Created “by manufacturers, for manufacturers,” EMC offers training, peer networking, business insights, conferences, benchmarking data, and reports about best practices and industry issues, among other benefits, says EMC President, Jean Pierre Giroux.

The consortium operates on “a very decentralized model. Outside of the Owen Sound office… we hire people that are on the ground where the manufacturers are,” continues Giroux. Dozens of EMC representatives in “consortium regions” across the country facilitate training and other activities, he explains. Continuing this theme, EMC programs and services are also grouped into consortiums, for easy classification.

Decentralized as it might be, EMC is dedicated to a single goal: advancing the fortunes of manufacturing firms in Canada. EMC wants to help members and non-members alike reduce costs while boosting efficiency, productivity, recruitment, retention, and technology.

Only companies can join EMC, not individuals. All told, the consortium counts more than 1,000 firms as members, but its work reaches a far wider audience, as many of its value-added training courses and services are also available to non-members.

“I would say with confidence we have 5,000 firms that are using EMC and most of them paying for a service or getting a service directly,” says Giroux.

Manufacturing, of course, covers a wide swath, from aerospace to metal processing, food processing, plastics, textiles, automotive, and beyond. That said, roughly 20 percent of EMC’s membership consists of food processors while another 20 percent are metal processors.

Regardless of the sector they represent, member companies are generally SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises). Small and medium-sized businesses are companies with under 500 employees, states Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (small businesses have one to 99 paid employees while medium firms have 100 to 499 paid staff, adds this federal department). “Our sweet spot is between 50 and 250 employees. That’s a typical profile of an employer in our network,” shares Giroux.

Given its current stature, EMC’s origins are rather humble. Founded in the mid-1980s, EMC initially consisted of a core of 18 manufacturers in rural Ontario around the Georgian Bay area. The consortium spread across Ontario and into other provinces, incorporated in 1997, and continued growing from there.

From the start, the focus was on “collaboration—how can we help each other in a trusted environment, where executives can talk openly?” recalls Giroux.

The consortium achieves this, in part, by organizing conferences where members can gather, listen to speakers, attend workshops, exchange ideas, and network. These conferences are organized on a regional basis. “EMC used to do national conferences, but it’s quite a challenge to do these events nationally. So now we’re doing it more on a grassroots level,” explains Giroux.

In addition to conferences, “training is a big piece of what we do and is a big revenue generator at EMC,” says Giroux.

Surveys conducted by EMC revealed that manufacturers often balk at investing in training because they don’t find the content of the training sessions very relevant. “80 percent [of respondents] said, ‘We’re not investing in training because what’s available is not addressing our needs,’” says Giroux. With this in mind, EMC developed a series of focused, fact-filled training programs designed to impart new skills and/or enhance existing abilities (a process called upskilling). Training is offered both online and in person.

Manufacturing Essentials Certification (MEC) is a mainstay of EMC’s training efforts. This program accommodates supervisors and managers, maintenance workers, and production workers in different streams. The supervisors/managers segment emphasizes leadership, team management, critical thinking, and collaboration, while maintenance workers get technical training in hydraulics, pneumatics, electrical fundamentals, electrical motor controls, programmable logic controllers, and more. Production workers learn about teamwork, workplace communications, and critical thinking.

Other training courses cover employee retention, productivity, and continuous improvement, to name just a few topics. Augmenting these programs are courses that cover new ground such as Green Skills in Manufacturing (“designed for manufacturers looking to prepare for a transition to a green and low-carbon clean economy,” according to the EMC website) and Psychological Health and Safety. EMC also offers micro-credentials (essentially, certification for mastering a specific process, skill, or competency) for various manufacturing processes.

“We try to cover the full scope of skills and competency required in manufacturing… We’re very proud to say we’re addressing the needs… We’re certifying thousands of people annually,” notes Giroux proudly.

Going forward, EMC aims to keep adding new training courses. “We’re constantly adjusting or reinventing ourselves,” says Giroux.

Research also represents “a big piece of our work. We’ve been active since 2016 doing labour market [reports] and insights,” he continues.

EMC frequently surveys manufacturers to compile what it calls “Industry Pulse” reports. Recent reports have examined advanced manufacturing and green manufacturing/clean tech adoption. The Green Manufacturing and Clean Technology Adoption Report was developed in collaboration with Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), an industry-led non-profit group that supports advanced manufacturing and other initiatives. The document outlined ways for Canada to achieve its stated goal of “Net Zero by 2050” (under federal legislation which became law in 2021, Canada has committed to creating an economy that emits no greenhouse gases or offsets such emissions by various means within two decades). The report aims to raise awareness of climate change among manufacturers and urges firms to reduce their carbon emissions.

EMC’s eco-friendly ethos is also reflected in a new initiative called the GreenMFG Network. The GreenMFG Network aims to provide a forum for manufacturers, high-tech companies, government, and community partners to smooth the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Other EMC ventures include the Energy Consortium. The latter is a not-for-profit energy-buying venture established and run by EMC to assist manufacturers with energy procurement. This service has saved members over $110 million in energy costs since 2008.

Compiling best practices is another EMC speciality. The consortium has created training sessions and/or reports covering specific aspects of manufacturing, including Arc Flash Assessment and Analysis, Ergonomics, Industrial Hygiene, and Wastewater Management. EMC is currently keeping a close eye on developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) as it relates to manufacturing.

“AI is a big topic right now,” says Giroux. “Everybody’s trying to understand how to leverage AI—same thing for virtual reality, same thing for advanced manufacturing.”

EMC also disseminates information to its members via ManufacturingGPS. A searchable, interactive Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) system, ManufacturingGPS contains statistics and information regarding industry wages, salaries, recruitment, demographics, and other areas of interest. Members can use this data for comparative purposes.

One thing EMC does not do at present is directly lobby federal or provincial regulators. That said, EMC representatives do frequently consult with government officials upon the latter’s request. The consortium also collaborates with a wide range of partners, including the Centre of Excellence – Skilled Trades & Manufacturing, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, and other groups.

“We’re collaborating right now with aerospace, biotech, IT, agriculture, and other groups… it’s all about partnerships, and that includes all levels of post-secondary institutions,” says Giroux.

EMC is currently working with industry and school boards in Ontario on an employment initiative for high school graduates, and is pursuing similar relationships across the country as part of a push to address a looming labour shortage. Many workers in manufacturing jobs are reaching retirement age and young people aren’t entering the sector in sufficient numbers to replace them. Addressing this labour crunch is imperative, says Giroux.

“If we don’t do this, we could be seriously in trouble as a nation that wants to manufacture. We know that demographics are not working for us… about 20 percent [of the manufacturing workforce] will move into retirement in the next 10 years. So how do you bring in the new generation? The new generation is a very big focus at EMC,” he states.

Manufacturers who want young people to enter the profession should examine their recruitment tactics and work culture, continues Giroux. Having a diverse workplace will make manufacturing more appealing for new generations, and companies that aren’t structured to welcome youth, women, new immigrants, Indigenous peoples, or workers with disabilities might find it hard to fill positions.

EMC is doing its part through an initiative called Herjourney. This yet-to-be-launched program is designed to support female apprentices in the Red Seal trades via training, resources, and mentoring. Research and supports for employers are also part of the Herjourney program.

Giroux has ambitious goals for the future of EMC. “We’re growing. We basically doubled our size in the last five years. We want to make sure we’re bringing the EMC story in a very comprehensive way, coast to coast. Working on the national level is the big focus right now—making sure we’ve got solid programing and a solid consortium in each province,” says Giroux.

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No, the largest industry in the world today is construction, generating about 13 percent of the entire world’s GDP. And while it operates on a truly massive scale, construction also has a notoriously difficult time achieving maximum profitability because of the constant struggle to keep the industry fully staffed.

For years, the construction industry has seen a shrinking pool of labour that includes everyone from people in trades to company leadership. In turn, this takes a toll on those working on construction projects, with 75 percent of construction workers expressing concerns about fatigue, Forbes magazine reports.

For some stark context, in the United States, the application rate of young people looking for work in fields like plumbing and electrical dropped by a whopping 49 percent in 2022 compared to 2020, according to data from the online recruiting platform Handshake. This contrasts with the growing demand for these technical jobs being spurred on by infrastructure needs, especially green construction projects.

Add to these woes the fact that more than 20 percent of those working in the industry will soon be older than 55, and it becomes clear that the industry needs to find more ways to attract younger people to the ranks.

“Many Gen Zs don’t know the skilled trades utilize the latest technologies with engineering, design, estimating and management, and programming of various systems to work properly,” says Blake Howe, a recruiter and skilled trades advocate in L.A.

“In addition, you can learn a skilled trade and go to college as well. I work with many HVAC, electrical, and plumbing professionals who are in the field earning a great living and go on to get four-year degrees in construction management or mechanical and electrical engineering,” he says. “It takes a proactive approach from the parents, education system, and community leaders to promote the skilled trades to the future generations as a viable option. The skilled trades labour shortage is at a critical stage. We must change the narrative.”

Ironically, at the same time these labour shortage problems plague construction companies, young people graduating from college are struggling more and more to find adequately paying traditional white-collar work, plus being burdened by ballooning debt that graduates in the past did not experience.

How bad is the debt situation? Right now, according to the U.S. Department of Education, 45 million people across the country are in debt to the tune of nearly $1.3 trillion (that’s 1.3 with eleven zeroes!).

But this may also be a potential motivator for younger people to look at construction and related trades for employment. The average salary for carpenters in 2021 was $48,000 a year and $59,000 a year for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This, combined with the fact that the education costs for these jobs are significantly lower than typical college degree programs, can make the idea of better job prospects with less upfront costs more appealing.

Beyond recruitment, when companies do land new employees, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the employees will stay for the long run. But all is not lost; there are several important categories that companies can invest in if they want an edge in the merciless contest for talent.

Now is the time to start taking some serious stock of what younger employees are looking for in a construction career—what is needed to adapt to the changing demands of the workforce and change the narrative.

A clearly defined compensation program is an important piece of the recruitment and retention puzzle. Going into a project or joining a company that spells out what employees will be rewarded for can boost the appeal for potential workers. Most programs are either direct—including salary, hourly pay and bonus pay—or indirect, which includes various benefits. While direct is by far the most common approach, there are elements of indirect compensation that can be used to set a company apart in the market. These can include health and dental benefits and retirement plans.

Beyond compensation, companies also need to be willing to embrace technology. This is especially important for younger employees who will form the workforce for many years to come. For instance, Generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) have only known wireless technology and social media, while older generations have had to adapt to these technologies.

This means Gen Z employees have a much different set of expectations when it comes to technology. If companies are slow to adopt innovations or still use aged processes like timecards and paper spreadsheets, young employees will easily be turned off.

Mike Vorster, professor emeritus at Virginia Tech, and the author of Construction Equipment Economics, puts this point simply for the For Construction Pros trade journal: “To attract the best students from engineering and construction management schools, a company’s technology must be current.”

The industry itself may need a bit of an update to encourage more young people to join. Trade programs in schools are, of course, crucial to providing young people with more information about construction earlier in their educational journey and formative years. But school is not necessarily the primary source of information for most young people. That means getting on social media channels and using video, video, video to get their attention.

Then there’s the topic of apprenticeships. With the cost of living the highest it’s been in years, and with many young people struggling to get a foothold in white-collar jobs, apprenticeships can offer an easier bridge to a career. Apprenticeships can also provide construction companies with that much-needed early connection to potential employees. The United Kingdom has an appealing apprenticeship model that’s common practice for both large firms and small contractors. Young people can learn trades while they are still in school, and the results are positive for construction companies as well.

While some employers, especially smaller ones, may not be excited about paying for apprenticeships, up to 25 percent of the costs of these apprenticeships are usually recovered by the company through the revenue and profits enabled by taking on more projects. The other significant advantage of these programs is the pipeline of potential employees, which helps to avoid time-consuming and costly recruiting.

Sam O’Neill, a former plumbing apprentice, talks about the benefits that come from this model in For Construction Pros: “I knew I could never afford a four-year college, so an apprenticeship program was my ideal choice. I loved learning on the job while going to trade school, and I’m still working for the same housebuilder. I recently bought a house of my own. Many of my counterparts who went to university can’t afford to leave their parents’ home.”

A lot of this is made possible through the government in the form of either direct funding or by way of reimbursement. In the U.S., training for trades is also becoming more of a focal point as the recently signed bipartisan bill Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21^st Century Act is supporting apprenticeships as well as trade schools.

Another (fairly obvious) way to alleviate construction labour challenges is hiring more women, who remain stubbornly underrepresented in the sector. Women currently make up a small fraction, just under 10 percent, of construction workers.

This disparity has also created spin-off barriers to women entering the industry, like a lack of suitable protective equipment, most of which is designed for men, and the outdated but persistent perception that construction work is a job for men. There is also the lack of flexible work scheduling for childcare, which leads many women to more amenable work and careers.

“Childcare is clearly a growing concern and has great potential as a talent attraction,” says Herb Brownett, a construction financial management consultant in Pennsylvania, in For Construction Pros. “Several companies are using new and creative childcare solutions to differentiate themselves in the eyes of both current employees and potential new hires,” he writes.

“One converted a training room into an area where office employees can bring children to work with them on occasion. Others were experimenting with flexibility options to make it easier to care for children. One of my clients investigated starting a company daycare centre but found the licensing and liability issues to be daunting.”

Not addressing these issues for women means the industry loses out on building a fully staffed workforce and so loses out on its bottom line. A survey conducted by Deloitte focusing on women in manufacturing revealed that companies that made a point of employing more women reported increased returns on investment and higher valuation.

Not only is this a challenging time to recruit and keep employees in construction, but it also feels like the industry is on the cusp of more change.

One of the biggest is the shift in what it means to work for a company. The growing gig economy emphasizes contracts that provide more flexibility to people who want to work for different builders in different parts of the country. That also means that they may not even be looking for long-term employment with any company.

At the same time, advances in AI, robotics, and automation are wowing people around the world and the question that’s on many people’s minds is just how much these advances will deliver. Will companies be able to do more with fewer employees and close the gap in the shortage numbers? And if that is a solution, what are the implications going forward? Construction companies may also have to rethink what their workforce will look like and what skills will be most important in the years to come.

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“There are lots of reports and research being done, but they tend to be on a single issue or aspect of commercial building decarbonization, so this really is a data-intensive look at where we stand right now,” says Senior Policy Counsel Elizabeth (Liz) Beardsley, “and we were pleased to partner with Arup in developing this report. They have a lot of expertise and put in some of their own resources as well to make this happen.” British professional services firm Arup provides advisory, planning, design, engineering, and architecture services to clients around the globe.

Maintaining such exacting standards was not easy. “We did have a very high bar for data integrity for this report, so that posed a challenge,” Beardsley says. “Arup really worked through their process.” The result is “a high level of integrity and data quality throughout the report.”

Decarbonization is one of many aspects of green building that the council promotes. “Green building not only encapsulates decarbonization but also helps owners ensure they’re conserving and protecting their water resources, their health, their indoor air quality, considering biodiversity, and a number of other outcomes that really matter to companies and to people,” she says. “So, this report focuses specifically on decarbonization, but in our view, decarbonization and green building go hand-in-hand.”

The construction sector has an enormous impact when it comes to carbon emissions. “The total of the upfront emissions from building materials [to] energy used at the construction site is estimated at as much as six percent of the total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions per year,” she says. “That’s a huge number and very significant.”

The 95-page report covers a tremendous amount of material—far more than can be touched on here. “If people want to inform themselves about what the opportunities are and where we are, they really need to look through the report,” says Beardsley.

Overall, the report brings encouraging news. “First of all, it finds that we are making real progress,” she says. “Today, U.S. commercial buildings are 37 percent less carbon-intensive and 26 percent more energy-efficient on a per-square-foot basis compared to 1990, and absolute emissions from commercial buildings have declined to their lowest level since 1990, and that’s happened alongside a 55 percent increase in commercial floor area. So, we have increased space, but improved efficiency. There has been some reduction in commercial building emissions as an absolute number.”

The report also identifies ongoing challenges. “What we also find is that we’re still pretty far from our targets,” says Beardsley, “and so the report looks at some of the drivers behind improvement and some of the projections going forward.”

One important finding is that progress is occurring “unevenly across the sector, both geographically and socioeconomically, with higher barriers in historically disadvantaged communities,” she says. “So that’s an area that we need to continue to work on collectively and strengthen climate equity.”

The report identified some prime opportunities for the sector. “For example, older commercial buildings—built before 1980—which have not yet received a major retrofit, account for nearly 40 percent of the gross commercial floor area in the U.S.,” she says, noting that, “these projects are well positioned to take advantage of the commercial energy efficiency tax deduction in the Inflation Reduction Act, which the report highlights as a key lever for decarbonization. So focusing on some of those older buildings is one way to make further progress.”

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is “an unprecedented investment” ready to be tapped into, but the sector needs to be educated about this opportunity to fully make use of it. “Some of the key building provisions are in the form of tax incentives. Those incentives don’t work without participation.”

People throughout the sector can take advantage of these incentives. “There are opportunities across all geographies and socioeconomic categories to participate and to tap into the funds.” Fully utilized, this participation could make a real impact. “If the IRA program realizes a high level of participation, it could enable the building sector to meet its proportional share of the U.S. Paris target before 2030.”

Continuing to promote LEED is another key strategy. “The report also finds that proven decarbonization strategies and technologies that we’ve long championed at USGBC through LEED have become more available and cost-competitive,” Beardsley explains. “So that also helps to drive future improvement.”

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) can also help drive future improvement. “We were fortunate to get data from [the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trust] and to do some analysis and find that about one quarter of the largest commercial real estate investment trusts are making serious, science-based commitments toward decarbonization,” she says, “and over time, those commitments will translate into implementation of decarbonization strategies across their portfolios and will likely also influence their peers.”

This could be a great opportunity, particularly for REITS in areas that are farther behind in meeting decarbonization goals. “They have the chance to be leaders in decarbonization in their individual markets,” Beardsley points out. These REITs “are not only in the major cities, but they’re all over the country, and they can demonstrate—particularly in the midsize and smaller cities and even suburban and rural areas—what’s possible and try to bring that practice to those areas.”

The report found that large corporations are stepping up to do their part as well. “We also have seen a huge increase in the Fortune Global 500 companies that have published greenhouse gas reduction targets,” she says. “This has gone from six percent in 2016 up to 68 percent in 2022, a tenfold increase in eight years.” This is promising because “those targets will eventually work their way down to the buildings and result in corporations investing in improving those buildings in terms of emissions.”

The report also looks at energy codes and how they will apply to new construction. “Buildings constructed in 2023 are expected to be 15 percent more energy-efficient than those built in 2017,” Beardsley says. “However, almost half of new commercial area expected in the next four years will be no more energy-efficient than the 2013 standard. So there is this uneven progress as some states have not updated their codes in a number of cycles, and some of those states correspond with where there’s heavy anticipation of new construction of commercial buildings. So that is an area for improvement.” Fortunately, however, “it can be addressed through better strategies that are available now.

“The report shows that we can absolutely make progress,” she continues. “But there’s much more to be done. We know that there are strategies that are underway, and the report reflects that. For example, some of the states are already underway in decarbonizing their electric grid, adopting energy codes, and using benchmarking policies, but there’s still opportunity to expand those types of policies and programs across the other states.”

The tools are already in place to make the difference needed. “The fact is, we have the technologies we need, and it’s absolutely possible to have zero-emission buildings today,” says Beardsley. With the opportunities afforded by the Inflation Reduction Act and modern building codes, “it’s really a question of getting deployment, participation, and implementation out there. So things are going in the right direction, and we just need to scale up all of these opportunities.”

As USGBC steers the industry forward, there is good reason to believe that the sector can—and will—fully take advantage of these opportunities in the future.

The post A Deep Dive Into the Decarbonization Report<p class="company">U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Pulling together architecture, engineering, and design, Cushing Terrell “designs systems and spaces that help people live their best lives,” says its website. In practice, the firm serves a variety of market segments from commercial and government to education, retail, healthcare, infrastructure, and residential with a team encompassing more than 30 disciplines.

It is that breadth of specialization that truly makes Cushing Terrell stand out, and it has been embedded in the business from the beginning.

The company was founded in 1938 in Billings, Montana. Architects Ralph Cushing and Everett Terrell—with Cushing possessing significant engineering expertise—joined forces with the core belief that a multidisciplinary, integrated design practice would deliver the best results for their clients. That is exactly what they achieved with their first project in 1938: the construction supervision of Billings Senior High School.

It was unique to have multiple disciplines under one roof in 1938. Cushing Terrell’s Director of Sustainability, Ashleigh Powell, believes in the vision of the founders and notes that it is still unique to this day.

“With our structure, all disciplines can be at the table early in a project, collaborating around strategies right at the onset, where you can make the biggest impact. It was our foundation from day one, and it continues to define how we build teams and deliver services,” she says.

It is not just in the execution of a project; Powell points out that when the firm is considering projects, this multidisciplinary structure allows the team to develop more creative solutions for proposals.

Today, against the backdrop of decarbonization efforts, sustainability is one of the most rapidly growing segments of the business, and this area of focus is yet another example of the company being ahead of the curve. It started in 1975—before most people or businesses were thinking about sustainability—with the introduction of the firm’s energy conservation practice.

It is also what attracted Powell to the company. “When I moved to Austin in 2005 to pursue my masters of sustainability at the University of Texas School of Architecture, Cushing Terrell was the only company that mentioned sustainability in their job posting. It was a differentiator; it grabbed my attention.”

Powell learned through the interview process that the firm had already established an internal green advocacy council, so it was an easy decision to join.

In the ensuing years, its sustainability practice gained momentum through the U.S. Green Building Council, which launched its first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program in 2000. With more than 100 LEED-accredited professionals in the early days, Cushing Terrell’s sustainability practice grew, certifying green building projects in all its specialties.

Around the time of the pandemic, Powell saw a notable shift in the approach other companies were taking to sustainability. “More companies were getting more serious about developing their own sustainability practices in alignment with their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) commitments and/or decarbonization objectives,” she shares. “So we’re now doing more work with clients to develop custom sustainability standards or to design within their existing standards.”

In sharp contrast to the doom-and-gloom tone that dominates much of the news related to environmental sustainability, Powell sees positive changes taking place behind the scenes. “It’s really interesting to be able to peek behind the curtain. These companies’ commitments are closely tied to their corporate structure, and it’s a top-down commitment. In some cases, even CEO compensation is tied to meeting those goals.”

She notes that the early decisions about the structure of Cushing Terrell positioned the company for this work. “We need everyone at the table to help companies with those wide-reaching goals. We couldn’t be as effective if we didn’t have the multidisciplinary team that we do.”

The team is also geographically diverse, with employees living and working in many parts of the United States. The rapid expansion of remote work through the pandemic was part of it, but once again, Cushing Terrell was ahead of the trend.

“I remember as far back as 2008, the president of our firm was talking about remote work. He said it shouldn’t matter where you sit, and that has allowed us to attract the best people to our team, regardless of where they are,” says Powell.

The firm counts some very large companies among its clients—Google in California, Texas, and Washington, and Dell, for example—but when a sustainable future is the objective, businesses of all sizes have a role to play, and Cushing Terrell can help.

“Right now, we’re helping a local company inventory their Scope One (direct) and Two (indirect) greenhouse gas emissions. For the company, it translates to energy efficiency and resilience but it’s really about alignment with the imperative to decarbonize their operations.”

Powell points to two projects that are particularly notable for the company, in that they embody the full range of Cushing Terrell’s capabilities.

Ten years ago, the team led the design and construction of the visitor center at the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada. With upgraded insulation, daylight harvesting, geothermal heating and cooling, and onsite solar generation, the facility was on track for net-zero energy consumption. After its first year of operation, energy data showed that it had exceeded that by a wide margin. In fact, it was feeding twice the amount of energy back to the grid than it consumed, and it has done so for the past decade.

The other project that Powell highlights is Romney Hall at Montana State University, a project that called for modernizing the building constructed in 1922. Ultimately, 17 new classrooms were added along with centers for math, writing, veterans, and students with disabilities. This structure is now more accessible and more energy-efficient, all while preserving the character as well as the embedded cost of the materials already used in its original construction.

Projects like these reflect why Cushing Terrell has been widely recognized with industry awards. The Romney Hall project received recognition for adaptation and reuse. Interior Design Magazine placed the company in the top 100 firms in its inaugural sustainability category of the ‘Interior Giants’ ranking, and in 2023, it was given the prestigious ‘Mountain States Design Firm of the Year’ designation by Engineering News-Record (ENR).

It may be a cliché but, in Cushing Terrell’s case, the company’s success is truly about its people.

“I’ve been with the company for 17 years,” says Powell. “It’s unique in the industry to have that kind of tenure, but not here. A lot of our people have been with the practice for a long time. There’s a really strong sense of community and family. We celebrate our mission, vision, and values, and there’s a personal alignment in our commitment to the communities where we live and work.”

That commitment manifests, in part, in the pro bono work Cushing Terrell does. The company has always done pro bono work, but two years ago, it organized that practice. Nominations are gathered from staff and the community at large, submissions are vetted, and a deserving project—typically a charity or non-profit organization—is selected.

This kind of integrity is one of the company’s values and also shows up in the way it makes the same commitments to sustainability as its clients do. “We’ve taken the approach over the years that if we’re going to sell a service, like green building certification, we should experience it ourselves and certify our own offices,” says Powell.

The company’s Billings office was thus LEED-certified in 2002, which was very early for that designation. That ‘walk the walk’ commitment continues to this day. The company is a signatory to multiple emissions-reduction commitments, and its Boise office was the first in the United States to be platinum-certified in the LEED v4.1 commercial interiors rating system.

After 85 years of being one step ahead, what is next for Cushing Terrell? More of the same, starting with a more data-driven approach.

“We’ve created a post-occupancy research group. They’re conducting onsite analyses after the completion of projects, surveying the occupants, measuring acoustics and daylight values in the space, and more. That helps us complete the learning, bringing feedback back to the design teams about how those designs are working and being used in the real world,” Powell explains.

Naturally, Cushing Terrell’s integrity is also a big part of the company’s future. “We’ve been focused on operational energy in our sustainability practice; now, we’re looking more holistically at the embodied carbon footprint of the materials used in the building. Our commitment to a sustainable planet also extends to people. We’re getting involved in the Design for Freedom movement, which aims to reduce the forced and slave labor that goes into the manufacture of many building materials.”

Learn more about Cushing Terrell and its sustainability practices by visiting https://cushingterrell.com/.

The post Ahead of the Curve in Sustainable Building Practices<p class="company">Cushing Terrell</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Founded in 1979 by Lawrence Gates and Mark Hafen, Animal Arts remains a leader in designing healthful environments for animals, taking into consideration the unique needs of shelters to provide care and well-being for animals through innovative designs that incorporate state-of-the-art concepts, materials, and air-handling systems to lower stress, promote comfort, and minimize disease transference.

Winning numerous awards over the years—including 49 Architectural Excellence Awards from dvm360/Veterinary Economics, including the 2022 Hospital of the Year – Ethos VERC, Honolulu, Hawaii, and 2022 Merit Award – Veterinary Clinic of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to name just a few—Animal Arts considers not only the animals’ well-being but also the people who tend to them, understanding that performance and productivity are positively impacted by the surrounding environment. To that end, the company’s design aspects embrace sunlight, ventilation, ergonomics, and noise reduction, striving to support clients’ needs and interests while producing innovative and cutting-edge solutions for both humans and animals through ingenuity and creativity.

“Our company provides architectural services, but really we focus exclusively on animal care design,” says Heather Lewis, Principal. “Most people go to architecture school because they want to make a difference in the world, and then you come out of school and it’s hard to make that difference. Animal care is a field where we can do incredible work that has real value, both to individuals and to communities.”

Along with a passion for learning, Animal Arts employs a “relentless” participation in the concerns of the animal care industry, a desire to give back and share knowledge in a way that helps individuals and communities. “We love diving into the details to provide exceptionally useful solutions for our clients,” says Lewis. “By knowing the details, we can strive for the most innovative solutions.”

Dedicated to compassion, collaborative communication, and being accessible, the company is committed to creating humane projects that do no harm.

“We’re all passionate animal lovers here, so we don’t do things like laboratory animal work that conflict with our core values,” says Lewis. “It’s really just focusing on the humane side of animal care, including veterinary hospitals, which have always been our bread and butter.”

The company’s projects range from privately owned hospitals to corporate veterinary hospitals, very small storefronts up to very large specialty hospitals, equine veterinary and animal shelter projects, both privately and publicly funded, service dog training facilities, and university veterinary teaching facilities.

“Animal care has grown tremendously in the last few years, in part because a lot of people got pets during the pandemic, which has had an overall impact on the entire industry,” Lewis says. “Animals have now fully integrated into people’s lives as family members, and we’re doing some really neat things as a result of that.”

The company’s growth has been rapid since the beginning of the pandemic, resulting in taking on larger projects and restructuring to maintain superior customer service. The Arizona Humane Society’s new 65,000-square-foot shelter which just opened in Phoenix is one such notable undertaking.

“One of the neat things about this building is it has an animal trauma hospital,” Lewis says. “They have animal EMTs who are deployed if someone calls and says an animal has been hit by a car. They will go and retrieve them and take them to the trauma hospital for care.”

The thought and planning process that goes into designing animal shelters and hospitals is intricate, beginning with working with the client to help size the veterinary hospital or shelter, ensuring it has the right capacity for animal housing and operations or treatment spaces within it.

“We assist our client from day one on how to help their vision come to fruition,” Lewis says. “Unlike a lot of architecture firms, we’re very heavy on what architects call programming, which is that early planning, and that’s where our expertise is very helpful. That’s a huge part of what we start with.”

The company also brings unique vision, she adds. “We really want to know what that client wants to do from a vision standpoint. We want to make sure this project aligns with the client’s values, that it’s doing what it wants to do in terms of serving the customers that are coming to this building, and that it fits in the community.”

Animal care spaces are highly technical, so Lewis and her colleagues strive to ensure the client can use the facility efficiently from the moment it opens, which involves deep diving into knowledge about all the utilized spaces.

“If it’s a veterinary hospital, we will set up that workstation for the veterinarian to examine a pet. We understand all the things the veterinarian is using, and we’ve envisioned how they get placed in the space,” she says. “We work around the workflow.”

The well-being of the animal is always foremost in their minds, she adds, so one of the most exciting and most passionate things for Lewis is designing around an actual animal and ensuring stress and anxiety are reduced, no matter what building they’re in.

“We also really want to be people-focused, so we’re thinking of all the users of this space,” she says. “Our vision statement is ‘design for every life,’ whether that’s the life of an animal or the life of a staff member working in that building. We’re designing around the occupant, and that’s really where we focus our vision.”

Some unique considerations include designing warm surfaces for cats to lie on to make them happier, more relaxed, and in the case of a shelter situation, ultimately more adoptable. In addition to making spaces animal-centric, Animal Arts also designs them to be human-centric, which means a comfortable work environment, fresh air and daylight, the right ergonomics, and break rooms that provide for a variety of activities and personal needs. “We love designing around the people and the animals. That’s really what motivates us.”

Environmental sustainability is another important motivator. While some areas—California, for instance—already have set a high bar for standards and codes, Animal Arts still pushes itself to higher levels, particularly in terms of energy reductions.

A lot of sustainable design is just good design, she adds, but understanding the client’s needs and desires is always paramount. “That’s where I try to really look at what our clients’ values are and go back to that client-centric approach that we have to find the solutions that make sense for their business or their community.”

Animal care facilities necessitate unique considerations such as adequate airflow to prevent dampness caused by water usage for cleaning, odor elimination, and sanitation. “Animal health care has very high ventilation requirements that sometimes exceed human health care requirements, which is something that most people don’t realize,” Lewis says. “Whenever you’re using a lot of airflow, you’re also using a lot of electricity. So we really focus on energy use reduction with animal care,” she shares.

“One of the things we see in many animal shelter projects is indoor/outdoor spaces for dogs. We might not see that as much in cold climates, but we see it a lot in hot climates. It’s the trickiest and probably the most important thing to design well, because once you cut 20 holes in the building, you have a leaky building that’s very energy intensive. We want to provide indoor/outdoor spaces for the animals, but at the same time put environmental sustainability on the list so the client isn’t paying huge utility bills, and the animals have comfortable spaces.” One solution is designing doors that close after the dog has gone through them to keep air conditioning or heating inside the building.

Air quality and lighting are also environmental design aspects that can greatly affect both animals and humans.

“We might design the entire building to have daylighting so we don’t have to rely as much on artificial lights, and so people can actually see outside, which makes them happier employees,” says Lewis. “It’s known to have really good impact on productivity, so you get a win/win/win: you get daylight, which helps you reduce artificial lighting costs; it helps your employees be happier people; and helps the work be more productive. We’re going to be looking for all these things that unite what we do—what is important to our customers with environmental goals.”

Sound is yet another factor Animal Arts takes into serious consideration. Pets can hear into the ends of the non-audible, ultrasonic spectrum of noise, hearing sounds that humans cannot.

“An animal could be hearing mechanical noise or high-pitched noise made by speakers or lighting fixtures that we’re not even aware of and be stressed by that,” says Lewis. “We look at lighting that eliminates buzz and flicker which will eliminate a lot of those unnecessary visual impacts, as well as noise impacts in the building.”

The company also does a lot of dimmable lighting as animals’ eyes are better at low light levels than humans. Having areas lit like a surgery suite at all times is extremely hard on animals, so in their housing areas the lights can be dimmed down to reduce anxiety and stress.

While taking on new projects and design ideas is exciting, the company’s growth has led to both accomplishments and challenges, particularly in terms of maintaining its focus on customer care.

“We’ve restructured our company to have individual studios inside our larger company that allow us to continue to have that intense customer focus as we grow,” Lewis explains. “We have to continue to be intelligent about how we grow so we don’t get larger than we can handle from an operations perspective and can continue to provide that good customer service, which is really important to us.”

In the coming years, that customer service will involve helping clients do their best work in the animal care space, she adds, along with continuing to lead in animal care by participating with others in the industry who have new ideas, new research, and new knowledge.

Other goals include working with leaders who are trying to address access to care issues, and continuing to participate in thought leadership and work with other people in the industry to make lives better for both people and animals in communities.

“This is a dream job. I love our people. I love that we’ve hired so many people that are so much better at doing things than I am, and that’s the whole goal,” Lewis says. “If you’re a leader, surround yourself with people who are excellent. And we have a lot of excellent people.”

The post Architecture for Animals – Design for Every Life<p class="company">Animal Arts Design Studios</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Turning its service offering into a sophisticated portfolio solid enough to take on even the most demanding public, private, institutional, and governmental projects, Nelson + Pope’s clients benefit from having a single point of contact throughout their projects. Such a breadth of service contained within a single firm is rare but is also the company’s secret to success—a holistic approach that addresses overall property performance, as opposed to a single aspect.

Indeed, the company has a long history of keeping in stride with the times. Serving clients since 1954, it evolved from land surveying and development to sanitation and roadway design into an architectural leader, soon incorporating mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection as well in response to client demand. Having earned their collective knowledge through a high level of interdepartmental collaboration and getting their hands dirty in the field, the team’s commitment to excellence is nothing short of impressive.

A bird’s eye view
At Nelson + Pope, all stakeholders benefit from a well-balanced overall project scope that looks at the big picture and then funnels into a laser focus on the finest details over several stages. All project aspects are carefully considered, including well-designed, sustainable energy consumption and the design elements used at the point of delivery; even soft furnishings are brought under the spotlight and incorporated into the overall planning scheme.

While this level of attention given to such a wide array of functions may appear counterintuitive, Nelson + Pope incorporated its many services early on as clients requested them and, in this way, honed its capabilities in each field over time, ensuring it always employed the best people for each function.

As part of its broad scope of services, the company can draw on the expertise of Nelson, Pope & Voorhis, LLC (NPV), its environmental planning affiliate established in 1997. Based in Melville, Long Island, and Suffern, New York, NPV specializes in environmental, land use planning, economic analysis, SEQRA, stormwater management, and various other aspects of development (ranging from industrial to municipal, institutional, recreational, commercial, residential, and more), habitat restoration and preservation, site remediation/clean-up, shoreline stabilization and protection, invasive species management, and a host of other functions concerning fauna and flora. NPV solves complex environmental and planning puzzles for public and private clients through all levels (federal, state, county, and municipal) of governmental review.

“NPV is constantly evolving with the federal, state, and local regulatory agencies with regard to endangered, threatened, and species of special concern. Therefore, we offer the management of invasives and the preservation and protection of recognized species like the northern long-eared bat, southern pine beetles, lantern flies, Japanese knotweed… that could be [spread or] impacted by development,” explains Brant Reiner, Partner, Nelson Pope Voorhis.

Other environmental services include landscape design, project sustainability analysis, environmental testing, and permitting. “Our focus is on continuing to be evolutionary—being able to adapt to situations that are presented to us from regulatory, longevity, and functionality perspectives,” says Reiner of this inherently challenging industry. By approaching each project as a unique opportunity to improve on the previous one, NPV has made a name for itself as an industry trailblazer.

To this end, green infrastructure supported by its progressive management approach shapes the company’s perspective on most projects within the context of sustainable initiatives as it relates to changing weather patterns and every site’s function within its surrounding landscape, now and in the future. Presently, the company is focused on educating clients on living shoreline recovery around New York State and beyond. Driven by the realities of climate projections over the next three to five decades, the team is working hard to incorporate its expertise on the subject into its coastal projects to meet regulations and help save shorelines, marinas, and shorefront properties from further damage by establishing and maintaining shoreline stability and resiliency with regard to wave energies, rising water levels, advancing regulations, and more by coming up with unexpected solutions that combine novelty with future-proof and environmentally responsible concepts.

Moreover, NPV serves as a soundboard and ideation partner for organizations in need of the knowledge and insight of professionals like landscape ecologists, AICP certified planners, Stormwater Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) specialists, and informed designers trained in future-proofing infrastructure within, surrounding, and influenced by coastal and freshwater resources, wetlands, natural landscapes, et cetera. To this end, the company often consults municipalities, who benefit greatly from its expertise. That includes assistance in securing financial support through grants.

Cleaner and greener
Beyond all these sustainability efforts, John Perrotta, P.E., Senior Partner and head of the mechanical, engineering, plumbing department, also notes a distinct move toward further future-proofing infrastructure by reducing carbon-related energy sources. This is achieved by retrofitting buildings and replacing old fuel infrastructure with electricity, electric vehicle charging stations, et cetera. This is, in many cases, directly related to regulatory ratings of building performance. “It’s not just us driving the narrative; it’s our clients asking for these more sustainable resources and systems,” Perrotta says, Senior Partner, Nelson + Pope.

This commitment to protecting clients from penalties for low-ranking building performance is evident across all its departments. With public and private clients increasingly looking to discuss their design options within the context of sustainability grants, everyone from the design to the engineering department is approaching their mandates with greater awareness regarding green practices and their possibilities.

As a result, the company has the attention of a few large names in the energy industry. By collaborating with one of these clients on complex fuel cell power plants on Long Island, Nelson + Pope has proven itself a leader amongst giants. It is currently supplying several services, including arranging city approval and site planning, electrical and mechanical engineering involved in the installation and integration of electricity into the main grid, and more.

“Once the project is completed, it is going to be a community power asset so that [community members] can buy their power from this clean source of energy as opposed to it coming from a less green source like gas or oil,” says Perrotta.

Projects with impact
Another proud project includes the wide scope of work the team completed on the ground-up construction of the high-performance municipal building in the Town of Babylon in North Amityville, New York, which was built on a wooded site surrounded by a high-density urban area. Home to the Asian long-horned beetle, a known invasive species, the company had its work cut out to ensure that all environmental protection regulations were followed and approvals obtained to ensure the successful conclusion of the project within this context.

Previously known as a problem site with regard to crime that riddled the area for over a decade, the final product made for a welcomed improvement. “The site was turned into a community courthouse, going from a place where crimes were committed to a place where justice is being served,” says Michael Sciara, R.A., LEED AP, Senior Partner and head of the architectural department, underlining how this building reflects the company’s motto of being thoughtful from the ground up while making a conscious environmental and social contribution to the region.

While the company’s work in civil and health care, senior living, and custom aging-in-place multi-family projects remains strong, it notes a marked expansion of construction in the industrial sphere with the rise of e-commerce. Contrary to what the world may have imagined at the outset, this world-changing phenomenon is actually driving retail construction. As the demand for service stations and trucking depots rolls in, it is clear that truckers moving merchandise cross-country need services.

The company also takes care of locals living in the area by securing affordable housing. At the moment, Nelson + Pope is collaborating with the relevant powers to free up areas for affordable housing. The team has also created units in mixed-use developments for the protection of victims of domestic violence—all driven by the reality that housing on Long Island has, for many, become prohibitively expensive.

The place to be
Significantly expanding its market presence across all five New York City boroughs and the broader state, plus New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and even Florida, Nelson + Pope is a progressive firm acutely in touch with the zeitgeist. As such, it has a particular soft spot for welcoming young enquiring minds with diverse skill sets in search of competitive salaries.

With ample opportunities to develop professionally, the company offers an especially good home for those looking for direct access to the guidance and mentorship of senior colleagues and partners. As its people can and do attest, Nelson + Pope is a fantastic place to work. Full of creative minds brimming with enthusiasm, it is a positive and fun environment where generous mentorship is considered part and parcel of starting a career from scratch.

“Our office has some great opportunities. From our junior staff all the way up to our partnership level, we’re very integrated. From engineering to surveying, architectural, and environmental sectors, we’re all hands-on together,” says Reiner of a company culture where employees are acknowledged as individuals, their strengths identified and channeled toward the areas where they shine best.

With such a vast range of services on offer, the company’s 120 staff members also benefit from having access to a selection of continuous education options to help them build their careers and stay ahead of industry changes. They also have the chance to gain firsthand experience in ways that are difficult to come by in larger and less diverse firms. The management team is also keen on younger staff members pursuing further education through training seminars and certification. “We make accommodations for staff on an evolving level. We also are very understanding of our staff having personal lives; we appreciate scheduling conflicts. We do everything we can to provide flexibility where [possible],” Reiner adds. By nurturing talent, the company continues cultivating a culture of knowledge, expertise, and diversity.

“As a company, we have adopted parameters into our employee handbook which really are beneficial to the employee to promote longevity with the company. For example, we have an educational assistance policy, where the company reimburses the employee for the cost of an advanced degree,” says Sciara. The company also assists its personnel in obtaining their professional licenses through an assistance program, alongside other training and continuous accreditation programs.

Furthermore, Nelson + Pope provides a clear road map of pathways for advancement within the company that displays the exact routes via which new hires can look forward to reaching the next level in their careers when joining the firm. That not only takes the guesswork out of progression for recruits but also instills trust and a sense of working toward something valuable in their futures. The success of this approach is evident in the number of senior partners who have been with the company for decades after joining as juniors and still enjoy coming to work every day.

In addition, the company goes to great lengths to ensure that its people remain current regarding new methods and materials. To this end, it regularly invites professionals and fabricators from various fields to introduce whatever new products and technology exist in a bid to incorporate what it can where it can into its projects. “We have the staff sit in on new product introductions; it’s important that everyone down to junior staff understand what is available to us to work with,” says Perrotta, underlining the importance of encouraging younger staff to explore the possibility of different approaches and materials.

Building the future
As the firm continues to consciously grow and develop its next generation of new professionals as its young progressive thought leaders consistently move up the ranks, the future remains promising. “[Professional progression] is not a vertical path… It has to widen out. We need younger engineers to see that that opportunity exists,” says Perrotta. “Progression can be scary in more corporate, regimented companies; but if we can grow bottom-out, I think that is good for everybody.”

The company will, of course, keep its finger on the pulse of building performance innovations in its existing markets while exploring new opportunities. And it looks like turning its sights toward the education sector is the next logical step for the Nelson + Pope team. Creating spaces where the values of environmental sustainability are reflected within the educational environment is a concept that is dear to the team’s collective heart, and the management team is confident that it has all the capabilities necessary to contribute positively to this field—and perhaps even to transform how educational institutions are built.

Such a focus on educational spaces seems all too fitting for Nelson + Pope, a visionary firm that is shaping the landscape not only for today, but for the future.

The post Driven by Energy Efficiency and Creature Comfort<p class="company">Nelson + Pope</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Serving the Indianapolis area, Nicholas Design Build (or NDB) has in-house architectural and interior designers alongside a complete production team who knows their business inside and out. The company’s homeowners and commercial clients alike know how tough it is to find a trustworthy contractor who hits the sweet spot between providing professional construction services and supporting clients through the experience of having a home, office, or retail space ripped up and redone. As such, the team is known for the clarity with which it presents its ideas to customers. While that may at first sound straightforward, this team of nearly 50 industry professionals understands how important it is to develop a thorough understanding of the client’s hopes for the outcome of a project before establishing specifications.

Owner Kyle Nicholas says that the team takes details seriously. “We’ve become known for being tenacious. My dad always said to do the complicated stuff no one wants to do. Through most of [our history], that’s what we get involved in.” Indeed, when a customer whose living room floor had to make way to lower a 15-foot countertop into the basement returns to have a floating staircase installed, the trust in the work is obvious.

Nicholas Design Build’s attention to detail and commitment to investing in technology has secured tremendous growth for the company in recent years, driving new hires and spreading its name across an increasingly expanding area. Regarding the technology it employs, the company is adamant that any suite it purchases must work to its full potential. That is why, after testing available products, the team recently invested in custom software developed to address its exact needs. That means no surprise overnight upgrades to confuse and ruin everybody’s schedule or delay a project; instead, the new tool supports the efficiency and professionalism on which the company built its reputation. In addition, it uses Chief Architect as design software, while Matterport renders architectural evaluations and field measures.

Recognized as an Indianapolis Business Journal Fast25 company, Nicholas Design Build is one of the area’s most prolific expanders between 2020 and 2022, with $8.29 million in revenue. At nearly 200 percent growth, the company has its work cut out to keep up the trend. Luckily, there is no shortage of new and returning customers to help it grow.

“We always enjoy being challenged… We will nearly double [our revenue] again this year,” Kyle says.

As challenges go, he describes the COVID-19 period as having tempered him as a leader, allowing the firm to deepen its operational capacity in the process. “We chose to grow regardless,” he shares. “Although it was hard and not the most profitable time, we grew through it.”

In support of this growth and in a bid to communicate its high level of industry expertise to customers, the company is amply certified. It holds accreditations with many related groups like the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), One Zone Chamber of Commerce, the Indiana Builders Association, and the National Association of Home Builders.

Naturally, the company would not be what it is today without its team. “Truly, we have the best. We are always team players. We’re winners. Regardless of what the problem is, we always coach toward positive conflict and toward being a team,” Kyle says. In a company with about 30 construction projects running at any given time, conflict resolution is the key to keeping schedules, quality, and customer and employee satisfaction on track. “We don’t allow problems to result in poor attitudes or issues.”

To show appreciation for their hard work, NDB ensures its pay and benefits packages are among the best in the area. As a result, it is sought after by some of the state’s best people. Kyle thinks the reason for this appeal is that employees realize how crucial a strong company culture is for success. He actively works to promote this environment, which boosts growth. NDB leadership consciously develops its team to secure a future where healthy company practices and strong staff morale will lead the way.

Kyle is generous in supporting new entrepreneurs and contractors in the field. Through mentoring, he pays it forward to help establish the next generation of service providers. In addition, the company aids charities and community-based organizations. These include local sports teams and Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, which supports children with cancer.

As a fourth-generation builder Kyle Nicholas comes from a long line of craftsmen. With over a century of family history in construction, building is in his blood. While he initially had different ideas for his future, it appears fate had other plans!

Instead of continuing a career in finance like he had planned, Kyle ended up borrowing a ladder from a neighbor to help a friend with a house repair. Surprisingly, within a week, signs for “Nicholas Construction” popped up all around the neighborhood, marking the beginning of his new venture. Today, the neighbor who set the whole story in motion and was part of the founding team still works for the company as a project manager. Evolving from exterior repairs to a remodeling outfit in comparatively little time, the company adapted to customers’ requests to become the industry leader it is today as a design-build firm.

“I think we were on the forefront of the design-build side. Now, everyone says they’re a design-build firm, and so we discuss with [clients] what a design-build firm provides,” Kyle says. Nicholas Design Build also educates the market that there is a difference between interior and architectural design, and it offers both.

The company stays ahead by exploring sustainable and environmentally responsible practices. As buildings become increasingly more energy-efficient, the firm provides customers with the latest in construction and design, no matter how advanced the method or technology.

Looking ahead, Nicholas Design Build’s expansion plan focuses mainly on acquisition, aiming to purchase companies with technologies and knowledge that can further enhance its services. Kyle looks forward to holding down the fort until his two sons, Kade and Kash, can join the firm to continue the family legacy. The two “are always joking about how they will one day be working in daddy’s office. At this point, they own the company until somebody can provide me with a wildly audacious number,” he says with a smile.

The post Making Difficult Construction Easier<p class="company">Nicholas Design Build</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

While the company has worked on medical clinics, student housing, and both modern and historic homes, it also specializes in equine-related projects. This makes good business sense, as horse culture is huge in Kentucky, reports President, Chief Executive Officer, and Owner Teddy Rodgers.

The state, of course, hosts the world-famous Kentucky Derby and abounds with thoroughbred farms and horse barns. Anderson & Rodgers has constructed equine facilities on farms and rural properties and is currently building an addition to a surgical center for horses in Simpsonville, Kentucky. The addition needs to be elevated roughly seven feet to match the height of the existing facility, a challenge the company is meeting by importing vast amounts of soil.

“Setting up the building pad is quite the process. Every bit [of soil] has to be imported, then compacted, and then compact-tested with geo-tech equipment,” explains Rodgers.

The company is also working on a beef plant in Carlisle, Kentucky, an assignment for which it was brought on board quite rapidly. “We met [the client] on a Thursday and he contracted us the following Monday to be his [general contractor] on the project. We officially broke ground probably March or April of last year,” Rodgers states.

Outside of the commercial realm, projects for residential customers typically begin with a sales call and a conversation. The company gleans details about the proposed project from the client and determines if any design work has already been done. If everyone is amenable to moving forward, one of two things happen: “Either we immediately enter into a design contract agreement where we start to design the project for the client and we proceed from there, or we work through a budget process and then we enter into a design process,” he explains.

Part of the budget process involves aligning client expectations with their proposed budget, while design work involves the use of cutting-edge design software to create three-dimensional digital models that give a comprehensive visual impression of the completed project. “We have the ability to put it on screen so that customers can see it and ‘walk’ through it. It really does bring to life the vision that we’re helping them create,” says Rodgers.

Once budget and design are taken care of, the company enters the pricing stage, which entails a detailed analysis of approximate labor and material costs. At this point, clients sometimes ask for a value engineering review—a process in which elements of the project are scrutinized again with a view to reducing costs. After the financial details and design plans are settled, “We execute the contract and start the project.”

Following completion, company staff members perform a quality walkthrough to ensure all is well. “We try to be the most picky person in the room,” says Rodgers. “If we can do that, it’s really easy to live up to anybody else’s standards. We have really high expectations for finished quality, and we pay a premium for that kind of work. We hold [contractors] to the highest standards.”

From its base in central Kentucky, the company routinely branches across state lines. After building a women’s clothing store in Lexington, for example, the impressed client asked Anderson & Rodgers to build a second store in Cincinnati, Ohio. The company has also taken on office and residential projects in Cincinnati.

Following a hurricane, a Kentucky client hired the firm to perform some condominium rebuilding work in Florida. Roughly half a dozen of the client’s neighbors ended up hiring the company for the same purpose.

The business was founded in 2006 by Rodgers and current Chief Financial Officer and Owner Brent Anderson, whose last names form the company moniker. Anderson is currently CFO and an owner, while Vice President Bruce McGaughey is a minority owner. At first, “we thought we would build new construction, we would buy and flip houses, and we would do renovations,” Rodgers recalls.

The economic recession of 2008 to 2009 forced the company to pivot and explore other opportunities. By 2010 to 2011, its focus had shifted to custom homes, light commercial work, and residential remodeling. Within a few years, commercial construction began picking up steam, and the company landed a lucrative contract building walk-in medical clinics for markets “that had a decent population but didn’t necessarily have a good medical presence—no large hospital. We were building 10-room walk-in clinics,” Rodgers explains. The first clinics were built in Kentucky, followed by four or five additional clinics in southern Indiana.

Revenue was on the rise, but progress was challenged again in March 2020 by the COVID pandemic. Most of Anderson & Rodgers’ building sites were in rural or isolated locales, where “it was easy to continue to work and to effect separation” between laborers. COVID still had a devastating impact on the company’s contractors who were exposed to the virus from other sources. “We had an electrical contractor who had 10 people all go out at one time. Everything kind of got put on pause because sequence is very important in construction,” says Rodgers.

The pandemic also helped to fuel inflation, leading to big price hikes. When it struck, Anderson & Rodgers was working on a project with a $70,000 budget for materials and labor; virus-related inflation caused an “almost $20,000 increase” in certain costs. The company found itself trying to cope with soaring prices and anxious customers at the same time. Things have since straightened out, and company prospects look excellent.

Until a few years ago, much of the firm’s work was self-performed, but as time progressed and the pool of available skilled laborers diminished, this approach became less cost-effective. As Anderson & Rodgers scaled up, it began increasingly contracting work out. Today, most construction tasks are handled by contractors, and “our firm is more management-based,” Rodgers says.

The company has roughly 17 employees and aims to hire self-driven people who do not require constant supervision. A strong work ethic is also expected. Construction on the beef plant, for example, involved concrete pours at three in the morning, a major time commitment for both contractors and supervisors. It’s an approach that goes both ways; the company is flexible with its staff and has no problem if someone needs to take a day off to care for a sick child, for example.

Employees should also be prepared to tackle a broad array of assignments, some of which can involve tricky challenges. The company “has done some really cool projects over the years for so many different kinds of people,” Rodgers notes.

One particularly noteworthy assignment involved a 177-unit student housing remodel. The remodeling aspect was not that extensive, but the work “was probably one of the most difficult logistical jobs because we had to move the students out and have them back in a short period.” The students were moved, the work was done, and “the pure logistical challenge of it was great.”

He also speaks fondly of a remodeling job on a house dating back to the Revolutionary War. The home had beams of varying sizes and old-fashioned square-head nails embedded in the wood. Work crews discovered that the home had likely been remodeled before, perhaps in the late 19^th century, due to the presence of machined beams in some parts of the structure. The company worked hard and selected appropriate materials to maintain the historic nature of the space.

Company promotion is done online, in person, and through other means. Projects are professionally photographed, and the images are used for promotional campaigns and the company website. However, much business comes the firm’s way due to its reputation.

“I’ve always been a boots-on-the-ground person,” says Rodgers. “We create relationships with architects; we create relationships within the community. We get a lot of opportunities through word-of-mouth. I had a $2 million project where they called us because they saw our yard sign on another project.”

Clearly, the company is doing something right, as Anderson & Rodgers has earned a breadth of industry awards. These include top rankings in the Best of Lexington, Kentucky awards bestowed by the Lexington Herald-Leader newspaper and a series of Building Industry Association (BIA) of Central Kentucky honors for bathroom remodeling, home additions, and whole house renovations.

Going into the future, Rodgers aims to maintain the company’s upward trajectory. Over the next five years, he would like to have “another period of growth like we’ve been experiencing in the last 15 years. When COVID hit, we felt that things kind of got derailed a little bit, but in 2023, we had a massive boost. Heading into 2024, we’ve got a real mentality of continued growth.”

The post A Growing Kentucky Firm Builds on Its Success<p class="company">Anderson & Rodgers Construction</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

In response to the evolving needs of the construction sector, A-LINX has emerged as a proactive player, leveraging cutting-edge advancements in prefabricated light-gauge steel construction. This innovative approach revolutionizes every stage of the building process, effectively mitigating risks, reducing costs, shortening timelines, and optimizing material usage.

A-LINX’s offerings encompass customizable components, available in both standard and made-to-order configurations. Moreover, the availability of pre-finished panels in diverse building material finishes affords clients unparalleled flexibility in design, catering precisely to their unique requirements and preferences.

Despite its relative novelty, A-LINX derives substantial strength and expertise from seasoned professionals with extensive backgrounds in various construction-related disciplines. This wealth of experience has been instrumental in driving the company’s consistent annual growth trajectory.

“Our company is roughly six years old and, following a positive leap in year two, has seen a consistent revenue growth of roughly 10 to 15 percent year over year,” says General Manager, Matthew Pellitteri.

Navigating growth poses challenges amidst evolving dynamics in construction techniques and a demographic shift within the industry. “It’s a fairly stagnant industry in terms of innovation and growth compared to others,” says Pellitteri. “If looked at in a vacuum, there’s been innovation and growth within the industry in several ways. But in comparison to industries like automotive or even agriculture, it’s relatively slow moving.”

The changing demographics underscore a stark reality: for every 10 individuals retiring from the industry, only two return. This imbalance in resources necessitates the exploration of innovative approaches to project execution.

Furthermore, many projects present unique challenges, ranging from spatial constraints to speed, traffic requirements, logistical considerations, and evolving architectural designs. These factors contribute to a constantly changing construction environment where each project presents its own set of complexities and requirements.

“You have to be creative in the way that you do it, and that’s why we started this business,” Pellitteri says. “It was more or less through work we had for our own developments, and we found this type of building typology with steel prefabrication was a great solution to expedite schedules, control costs, and develop the designs to a place where many of the questions have been answered and not discovered on a job site.”

Despite initially focusing on the company’s own developments and properties, A-LINX recognized a growing market demand for its technology. Consequently, the company ventured into the broader market, successfully catering to a diverse clientele. A-LINX’s solutions have been instrumental in the construction of various structures, including condos, retirement residences, apartments, long-term care facilities, and industrial spaces.

“The reason we do this job and construction technique is to provide a quality product that’s factory-controlled, that will expedite construction schedules and will relieve the need for such heavy labour on a job site,” Pellitteri explains.

Addressing the labor shortage, particularly in skilled trades, has posed significant challenges. To tackle this issue, A-LINX collaborates closely with local colleges, actively engaging with their engineering, construction, and welding programs. Additionally, the company maintains a presence on various boards and committees dedicated to studying the evolving dynamics within the construction industry.

“A lot of work being done now is being migrated into a facility, and what’s happening in colleges—more than universities, where you would generally see civil engineers and industrial engineers—is that these college graduates have direct core competencies in up-to-date technologies like Revit,” says Pellitteri.

The office resources at A-LINX predominantly consist of college graduates who possess a strong understanding of contemporary programs and construction techniques. This knowledge base allows the company to effectively leverage and implement up-to-date methodologies in its manufacturing processes.

“That’s really what we do,” Pellitteri says. “We take a building and set it into pieces so we can understand how to effectively build it in a plant setting where we control all of the safety facets of a workstation or setup, the type of materials we’re using, and how we procure those materials.”

Steel stands as the primary commodity utilized by A-LINX, capitalizing on its versatility to roll and shape it directly to size with remarkable precision and minimal waste, often less than one percent. Through strategic collaboration with suppliers, the company ensures the procurement of materials tailored to the unique requirements of each project, effectively managing costs. Additionally, meticulous monitoring of daily output enables A-LINX to control both internal and project labor costs, further optimizing efficiency and resource utilization.

Pellitteri emphasizes that A-LINX’s approach prioritizes early resolution of constructability and other critical issues at the onset of a project. Unlike conventional practices where details like window or door opening sizes and mechanical penetrations are often addressed later on-site, A-LINX addresses these aspects during the initial stages of design. This proactive approach is essential as the company constructs the building’s structure within its facility before installation on-site. As such, consultants, owners, and general contractors must collaborate closely to resolve these issues early, enabling A-LINX to fully capitalize on the benefits of prefabricated construction.

A-LINX, born under the umbrella of its parent company, Amico Affiliates’ design-build division, has established a stellar reputation for constructing load-bearing and non-load-bearing wall panels using cold-form steel. These panels play a pivotal role in supporting the overall structure of a diverse range of buildings, spanning from multi-level townhomes to towering 12-storey hotels and condominiums.

“We build these panels that support the structure inside our facility, and we clad it as an option for a client with a number of different finishes on the exterior,” says Pellitteri. This can be metal siding, stucco, or faux brick. The team installs windows and patio doors before delivery to the job site.

Once on-site, the panels are installed to support the floor system, typically consisting of concrete precast, open web steel joists, or cold-form steel. This integration occurs seamlessly as the building progresses, ensuring structural integrity and stability throughout the construction process.

“For us, it’s very important to work with structural engineers, architects, and MEP companies to design these walls in a factory setting so when they’re ready to go on site, they’re completely coordinated. Generally, if done correctly, there are 15 to 20 percent schedule-savings on the job site.”

In addition to cost savings, A-LINX prioritizes sustainability by efficiently managing material waste. Moreover, from an environmental standpoint, the longevity of steel buildings offers significant advantages compared to wood, a common competitor for structures up to a certain number of storeys. Steel’s durability ensures prolonged structural integrity, reducing the need for frequent replacements and minimizing environmental impact over the building’s lifecycle.

A-LINX adopts an alternative building models mindset, offering diverse variations of townhome designs that fill the niche often referred to as the “missing middle.” While other companies primarily focus on constructing single-family homes and condominiums, A-LINX recognizes a growing demographic seeking options between these two extremes.

Matthew Pellitteri observes a significant rise in individuals who fall within this middle ground. They are not inclined toward purchasing a condominium, yet lack the financial resources to invest in a standalone home. Additionally, their lifestyle preferences or work location may not align with traditional housing options. A-LINX addresses this demand by providing townhome designs tailored to meet the unique needs of this demographic.

“There’s a huge shortage of housing in Canada—in Ontario, specifically—so finding a proper structure or home for somebody to live in is very important. Household accommodations are very important, and so alternative building models, from stacked townhomes to condominiums and apartments to ADUs—accessory dwelling units—these are the choices we work within.”

The company has a great handle on attainable housing, Pellitteri notes. “There’s a need for attainable housing, obviously, and that can be a 12-storey building or a complex luxury condominium in a major metropolitan area. That’s the span of projects we’ve put together with complexity and design.”

Pellitteri emphasizes the opportunities that exist if governments can expedite the permitting process through establishing standardized guidelines. These measures are crucial to facilitate the adoption of prefabricated solutions, enabling swift and efficient execution of construction projects. By streamlining regulatory procedures and ensuring consistency in guidelines, the government can create an enabling environment for the widespread adoption of prefabricated construction methods, ultimately addressing the pressing housing shortage more effectively.

“Realistically, we have to get people into homes, and we want to provide them a home that meets a range of desires,” he says. “There are opportunities to build as such, but if certain guidelines can be provided, then that will translate into a number of buildings, units, and homes where you can have economies of scale—where you can design, procure, and save on construction costs.”

Housing prices are prohibitive across the country, and according to CMHC’s Ontario Housing Market Report, the province’s average home sale price is $423,128 CAD.

“Providing attainable living for a range of different individuals and families is important. And that’s really where a lot of that missing middle is,” Pellitteri says. “For us, attainable housing is huge, and it’s needed.”

As a result of its commitment to addressing diverse housing needs, A-LINX actively develops solutions for the segment seeking more affordable housing options. However, the team also continues to undertake projects in the luxury condominium sector, retirement residences, and long-term care facilities. A-LINX prides itself on effectively delivering quality outcomes across all these sectors, showcasing its versatility and expertise in catering to a wide range of housing requirements.

“What sets us apart from other companies is our vertical integration. Along with our parent company Amico Affiliates, we can self-perform complete projects, whereas other panelizers are only a small part of an overall project.”

Through that vertical integration, from design to civil work, building structure to finishings, Amico can check all those boxes, says Pellitteri. “That’s what truly sets us apart from others—that we add peace of mind and convenience to any general contractor or developer that’s interested in working with us.”

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When sustainability is reserved only for those who can afford it, it reinforces the social inequity that is deeply rooted in the built environment. When this is the case, sustainability comes at more than just a financial cost; it creates an equity gap through the exclusivity of its benefits. If the benefits are not equitably enjoyed, it ceases to be sustainable.

Measuring success
When equity and sustainability are viewed as one, it promotes a cascade of positive impacts. Socially sustainable projects comprising justly designed places promote healthy, resilient, vibrant, and empowering communities for people and the environment to thrive, which improve outcomes long-term. While the initial costs incurred may be higher, socially sustainable design and construction leads to lower long-term costs for maintenance and repair, reduced energy consumption, and improved social determinants of health and safety. It is an investment for the future.

Despite the ripple effect of positive outcomes associated with social sustainability, there are opponents who complain about the upfront costs, lower bottom lines, and the challenges associated with measuring the positive social impacts that are derived from equitable design. Unlike tangible measures of environmental progress like emissions reduction, measuring social impact requires a multidisciplinary approach that includes sociology, psychology, economics, medicine, and other social determinants. The entire lifecycle of the project must be taken into consideration, from the materials to the construction practices to the ripple effects on the people who use and surround the space.

For instance, what good is a green project if it displaces people or fails to serve the immediate needs of the community? Luckily, there are certifications and standards that have incorporated equity into their green design and construction criteria to guide projects along.

Certified sustainability
There are several certifications that are designed to assist project teams in achieving sustainable outcomes. One of the most popular is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), which is typically associated with environmental standards, though it has evolved to include diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) by offering credits, pilot credits, and a separate checklist for projects.

The LEED Pilot Credit for Social Equity in the Supply Chain and LEED Social Equity within the Community Credit are new opportunities for projects to achieve credit. The latter requires the completion of two portions of the Social Economic Environment Design (SEED) network evaluation.

Similarly, the International WELL Building Institute’s WELL Community Standard is an effort to impact individuals within the walls of the space in addition to the public spaces where they spend their time.

From the standard itself, “A WELL community is designed to support health and well-being across all aspects and areas of community life. The vision for a WELL community is inclusive, integrated, and resilient, with a strong community identity fostering high levels of social interaction and engagement. Resources in a WELL community—natural, human, and technological—are used effectively, equally, and responsibly to meet the community’s current and future needs and priorities.”

Arguably, the most scrupulous of all the certifications is the International Living Future Institute (IFLI) green building standard, which is the first and only to require considerations of equity, including the seven principles of Universal Design and the Architectural Barriers Act.

An investment for the future
Investing in sustainability is not just for organizations who have equity as part of their mission, or environmental and social guidelines (ESG) that need to be met; it can be beneficial for the private and the public sector alike.

Governments are beginning to mandate equitable sustainable development as part of building standards, particularly for publicly funded projects and social housing. New York State instituted the Enterprise Green Communities Criteria required for all new Department of Housing Preservation and Development projects in New York City, which is a big step to ensuring sustainability is also accessible in future projects.

When spaces are designed equitably and sustainably, they are inclusive to all, regardless of socioeconomic status, physical ability, or any other lines of difference that can be drawn. To achieve equity in sustainability, it requires a shift to social impact thinking. From a project’s outset, architects must consider themselves and the work they do as agents of change creating projects that incorporate principles of universal design to have a meaningful impact.

As you would with any project, the best place to start is with the stakeholders—the who’s who of the project. Who is the space being built for? Who will be on the project team? Will the team be diverse and inclusive? Will the project promote inclusion for its tenants and the community? What materials will be used? What building practices will be utilized?

From the exclusion of materials containing harmful chemicals to the inclusion of sustainable materials like bamboo, natural stone, and cob and recycled materials like steel, plastic, concrete, and reclaimed wood, there are many ways to incorporate more sustainable products into construction projects. Companies like CarbonCure Technologies, a manufacturer of carbon removal technologies that utilize carbon dioxide by injecting it into concrete for permanent storage, have been around since 2012 and continue to find ways to elevate the possibilities in the advancement of sustainable construction materials.

Even something as simple as using white paint on roofs to reflect heat, or the inverse, black paint to generate heat that can be utilized to heat the building or water sources used within, can make a big impact. These simple changes can be mandated and instituted to have a meaningful impact on a greater scale.

A higher standard of care
To ensure sustainability is equitable, new policies and approaches are required. In the U.S., foreign companies are being held to higher standards. For example, there is a solar boom taking place in the U.S., which is creating unprecedented demand for solar panels, an essential component of which is polysilicon, 80 percent of which comes from China.

One third of China’s polysilicon is sourced from Xinjiang, where the Chinese government is accused of the repression and forced labor of the Uyghur people. In 2021, the U.S. instituted the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) and has since detained thousands of shipments of Chinese products under a ‘rebuttable assumption,’ a process by which the goods can be released if the supply chain can be proven.

Legislation like this goes a long way to ensure products are equitable from the source, but the challenge becomes the regulation, as Chinese-sourced materials can circumvent these rules because they are used as components for many of the U.S. major solar panel suppliers. But despite the loopholes, this is an important step the government has taken to ensure that the materials used are not just sustainable, but equitable as well. Solar panels can support sustainable energy generation, but not if it comes at the cost of human life and freedom.

Stronger policies, better outcomes
When equity is embraced through sustainable design, it improves both access and inclusion. Policies that support social sustainability in building practices, standards, and designs require a rethinking of the concept of sustainability and how it is mandated in construction. If governments intend on meeting their climate goals, this is a good place to start.

In addition to equitable and sustainable building materials and approaches, equity can be incorporated in the built environment in countless ways. Diverse housing types attract diverse populations and by rethinking spaces and their functions to serve the community in which the project is located and the relationship between the people and the spaces, equity will be improved. Further, the elimination of inequitable zoning practices, the commodification of land and housing, and other exclusionary practices can all play a part in mandating equitability.

To achieve equity will require a multifaceted partnership between government and industry to ensure that the way spaces are built and materials are used is not just environmentally sustainable, but socially and economically sustainability as well, to maximize the benefits therein for people, the planet, and the bottom line, for the long-term.

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