With project experience ranging from mining sites to fertilizer and composting operations, warehouse and manufacturing facilities, retail stores, temporary housing, salt sheds, and more, Calhoun delivers engineered tension fabric structures solutions that meet the varied needs of businesses, public works professionals, and wholesalers across North America.

The company’s top-tier engineered fabric structures work for a host of industrial applications for more effective storage areas and production facilities while providing a stronger, longer-lasting structure that’s durable, energy-efficient, and easy to install. Additionally, because of the fabric’s natural light, clients immediately save on electricity bills compared to conventional steel or wood buildings.

Currently in its second generation of ownership, Calhoun Super Structure is a family-operated enterprise founded in 1992 and based in Canada under the direction of Jeremy Calhoun, the company’s President and CEO.

“Calhoun Super Structure began as Calhoun Agri Service Ltd. in Chesley, Ontario, founded by my father, Leonard Calhoun,” says Jeremy Calhoun. “The fabric structures were sold as hay covers to local farmers. As local farmers aged, they ran into difficulty pulling hay covers over the hay. Calhoun began building small, year-round structures up to 32 feet wide by 70 feet long and grew from there.”

After repeated requests for larger structures, Calhoun “really took off” in 2001 when it re-positioned itself as a manufacturing company that engineered custom fabric structures.

Calhoun Super Structure’s customer service is a vital part of its business and project execution. Through its customer-centric approach, the company is devoted to upholding its responsibilities and commitments in everything it does, and collaborates with all stakeholders to bring greater value to customers. Dedicated to providing satisfaction and peace of mind, Calhoun Super Structure challenges conventional thinking and takes pride in providing high-quality products and services to each client. This is particularly evident in the company’s approach to how the structures are designed and engineered.

The company’s engineers employ a rigorous, site-specific review process for every fabric structure Calhoun produces. Calhoun has demonstrated that a site-specific review is the only method to design an efficient and reliable fabric structure, so Calhoun engineers evaluate site pictures, satellite imagery, and terrain topography in relation to the orientation and location of each building to ensure that the correct building code parameters are applied. Calhoun goes well beyond the standard generally followed in tension fabric structures by using the most comprehensive analysis procedures in the industry.

Calhoun utilizes proprietary 3D Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis to simulate the behaviour of its structures. A nonlinear analysis is required to simulate the behaviour of tension-only bracing and deflections of the fabric membrane. Calhoun uses this advanced simulation to validate compliance with the relevant building code for each structure. Calhoun also uses the output of the simulation to provide accurate, detailed base reactions for the foundation designer.

Calhoun has developed its procedures over decades, in partnership with a team of industry expert designers and engineers. Finally, every Calhoun structure is reviewed by an independent, third-party engineer to ensure the impartiality of the design work.

“Calhoun’s own proprietary engineering methods set us apart from the competition and are our key competitive advantage,” says Dan Dalzell, Director of Sales & Operations. “We model the true behaviour of fabric relative to environmental factors using our unique 3D Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis. And our method produces the most reliable fabric structures to meet customers’ precise location requirements, resulting in a quicker return on investment and the longest-standing structure in the industry.”

Determined to maintain its position at the cutting edge of development and customer satisfaction, Calhoun’s new Compression Coupler Plus (CC+) Series was recently developed to provide even more cost-effective building solutions.

“Calhoun’s new Compression Coupler Plus (CC+) Series was built on similar principals to Calhoun’s popular Compression Coupler (CC) Series but engineered to take on larger widths and heavier loads in an economical manner,” says Dalzell.

Consisting of three profiles ranging from 80 to 100 feet wide and with different leg heights for applications where the adaptability of Calhoun’s VP Series isn’t required, this new line comes standard with 4-foot-deep trusses, 4-inch round chords, a classic rounded arch, hot-dipped galvanized steel frames, and 12 oz. high-density polyethylene keder-panel fabric cover.

“Optional 2- to 5-foot eave bunker covers and roof vent support systems can be added to the structure, and installed on I-beam legs, helical anchors, or various concrete mounts,” Dalzell adds. “The CC+ line is most suitable for customers looking for a robust yet cost-efficient option.”

In keeping with its commitment to ongoing expansion and innovation in the industry, Calhoun is also excited about the completion of sister company, Blue Mountain Covers’, new production facility in Dundalk, Ontario earlier this year.

“Blue Mountain Covers’ new facility has opened the doors to many possibilities,” says Sean Calhoun, owner of Blue Mountain Covers. “Our business has changed over recent years, with more covers being produced for larger-scale projects. Larger projects require larger covers which require more floor space.” The new facility allowed Blue Mountain Covers to increase its throughput by 25 percent in the first few months.

Blue Mountain Covers is also investing in a new cutting-edge machine that will support the company’s goal of producing covers three times faster while taking up less floor space, allowing the team to continue to produce standard and large covers simultaneously, improving throughput substantially.

“With the incredible gains in efficiency, the new machine will allow us to venture into different business sectors we might not have considered before,” Calhoun says. “We’re excited about how this will help grow the future of both Blue Mountain Covers and Calhoun Super Structure.”

This continued innovation and progression has been recognized within the industry as well. With impressive growth over the last three years, Calhoun continues to meet the demands of clients while serving a myriad of industries—from aviation to fertilizer.

“Since first being recognized in 2022 as one of Canada’s top growing companies, Calhoun has opened an additional 10,000-square-foot manufacturing plant to keep up with demand,” says Deanna Hope, Director of Marketing. “It’s an honour to be named as one of Canada’s Top Growing Companies by Report on Business magazine for the second year in a row. We’ve seen significant growth over the past few years, from our ever-growing dealer network to the expansion of our manufacturing plant. Calhoun earned its spot with three-year growth of 106 percent.”

To maintain this growth, the company is aiming to reach some other milestones shortly. “In the upcoming years, we aim to continue to improve the efficiency in our manufacturing, penetrate new industries, and expand our product base,” says Hope. The company also works hard to provide clients with additional value by offering flexible payment plans and a 25-year warranty on its elite fabric.

By listening to the needs of clients, establishing trust, offering superior customer service, and providing consistent quality in all products, Calhoun takes great pride in maintaining dedication to these principles.

The post Growth Driven by a Legacy of Quality and Service<p class="company">Calhoun Super Structure</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Headed up by an all-female leadership team working from the Miami headquarters in Coconut Grove, Arquitectonica also has 11 offices in far-flung locations like Manila in the Philippines; Málaga in southern Spain; Paris, France; three offices in Latin America; and others in New York and Palm Springs. With such a wide reach its design scope is not only sophisticated but also well-informed and in touch with the zeitgeist. At home in a modern 15,000-square-foot building, where it opened its doors in 2005, designers take the firm’s ethos of creating resilient design seriously, and it shows. As such, ArquitectonicaSTUDIO is synonymous with sustainability and innovative design.

Supported by ArquitectonicaGEO and ArquitectonicaINTERIORS, this forward-thinking team is known for seeking out challenging, out-of-the-ordinary projects often overlooked by other designers. The result is an overall reputation for lateral thinking and excellence, and these two attributes have afforded Arquitectonica an impressive selection of awards. Laurinda Spear—American architecture laureate, landscape architect, founder, and principal of ArquitectonicaGEO, ArquitectonicaINTERIORS, and ArquitectonicaSTUDIO—is as much a mentor as she is a leader. Perhaps best known for the design of Miami Beach’s Ballet Valet parking garage, lusciously decked in natural greenery on the corner of Collins and 7th, Spear’s visionary design of this repurposed legacy building features beautiful art deco design. Thanks to her, Miami has a proud, well-designed landmark that dazzles passersby with a purpose-specific selection of plants that mirror the waves beyond, offering a visual respite from the predominantly concrete-laden central business district.

Placing Spear amongst the region’s top architects, the building also served as a muse for Miami’s Perez Art Museum, designed by Herzog & de Meuron. While genuine humility is one of Spear’s greatest attributes, she is, without a doubt, a respected pioneer for women in Miami’s architectural landscape. ArquitectonicaSTUDIO’s boutique-style projects typically focus on sustainability and environmental responsibility, demanding the gamut of dually informed architectural, interior, and landscape design. “It’s typically not the classical type of architecture project that we go after; we are exploring other types of architecture that people tend to forget about that need attention as well,” says Juliana Touma, recently appointed Director.

As a woman in architecture, Touma considers herself fortunate to work in the Miami market, where women are well-represented in the industry. “In other parts of the U.S., you don’t find as many women. I feel very equal being within the Miami market. I don’t feel the same challenges as someone would, say 30 or 40 years ago,” she says of a profession where women generally also equal men in number on South Florida’s university campuses.

Due to its diversity, the company blends creativity and expertise into a design service that welcomes the future while leaving no stone unturned in delivering human-friendly spaces that work. This expert approach has led ArquitectonicaSTUDIO to develop a penchant for unusual projects like small-scale schools, animal shelters, and other unexpected spaces equally deserving of avant-garde design.

Since the team looks for projects where few others of its caliber care to do so, its project owners benefit from designs that not only stand the test of the elements and time but that come with modernity. “There are some really creative projects that we are looking at that people don’t even realize are out there,” Touma adds.

One such project is The Port in Port Saint Lucie. Aimed at providing quality family entertainment in Westmorland Park, The Port reimagines a formerly forgotten space by bringing five individual structures together in a single footprint, offering a selection of dining options complete with a waterfront amphitheater and a riverside mangrove boardwalk leading to play areas for children and botanical gardens.

On trend as a matter of course, the team applies technology in surprising ways. One novel way it uses artificial intelligence (AI), for instance, is by generating mood boards. Another example is reimagining buildings like an original single-story historic home currently being renovated. The process started by allowing AI to render two- and three-story images of the building.

“We are using AI to see how we can keep the historical language of the one-story home and how that would transfer into the current zoning code of a three-story structure [featuring] new materials,” Touma explains. She notes that clients and the team find the approach fun and exciting. And, while architects continue to treasure their large hardcopy architectural book collections, online resources like Pinterest, Instagram, and the like are additional creativity prompts often used in the field.

Being an integral part of the greater Arquitectonica group gives ArquitectonicaSTUDIO access to a vast human cache of knowledge and expertise. The company is a certified member of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and registered with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. With sustainability driving ideas in a big way, every morning sees the team gather to pool thoughts on improving performance. That means the team is always ready to hatch new solutions to big problems, like how to reduce single-use plastics across airports.

In return, employees do more than just benefit from the opportunity to implement great ideas. Staff keen on professional development also get to travel to the company’s foreign locations to build experience and share notes with their colleagues abroad.

“We can always call on an office to help us. We have at our disposal a worldwide system of offices,” says Spear. As its global meetings are attended by professionals from 13 offices, the opportunity to learn from and share with others is an exciting one.

A recent collaboration between the offices resulted in a powerful, five-week business strategy development initiative in which people discussed each location’s current market trends and the skills available in-house at every office. “In my experience, when you have different offices, they tend to all be independent, but here, it’s as if COVID had never happened and that was what they were always doing,” says Touma of the Zoom meetings.

That generosity of spirit is visible in other areas of the business, too. The Miami office assists the United Way of Miami to ensure that the community of Coconut Grove also benefits from its successes.

As the role of AI and software continues to grow, its presence in design continues to expand, especially as new graduates enter the workforce. Arquitectonica wholeheartedly embraces this industry change, ensuring it stays in step with the times. As it expands its capabilities, the nimble on-trend creative team continues making its mark on the Miami landscape and far beyond.

The post Innovation by Design<p class="company">ArquitectonicaSTUDIO</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

These numbers are not only daunting, but in many cases, simply out of reach for families whose children may not even know what career path they want to pursue. It’s an extremely expensive venture for no guarantee of solid, lucrative employment upon graduation.

This is exactly the dilemma 18-year-old Stella Thiessen of Ontario is facing. After graduating Grade 12 last June, while many of her friends had already applied to and been accepted to universities across the country, Stella continued working at her part-time job and pondered her future.

“I feel kind of left out, but I didn’t want to go to university just to go,” she says. “I don’t know what I want to do yet.”

Some of those friends, she adds, don’t know either, but simply applied to general four-year programs to get away from their parents and experience life on their own for the first time.

“It just seems like a waste to me—a really expensive waste,” she says. While Stella has always been interested in the arts—particularly drawing and painting—she also enjoys building things and loves being outside. “I’ve never liked sitting in a classroom for hours at a time. I get really bored.”

These are all attributes that lend themselves perfectly to a career in the trades, she has recently learned.

There are several ways to pursue higher education, and although attending college or university is the path many people follow, trade school is another very viable option. While colleges and universities provide the skills needed to start a profession and prepare students for the workforce, trade schools typically offer specialized training according to specific careers in the construction, plumbing, and electrical fields, and compared to traditional universities, they place a greater emphasis on skill-based learning. Their programs can be finished in eight months to two years and, according to the Skilled Trades College of Canada, tuition costs between $2,000 and $18,000 year, and that doesn’t take into account paid internships, scholarships and bursaries.

Along with the chance to start working sooner, trade schools provide hands-on training along with rigorous study tailored to certain jobs, and carry with them a higher percentage of not only finding employment, but keeping it, even through downturns in the economy.

“That’s one of the things that appeals to me a lot,” says Stella. “People always need electricians and plumbers, and houses and buildings are always being built or remodeled. I feel like it would provide a secure future for me.”

Fortunately, the government agrees. In order to boost the sagging labour force that could jeopardize its housing targets and train more youth and women to work in construction, CBC reported last year that the province of Ontario promises to invest $3.6 million in funding to assist 2,200 people in preparing for trade-related vocations.

More than 2,000 women and young people are projected to benefit from the three projects that will receive this financing as they “prepare for meaningful and well-paying careers in the construction trades,” overseen by the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario (PBCTCO), an umbrella organization consisting of 12 construction craft unions that collectively represent around 150,000 people.

The government estimates that in order to reach its infrastructure targets, which include building 1.5 million new homes by 2031, it will need to hire more than 100,000 additional trained tradespeople over the course of the next 10 years.

With research from construction lobby group BuildForce Canada indicating that 82,600 workers, or 18 percent of the industry’s workforce, are expected to retire in the next 10 years, this funding is not only beneficial but vital for hiring and training, as senior employees with decades of experience and specific talents make up a large portion of individuals who are anticipated to retire.

Targeting women in particular is also important: according to the province’s statement, women currently make up fewer than five percent of the construction workforce in Ontario.

The initial project’s main goal is to teach 700 tradeswomen in networking, leadership, health and safety, and communications so they can launch and begin to grow in their careers in the field. In order to mentor and encourage women to enter skilled professions, the organization will also build a “speaker’s bureau” that will be displayed at trade shows, job agencies, schools, and other venues.

The second project will give 1,500 people access to online training materials and technologies that will help those interested in pursuing careers in skilled trades acquire necessary skills and locate apprenticeship possibilities. Additionally, it will assist students in locating apprenticeship programs and put them in touch with nearby companies. The third project, dubbed the “Tomorrow’s Trades” program, is an ongoing initiative managed by the PBCTCO that, according to the province, will give 60 Grade 12 students in Ottawa and London access to high-profile construction projects, training, and learning opportunities. Prioritizing young people who are at risk, the program has previously operated in Sudbury, Toronto, Hamilton, and other areas of the province.

The province recently increased the number of apprentice registrations by 24 percent over the prior year, with approximately 30 percent of those registrations coming from women. Currently, there are more than 91,000 apprentices in Ontario, with tens of thousands of them working in the construction industry.

The province has also implemented women-only restrooms and increased the number of site inspectors in an effort to enhance the health and safety of construction sites. In order to help young people enter the trades where they are needed, the initiative will also, according to the release, build a forecasting tool that will project the number of skilled trades personnel needed for all significant construction and maintenance projects across Ontario.

Of course, the Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC) has long staunchly supported women in the trades via its own bursaries. CAWIC hosts a number of fundraising events each year, with a portion of the earnings going toward its bursary fund. It approaches several Canadian post-secondary institutions that provide diploma or degree programs in construction-related fields to inform students about the program, which helps the organization find possible applicants for bursaries which range from $1,000 to $2,000.

Outside of Ontario, the Canadian government is providing up to $43.5 million over four years starting in 2023-2024 under the Women in Skilled Trades Initiative to support projects that seek to attract and retain female apprentices in 39 eligible Red Seal trades, which are primarily found in the manufacturing and construction sectors, according to Employment and Social Development Canada, and there are similar initiatives found in the United States as well. The U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics states that just 3.9 percent of workers in the construction industry identify as female. However, different research on “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Design and Construction” conducted by Dodge Construction Network reveals that only two percent of smaller firms report having defined guidelines for promoting diversity.

The U.S. Department of Labour (DOL) has also launched a number of new programs with the goal of changing such figures, according to US Glass. These programs include up to 14 grants and a $5 million fund intended to encourage and support access to registered apprenticeship programs. Grants focus on sectors like manufacturing and construction where women are currently underrepresented. Additionally, the DOL announced four awards of up to $1 million to address and prevent gender-based violence and harassment against vulnerable and marginalized women workers.

All of these initiatives have encouraged Stella—and hopefully many other women, both young and older either looking to start a career or make a switch—to seriously consider pursuing training in the trades.

“I’ve always liked working with my hands, so I think I would really enjoy it,” she says. “I won’t have to be in a classroom for four years, and I’d have a good job that will help me support myself in the future.”

The post Hands-On Learning for Future Success<p class="company">Supporting Women in the Trades</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.