our history while building a future rooted in shared pride, accountability, and long-term growth.”

Although the ESOP transition is new, Bloomsdale Excavating and its staff, including outside board members who contribute a different, high-level perspective, are already seeing benefits.

“The biggest impact it’s had on the business is the employee owners,” says Sales and Marketing Manager, Trevor Drury (fourth generation of the Drury family). “43 employees now own 100 percent of the company. There’s a lot more accountability in the office and out in the field. Everybody has really taken ownership of the responsibility of being an owner. Morale and efficiency have increased. There has been no negative impact in becoming an ESOP. It’s been a very positive experience up to this point.”

Some factors behind the move to ESOP included succession and buying out the company’s second generation, which was years in the making. The ESOP option became the most attractive and made the most sense. “It was about a year-long process, and we all came to terms with it,” says CEO, Scott Drury. “It surprised the heck out of our employees—we kept it quiet for about a year. We signed it over and rolled it out as a surprise.”

The Employee Stock Ownership Plan has brought a spirit of growth and has energized the entire company to get moving.

A range of projects
One of America’s foremost excavating companies, Bloomsdale’s services encompass site utilities, concrete, mining, demolition, and excavating and grading. Highly experienced, the team will take on everything from a small, $200,000 side project to data centers in the $70 to $80 million range that take 18 months to two years to complete—and any project in between. The company also does a select amount of residential work.

Markets served range from commercial (retail, healthcare, distribution centers) to mining and quarrying, energy projects, public works (municipal, transportation, recreation, education), and other projects, including federal works.

A long-time federal contractor, Bloomsdale took on small business status based on revenue, a move that has opened up plenty of opportunities for the company as a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Small Business Contractor. The company’s primary Corps Districts include St. Louis, Kansas City, Memphis, Little Rock, Rock Island, and Omaha.

The company’s many projects include the Greenville Bank Stabilization, Ste. Genevieve Levee Flood Recovery, Levee Repairs, Grand Tower, and many others. The company’s federal work includes projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Along with many community and industry affiliations, including the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), the Associated General Contractors of Missouri, and the Southern Illinois Builders Association (SIBA), Bloomsdale holds several designations. These include three Small Business designations for Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237310, 237990, 237110), and designations for Specialty Trade Contracting (238110, 238910).

Focus on the military
“Our focus is really the Army Corps of Engineers and military base work,” says CEO, Scott Drury. Continuing to take on VA projects, the company is also seeing more opportunities with the EPA and has taken on work with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Among the company’s many VA projects is Jefferson Barracks Cemetery Expansion Phase 5C in St. Louis, Missouri. As a subcontractor, Bloomsdale worked closely with general contractor RKE. This saw the company provide a breadth of services, including site excavation and grading, concrete paving, curb and gutter, installing storm sewers, and 2,000 feet of new roadway. “Crypt field excavation and backfill could be performed one crypt at a time,” says the company. “Once each crypt field was mass excavated, an extensive underdrain system was constructed. With the soil being excavated, Bloomsdale was to haul that material offsite and did so with little to no disruption to the Government or the public.”

Along with the Jefferson Barracks Cemetery Expansion, another large-scale government project is the Fort Leonard Wood Hospital in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. This project saw Bloomsdale handle site grading, clearing and grubbing, erosion control, and utility extensions. This sizeable undertaking required the successful excavation of 320,000 cubic yards of earth and rock and the installation of 4,900 feet of water main and service lines, 6,000 feet of sanitary sewers, and 7,700 feet of storm sewers. This project also had a sizeable concrete package where Bloomsdale self-performed 58,000 square feet of sidewalk, 11,000 linear feet of curb and gutter, and 110,000 square feet of concrete pavement.

Steeped in safety
From government works to commercial projects, all of the company’s work has one thing in common: Bloomsdale’s commitment to employee safety, health, and wellness. For the company, the goal isn’t to reduce injuries, but to eliminate them. “Our safety plan is top-notch,” says Scott of the company, which has its own safety personnel (including a full-time Safety Director) and safety monitors in the field. Different people are appointed as safety monitors week-to-week, and this results in more tradespeople being directly involved in safe work protocols.

Bloomsdale Excavating is frequently recognized for its work by its customers, the community, and the broader industry. In 2025, the company secured a spot in the ‘Top Workplaces, small’ category by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “That’s a local award that companies strive for that reflects our culture and happiness in the workplace,” says Scott. “We received that award the past two years, hopefully three going on this year.”

80 great years
While the company appreciates recognition, one of its greatest rewards is continuing the work of founder Marvin Drury. Forming an 80^th anniversary committee, the company created a special logo, which it is using on documents being sent out, proposals, internally, and on social media posts.

The team will mark the monumental occasion internally for staff members and their families in July with a big carnival-style celebration, including bounce houses, inflatable slides, a live band, and “a heavy equipment rodeo, as we call it,” says Trevor. “This is where kids, teenagers, and even adults can hop on some smaller equipment, run them, and play some mini-games, like getting a basketball from a cone into a trashcan with the bucket of an excavator.” The company expects up to 500 people will attend the event. Bloomsdale will also throw a three-hour-long customer and vendor/supplier appreciation event in April with giveaways and the opportunity to thank others for their commitment to the company.

As Bloomsdale Excavating turns 80, the team looks forward to what the future will bring, including further diversification of its services, adding more equipment, and possibly even geographic expansion, “all to support good, solid, profitable growth, wherever that leads us,” says Scott. “We are definitely looking at diversification of services and geographic expansion into different areas.”

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