Luckily, adaptive reuse has the capacity to replace demolition and new construction as a viable alternative that promotes sustainability, cost savings, and a slew of other advantages.

A Canadian case study examining life-cycle assessments for existing buildings showed that adaptive reuse can achieve whole-life carbon reductions of nearly 30 to 70 percent or more compared with demolition and new construction on the same site, which will be key to achieving sustainability targets. This means that adaptive reuse can no longer be a niche offering, but instead it must become a core competency for those companies looking to make their mark on the industry moving forward.

What is adaptive reuse?
Adaptive reuse is an approach that takes what is old and makes it new again. When the conditions are right, the results are spectacular. However, they are not without their challenges.

Adaptive reuse comes in many forms, with countless examples of exceptional design and execution. And, while many sites hold historical significance that are preserved through this approach, adaptive reuse isn’t reserved for that application alone.

From commercial and industrial spaces like old factories and warehouses, to cultural or heritage spaces like churches and schools, these spaces can find new life with secondary purpose as residential, retail, hospitality, or even tech campuses. The structural simplicity and staying power of these buildings, paired with high ceiling heights, often make them a viable choice. In many cases, these structures were built to last.

While historic preservation and restoration is a big part of adaptive reuse, repurposing and urban infill are other ways the approach is being leveraged to promote sustainability and optimize available space and existing infrastructure to meet the needs of a community. Repurposing existing or obsolete buildings preserves their heritage and architectural character, but it also presents an opportunity to reduce construction costs, maintain the unique identity of a neighbourhood or a community, and craft exceptional projects that set the standard for beauty and function.

The World Economic Forum sees adaptive reuse as a critical component of community revitalization, particularly in densely populated urban centers. Not only can these structures work to breathe new life into communities, but they can also serve to create circular economies by eliminating waste and reusing, repairing, and recycling what already exists. These projects preserve embodied carbon within the building’s existing structure and materials, in addition to avoiding demolition and transportation of the refuse materials, as well as the carbon emissions attributable to the new construction. According to the American Institute of Architects, the avoidance of demolition and new construction can save anywhere between 50 and 75 percent of the carbon emissions that an identical building built new would generate.

With no demolition costs or land acquisition costs, as well as the common provision of tax breaks or grants to support these kinds of developments which utilize existing infrastructure, there are certainly advantages to be had.

Not all that glitters is gold
More than 30 percent of buildings are demolished for reasons that have nothing to do with the physical state of the building, but rather the land itself, and it can take up to 80 years for a new energy-efficient building to offset the impacts of its construction. And, to top it off, residential rehabilitation creates 50 percent more jobs than new construction. But there are many other considerations that need to be made before moving forward with adaptive reuse.

Many of these advantages, particularly the financial savings, depend greatly on the building itself, the condition it is in, and the contingencies that are uncovered during construction. Not every structure is suitable for adaptive reuse and those that are selected are not without their challenges. In many cases, the outcomes are impressive, but the costs of remediation are high, especially where problems are hidden beneath the surface.

Adaptive reuse can also come with a great deal of unpredictability during the construction process, with challenges emerging like lead, asbestos, information gaps throughout the years, and the need for specialized labour to complete complex retrofits, among others. This means that any costs that were saved during demolition can manifest in the form of discovery costs.

Further, from an architectural standpoint, older structures often come with their share of spatial compromises, as well as the potential for zoning, regulatory, or building code compliance issues, though many of these can be mitigated on the front end.

To ensure the success of an adaptive reuse project, work must be done to gauge the degree of risk associated with a project. While not every challenge can be foreseen or anticipated, early structural assessments are worth the time and investment.

Successful adaptive reuse projects also depend on a design that respects the existing structure, function, and history, while embodying modern designs and materials that complement that character. By creating harmony and interplay between the historic and modern components, staying true to the space and not manufacturing authenticity, but rather letting the space shine for itself, these projects bring value to the market that cannot be achieved by new construction alone.

Giving structures a second chance
If governments hope to achieve emissions reduction targets and meet the needs of their growing populations and communities, particularly in urban areas where land and resources are at a premium, adaptive reuse will have to remain a part of the conversation.

If sustainability is a priority, the focus cannot solely be on the construction of new state-of-the-art buildings, but rather, a sustainable overall approach to construction, which includes considering adaptive reuse and giving existing properties a chance to shine, particularly those that were built to last.

While not all projects are suited for this approach, there is a growing acknowledgement of its economic and environmental impacts. Even building standards like LEED v5 are increasingly supporting its adoption through rewards for embodied carbon reduction and efforts to decouple building reuse credits from new construction, as well as other changes that encourage the use of the approach where it makes sense to do so.

As American architect Carl Elefante is credited as saying, “The greenest building is the one that already exists,” which means that via adaptive reuse, the foundation for success is already there; it just needs a creative and visionary team to bring it back to life.

The post Reimagining the Past Through Adaptive Reuse<p class="company">A Historic Twist on Modern Construction</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

According to content created by Armada Design & Build of Bellevue, Washington, investing in universal design is the best long-term approach to future-proofing spaces. With the soaring cost of construction, such buildings benefit from consistently low-maintenance, single-floor designs which help avoid the expense and inconvenience of major retrofitting later. If a single-floor design is impossible, adding an elevator or stair lift, or planning for later installation of same from the outset, is advisable, as is ensuring that access points are step-free and at least 32 to 36 inches wide.

Other important considerations include choosing lever handles over doorknobs, creating amply lit walkways enhanced by motion sensors, and incorporating safe, suitable flooring. Moreover, ensuring that non-slip, heated bathrooms and barrier-free showers are sufficiently spacious to allow for assistants, Zimmer frames, and wheelchair access, perhaps even with benches, alongside installing or planning the future installation of adjustable shower heads and suitable, higher-than-usual toilets with an easy flush function, flanked by support bars that double up as rails, are all advisable.

When it comes to kitchens, further advice counsels in favour of carefully planning eye-level oven elevations, as wheelchair heights can impact convenience. Future-proofing universally designed homes typically also means storage that is easily accessible from a lower height. An often lesser-considered element is acoustics, where spaces are designed in ways that support hearing impairment by holding sound in a way that makes it easy to converse without having to raise one’s voice. The same goes for adaptive technologies that enable people with hearing difficulties to register smoke and other alarms.

As the construction industry continuously strives to adapt to end-user needs, it comes as good news that mental and behavioural health design in architecture is becoming a recognized discipline that complements and supports designing for greater accessibility. That is because neurodiversity and poor mental health are considered physical impairments that are to be carefully considered if universal design—or design that does not need adaptation for safer navigation later—and social equity are to be fully achieved.

To this end, while well-considered, homey interior design, noise control, privacy, good natural daylight, layered lighting, and HVAC with voice activation or app control all contribute to the sound physical health of inhabitants, the powerful mental and physical health-enhancing powers of Nature in modern environments also cannot be denied, especially as increasing volumes of research support the notion that forest environments contribute significantly to mental and physical health. This is not only in terms of physical exercise, either.

Research shows that the impact of natural woodlands and forests is so remarkable that the construction, development, and design industries would do well to incorporate these considerations into their design ethos. According to global thought leader in forest medicine and immunology, Doctor Qing Li (MD, PhD), a graduate of Stanford University School of Medicine and clinical professor at Nippon Medical School, Japan, access to forests provides significant benefits for long-term health and overall well-being.

Dr. Li’s research proves that forest bathing promotes neurological health and immune modulation through phytoncides, volatile oils released by trees that enter the human organism through breathing. It also improves neurocognitive resilience alongside regulating the body’s stress response. Furthermore, these compounds boost natural killer cells which protect against tumours and viruses. The evidence of the significant benefits provided by forest access is so undeniable that it is now recognized and promoted by State Departments such as New York’s.

The implications of these findings on mental and behavioural health design in architecture are such that, to truly provide accessibility for all in the future-forward development of private and public universally designed spaces, city planners and designers would do well to develop strategies alongside subject experts to harness the true superpowers of trees which can only be obtained within the complex natural matrixes of naturally occurring forests. By reverse-engineering the accessibility of the natural surroundings of homes and civic buildings to welcome people of all abilities, the mental and physical health needs of occupants would be safeguarded and taken care of in potentially revolutionary ways. Such an approach would provide significantly improved quality of life for all, in ways that too few humans living with physical impairments in urban areas have access to these days.

For those in doubt of the accessibility to existing forest resources, the good news is that the ADA and Rehabilitation Act, alongside the Forest Service Outdoor Recreation Accessibility Guidelines (FSORAG) in the United States, make provision for “legally defined” wheelchair accessibility on all trails where travelling on foot is permitted. The gap that currently exists between direct forest access and universally designed properties could, therefore, be closed by bringing greater awareness to developers and end-users on regenerative design and forest bathing through information provision and proximity to natural systems.

This, in turn, would go a long way to protecting intact or rehabilitated peri-urban ecosystems that link residential and public areas. These areas are also referred to by Herb Hammand, forest ecologist and co-author of Nature-First Cities: Restoring Relationships with Ecosystems and with Each Other, as the natural water movement network, which enables the survival of precious fauna, flora, and forests, arguably among the most precious health-providing mechanisms on the planet.

Once the concept of easy access to health-giving forest bathing as a life-extending necessity is adopted as a crucial and commonly accepted design standard, further developing room-by-room accessibility potentially takes on new meaning as the dialectic relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces is explored and developed. Design details can be informed—and supplemented—by the natural systems that surround us.

While developers and architects navigate the changing tides of human needs from a construction perspective, I, for one, look forward to seeing the world of regenerative design meet universal design in brave new ways where Nature and urban living cohabit in peace, to the benefit of all.

The post Design for Life, Design for All<p class="company">Universal Accessibility Considerations in Architecture</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Serving the Greater Toronto Area and beyond, the company’s openness to complexity and problem-solving skills have earned it a sterling reputation. Founded in 2008, the firm has always taken pride in genuinely understanding its customers’ needs, processes, and envisioned outcomes, a commitment that has stood it in good stead over nearly two decades in a tough industry.

While many construction management outfits do their best to become true partners with clients, Harrington and Associates has perfected its strategy to the point where clients know they can trust it with Herculean tasks. “We truly are an extension of the owner. We believe we understand their business and what they’re trying to do,” says Chris Flanagan, Principal.

Harrington and Associates continues this legacy of excellence by maintaining a comparatively small, select client pool that it provides with quality work. This does not, however, make the company’s presence in the market a small one—on the contrary. By following a judicious growth strategy, the company continues deepening its skills in its target sectors, such as utility projects and data centres. This is how it was awarded a historic contract by Lakeview Community Partners Limited (LCPL) for its largest-to-date, 15-year, seven-phase build-out. As the biggest energy and housing development of its kind in North America, it is a remarkable milestone for Harrington.

One of the project’s collaborators is Enwave, a next-generation energy company. Based in Toronto with satellites across the country, Enwave is tasked with the development’s energy generation. Providing heating and cooling energy generation, Enwave is best known for its decarbonization technology underpinning all its models, including the Deep Lake Water Cooling System. Noted as the planet’s biggest lake-based cooling system, this project sees water from Lake Ontario pumped from 83 meters deep, providing cold water used to cool everything from data centres and hospitals to office blocks. Energy reduction rates are reported to be around 80 percent.

Shane Ravindranath, Director of Complex Projects at Enwave, is full of praise for the company’s capabilities. “It’s all about big thinking… Harrington was a key partner in helping us develop the plan,” he says. But that is not all. The company’s experience and organizational skills are additional pluses in collaborating with the firm. “[Harrington has] a deep constructability mindset. They take complex problems and are able to simplify them into something that’s tangible. They’re not a common construction management team,” he continues, explaining that, for Harrington, even the “basement” elements of the development, which other contractors typically pay minimal attention to, are a shining star. “They know this is the guts and the blood of the system. This is what makes everything work,” Ravindranath says, lauding the company for its transparency, flexibility, and risk tolerance underscored by its sophisticated planning capacity.

The 45,000-square-foot Lakeview District Energy project in Mississauga, Ontario, is a two-storey, below-grade collaborative and sustainability-focused project constructed from 12,000 cubic meters of concrete and steel, the first of its kind in North America. Located at the site of Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) former Four Sisters’ coal-fired plant, one of the project’s differentiators beyond its size is the conversion of effluent water for regulating the temperature inside the homes of its neighbouring 12,000-unit housing development comprising a combination of townhouses, condominiums, and other residential units. The new Village Lake Pier development will also contribute its wastewater for heating and cooling the units.

The green space development was preceded by eight years of planning and is highly complex in nature. The first phase of the project has been under construction for four years and is on schedule, estimated to be completed in 18 months. This will be followed by the installation of high-voltage electrical infrastructure, which will include pump arrays with boilers, complete with remotely controlled Siemens regulation technology. The energy centre is flanked by Mississauga’s G.E. Booth Wastewater Treatment Plant. The effluent from this plant, which will be processed to power all cooling and heating systems at Lakeview Village, will also replace the cooling towers and heat recovery pump systems typically used in less advanced systems. This makes natural gas obsolete for the function, significantly reducing carbon emissions. Based on a four-pipe distribution system, a hot-water and chilled-water loop will circulate heating and cooling mediums to every home from a central utility plant.

Built in response to the City of Mississauga’s 2030 greenhouse gas reduction targets, the 117-acre, low-carbon Lakeview Village development’s energy centre is a decisive step toward a more sustainable future for the city. “LCPL has made the choice to pursue District Energy (DE)—the optimal approach for enabling the development to achieve its low-carbon energy goals, while focusing on providing the customer with a solution that is reliable and resilient; cost competitive to the market; and adaptable over time,” says Kaid Al-Ani, Associate Vice President, High Performance Building Lead for AECOM, a part of Enwave’s team responsible for design innovation.

The energy centre doesn’t just promise sophistication, however. It will also be beautiful, and every contributing partner along with the broader region is excited to see the completed project come to life. Complementing the project’s advanced technology, an aluminium lace façade will be illuminated at night. “Following eight years of evaluation, stakeholder negotiation, land siting, execution of master agreements with the chosen utility operator (Enwave), lease agreement execution, detailed design, and an extensive approval process, we are so excited to see the light at the end of the tunnel as we anticipate plant operation in 2028. This process was a tremendous undertaking for LCPL and their team, and it represents a huge win for the Lakeview Village Community, the City of Mississauga, and the Region of Peel,” David Scott, Professional Engineer and Project Director at the Lakeview Sustainability Centre said in a statement.

Harrington and Associates is naturally proud to be a part of this monumental undertaking. With an overall team of around 50 permanent management staff, Harrington’s design team features 10 consultants and design engineers. There are also component servicing contractors. Another team of 12 takes care of the finer details in the office and on site, while more than 100 painstakingly sourced contractors take care of the rest of the work. The overall process has provided the entire team with an opportunity to meet the challenge with fortitude and a commitment to personal and professional growth.

As the housing development has seen many changes over time, the energy centre has also adapted to maintain harmony between the two entities. Careful planning and management are crucial to good long-term outcomes, and to maintain order, construction plans, schedules, and logistics strategies are reviewed and adapted weekly.

“We’re well underway for a successful build-out for phase one for next year. It’s a very large team,” says Cheyenne Boone, Senior Project Manager, highlighting the importance of careful communication, organization, risk management, and the immediate remediation of issues and challenges. The result has been an extraordinarily well-coordinated project without the typical high-stakes stress responses such projects are traditionally known for.

“There have been a lot of changes, and Harrington has been nimble enough to adjust accordingly. We’re versatile enough to speak to all the elements of the project,” Flanagan adds.

Boone is proud of the level of synergy and harmony the team has maintained throughout the project, especially considering the complexities and scale. “We all have a similar intent for success. It’s been one of the more well-strategized builds with the consultant team, development team, and stakeholders that we’re working with,” she says. “It’s a wonderful addition to the community. It’s going to be phenomenal.”

To be sure, the Harrington and Associates team’s vision for success is remarkably straightforward. Its strict adherence to transparency, regular follow-ups, clear processes, and committed follow-through makes for drama-free construction. Boone is positive about the commitment: “Success isn’t measured solely by the structure we deliver, but by the partnerships we build along the way. When every stakeholder shares ownership of the vision, the entire team succeeds together,” she says.

Harrington and Associates is a company that aims to do the right thing in the right way, and this approach underpins every decision the team makes. With integrity the deciding factor in everything it does, Harrington and Associates continues to abide by its guiding maxim of being only as good as its last job. Considering the long-term implications and value of projects like Lakeview Village, always owning the outcome of its work is a solid promise.

The post Where Partnership Powers Progress<p class="company">Harrington and Associates</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

A leader in the North American geoexchange market, Geosource Energy is a relatively small second-generation Canadian operation that is having a significant market impact by providing Earth Powered Solutions™ to clients across North America and beyond.

Using geothermal energy, which is generated and stored beneath the Earth’s surface, the company’s geoexchange systems provide cost-effective and highly efficient heating, cooling, and hot water for new construction and retrofit projects that seek to set the bar for sustainability and performance.

Backed by proprietary technology and a unique approach, over its 20-plus year history Geosource Energy has drilled over six million linear feet for more than 400 successful projects across Canada and the United States, establishing itself as a leader in the field and a true champion of geothermal.

Why choose geothermal?
An investment in geothermal is an investment in reduced energy use, and thus, lower demand on the grid, fewer emissions, lower life cycle costs, more predictable monthly rates, and optimal year-round comfort; it’s a win for both people and the environment, which is why a greater number of utilities and government entities are doubling down on these investments.

Geothermal systems are proven more sustainable versus conventional HVAC systems, while also being more cost-effective over the long term. In fact, users can experience 25 to 50 percent lower energy costs as a result of the investment, while the underground infrastructure can outlast the structure itself. As CEO Stan Reitsma notes, studies have shown that, “For every dollar that’s saved there, there’s nine dollars saved on the grid.”

In a market marred by volatility and unpredictability, particularly where energy is concerned, the untapped potential of geothermal to add capacity to the grid is something worth exploring. Studies are underway to better understand how geoexchange systems can be used to support the grid as it faces unprecedented demand, particularly in the wake of mass data centre expansion.

Naturally, a big driver in the U.S. is from utilities as they seek to meet this growing demand—more specifically, they are investigating the role of geothermal in cooling storage and demand side power management for data centres as they continue to come online at an impressive pace. “If they can start proving out geothermal for data centres, that’s going to create a whole different type of expansion in the market,” says Vice President Kate Cheng, an area that Geosource Energy is prepared to undertake.

Why choose Geosource?
With more than 20 years of experience offering utility grade construction services and best-in-class drilling and expertise, Geosource Energy is not only a leader in geothermal but also a technology leader who sets the bar and continues to drive the industry forward.

“One of the big differentiators we have is our drill rigs. Geosource has worked with Novamac, our drill manufacturer, for many, many years now and we have only one type of drill rig that we use across our entire company,” says Cheng of the highly flexible dual rotary drill rig which enables work to be done in even the most challenging conditions.

Since 2008, Geosource Energy has been positioning the bore field below a building’s footprint, a proprietary process referred to as At Grade, which allows the drilling to take place before excavation starts (though it can come at any point during new construction or retrofits thanks to angle drilling). Angle drilling enables Geosource Energy to go beneath infrastructure like roadways, buildings, or greenspace without disturbance, using a central location and a concentrated workspace to minimize the impact of its operations.

“When you’re in urban environments drilling next to multifamily buildings with balconies five feet from where you’re drilling, we really limit the acoustic impact of our drill rigs and we’ve developed specialized equipment that allows us to containerize all of our operations so we’re not a big messy site with spoils and grout flying around in the air,” Cheng explains.

This enables the team to get maximum capacity from a limited area, which is particularly useful for retrofit projects like 240 Markland in the Greater Toronto Area, where geoexchange not only improved overall energy efficiency, but also reduced the property’s energy reliance.

“We try to limit the amount of space that we’re actually using to do the geo by putting them very close together at surface and then spreading it out underground,” explains Reitsma, who notes space requirements can be reduced by upwards of 95 percent. “If we had not angle drilled, they would not have been able to retrofit those buildings. They didn’t have enough space.”

This patent-protected process optimizes the trade sequence and drives value from a project’s outset, and to ensure that the benefits of its use are not limited by Geosource’s own capacity, which has been tested by growing demand, the company will license out the technology to other drillers to ensure that industry best practices are being implemented.

This drive to advance geothermal is part of the company’s DNA. According to Cheng, “Our core innovation tenets being equipment innovation, process innovation, and data-driven operations means design improvements based on real performance data, new tools for geothermal field analysis, and intelligence for operational systems,” which enables the company to undertake industry-leading projects that move the needle forward for geothermal and sustainable construction.

Setting the bar
Geosource Energy has a rich portfolio of projects highlighting the value it brings to the market. At the University of Toronto’s St. George campus, Geosource Energy drilled 372 boreholes at 250 meters per borehole (approximately half the height of the CN Tower) to complete the largest operational urban geothermal/geoexchange system in Canada. The project boasts an energy capacity with a storage equivalent of 250,000 electric vehicle batteries and it has cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 17,000 tonnes annually.

The demonstrated value for institutional operations is incredible, which is why more and more such clients are integrating geoexchange into their projects. There is a desire to reap the long-term benefits, deemed worthy of their upfront costs.

This was also the case recently at the new Western Memorial Regional Hospital in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador where Geosource designed and installed the geothermal system, which included 375 boreholes spanning 600 feet below the parking lot. Recognized as North America’s largest hospital geothermal system, the geoexchange system provides 100 percent of the hospital’s heating, replacing electric baseboards with a more efficient system that has resulted in a 50 percent reduction in electricity use.

These are the kinds of results Geosource has delivered in Canada over its 20-plus year history, and now it continues to make history south of the border as well. Selected by Lendlease for the 1 Java Street project, a residential development in Brooklyn comprising 834 rental units—30 percent of which are designated as affordable housing—as well as nearly 13,000 square feet of neighbourhood-oriented retail space, Geosource’s expertise and ability to execute is in high demand, and for good reason.

Upon completion, 1 Java Street became the largest geothermal residential project in the United States, thanks to Geosource Energy’s vertical closed loop geoexchange system comprising 321 boreholes at a depth of 500 feet. This system will reduce annual carbon emissions from heating and cooling by 53 percent compared with typical residential systems and as an all-electric building, emissions will be eliminated.

This project also set the stage for additional work in the U.S. and as such, Geosource made the decision to establish a U.S. headquarters in Manhattan to support growth in demand.

For instance, Geosource recently partnered with Honeywell on the John F. Kennedy Elementary School project in Boston, the city’s first geothermal retrofit of a school in the area. Certainly, the geology of the area presents unique challenges, but Geosource was up to the task.

Cheng credits the rigs as “a big part of what makes us so flexible in different geologies because no matter what the geology is, we can tool up to do rotary drilling.”

It’s a good thing, too, because interest is being generated out west with other major projects like Oracle Global Headquarters in Nashville, which means neither geology nor geography is going to stop the company’s success.

The growing push for decarbonization
For clients, geothermal can serve as a component part of achieving net zero/low-carbon outcomes and Geosource Energy, with its acute awareness that only a percentage of the market has been spoken for, continues to push on.

“We all work together trying to decarbonize the industry and we have a solutions mindset related to that,” explains Cheng, which is why Geosource continues to experience growth in demand for its expertise around North America, and even the world.

According to Cheng, “We have the practicality and work ethic of a field-driven construction company but with the analytical approach of an engineering and technology organization.” This is backed by an unmatched depth of experience in the field, actionable data, and technology leadership that enables the company to find success no matter where projects may take it.

With interest even being generated overseas, where there is growing recognition of the potential impact of geoexchange, Geosource Energy is a Canadian company who has become a global authority in geothermal. This is a team that continues to advance the market through exceptional projects and unmatched performance, raising the bar for an entire industry in the process.

The post Raising the Standard for Geothermal<p class="company">Geosource Energy</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Boasting a fleet of more than 700 units, service assets, and accessories such as boom lifts, scissor lifts, telehandlers, mast forklifts, small dirt equipment, and more, GM leases a variety of aerial and material handling equipment, and offers custom hydraulic hoses, electrical and hydraulic maintenance, and diagnostics. Along with renting out brand-new, well-maintained construction equipment that has undergone a comprehensive inspection and received OSHA approval, and offering timely, trustworthy customer service, GM Equipment also provides repair services on site or at its facilities, with highly skilled service specialists performing boom inspections on a quarterly or annual basis.

Another recent accomplishment was the company’s ability to elevate its Hydraulix offering, a bucket truck repair division established in November 2020 as part of a continuous endeavor to differentiate itself, remain current, and carry on its legacy of variety and advancement. Hydraulix services include DOT inspections, yearly boom inspections, hydraulic repair, electrical diagnostics, lathe and mill work, dielectric testing, and custom hoses of all sizes, in addition to the hydraulic and electrical repair of various boom, bucket, and derrick trucks. Since its inception, the division has grown to serve a wide range of clients with varied needs at offices in Columbus, Ohio and St. Marys, Pennsylvania.

“As of January 1^st this year, we separated that company as its own entity and put a focus on driving that business to newer heights,” says General Manager, Drew Dobson. “So far this year, it’s been a really good story. We’re employing more people for good-paying jobs, expanding our services line, and taking a lot of pride in gaining more customers and performing good work.”

GM still has hurdles to overcome, however, including finding, training, and retaining the skilled personnel required to keep the company running smoothly, an industry-wide concern.

“It’s what I’m hearing in our industry across the board, whether it be from our customers or the contractors performing the work; they’re struggling to find mechanics and truck drivers,” Dobson says. “At the end of the day, what it comes down to is we can only be as successful as those around us. If we get full support from our employees and our vendors, we can be successful.”

While GM has certainly enjoyed success over the past 20 years, there has “definitely been a shift downhill” recently that’s making it tougher, specifically since the onset of the pandemic. GM, however, remains committed to meeting the challenge.

“It’s important for everybody to be accessible and make sure we’re turning things around quickly, because it all hinges on that,” Dobson says. “We still have great partners who help us every single day, whether they be our employees or our vendors, but it’s just been tougher for everybody all around.”

Today’s troubling economy has also served to increase expenses while slowing delivery and progress across the board, compared to pre-COVID times. “Even in the midst of those hurdles, we’re still doing everything in our power to be a top player,” Dobson, says, adding that GM’s reliable workforce plays a large part in that.

GM employees themselves remain committed to ensuring the company continues to thrive despite these challenges. That dedication to quality and service has helped employees find not only success but longevity, unusual in today’s workplace, and truly a testament to what GM is doing right.

“We know we have our share of turnover here and there, but our core group of employees have been here a long time,” Dobson says. “We have employees who have been here for over 15 years now, and in today’s market, we really think that that’s a good testament to how well we try to take care of them.”

What makes GM a great place to work? A combination of factors, with the foremost being good pay and solid benefits. “On top of that, we try to think outside the box and offer our employees some things that other businesses don’t, such as paid time off for birthdays,” says Dobson. Another is being flexible with time, offering every employee the opportunity to work 4/10s in a week in order to take a Friday off once a month, he adds. “As far as I know, there’s nobody else in our industry doing that. We’re constantly working on ways to improve benefits, such as 401(k) with a match, to take good care of our people.”

Additionally, the relationship between management and employees is one of open communication, encouraging everyone to come forward with any issues or problems. “We tell everybody here, we’ve got a job to do,” Dobson says. “This company has turned into a real machine, and it takes a lot of energy to fuel that machine, but at the end of the day, our core principles of being a family-owned company haven’t faltered. We take great pride in it being a laidback workplace, where if an employee has a question or issue, it’s an open-door policy,” he says.

“We take a lot of pride in listening to our employees. Their ideas and thoughts on whatever may be in front of us are valuable,” Dobson says. “Two heads are always better than one, and if we can work to make a better process or situation, or just answer a simple question, that’s always the way that we want to go.”

All of these efforts have successfully created a company that has not only grown for the past 20 years but will continue to do so well into the future. “Moving forward, it’s about looking to the next milestone, like the 25-year or 30-year anniversary,” Dobson says. “There are no direct plans at this moment for a large expansion, but we’re also the type of people who are never going to pass up a good deal or a good opportunity. We’re always open to the next big thing.”

Reaching future milestones will depend on maintaining quality employees, and Dobson reiterates the importance of bringing in skilled and dedicated employees who will help usher in the future of the company. If you’re one of those people, he adds, there is a place for you at GM Equipment Rentals. “If you’re a motivated individual, you want to work hard and be rewarded as such, and you want to have the ability to move up and exceed your goals, this is a good place for you. Our history can attest to that. Our other employees can attest to that, that we’re always looking to grow and expand and do the next big thing, and we need more people to help us do that.”

Finding those types of committed and eager workers shouldn’t be difficult for a company of this stature. “That’s the biggest thing: we tell everybody, it’s not that you have to necessarily be an expert in your position, but we need you to almost be an expert in motivation. We’re willing to teach, and we’re willing to help. You’ve got to be willing to put the work in.”

He adds that encouraging young people to venture into trades out of high school is also a necessary and positive step to help create a solid and secure future in industries that have so much to offer.

“I think we as a society have finally come to that realization here in the past year,” he says. “We’re in this period where everybody was being told, ‘you’ve got to go to college.’ The trades suffered from that, and now we’re realizing it, but it’s going to be a while before the turnaround happens, where we can get back to a more normal distribution of talent.”

With skilled tradespeople retiring at a steady pace, finding those younger, skilled workers will be an ongoing concern, but companies like GM Equipment Rentals provide strong incentives to enter this healthy and lucrative field of employment.

Until then, GM plans to continue on its productive path forward, serving both its loyal customers and skilled employees, to ensure a bright future, banding together to handle any potential challenges the company and the industry may face.

Dobson is assured they will succeed. “There are other factors just plain out of our control already working against us, and if we can do our best to ensure a good working relationship or a good outcome for the customer, that’s what we need to do,” he says.

And that’s where GM Equipment Rentals’ focus has stayed, ensuring success over the past 20 years. “That’s what we’ve been focusing on,” he stresses. “Despite all the other hurdles, we’re focusing hard on making sure the customer is taken care of. We’re trying to take care of our employees, keep them happy, keep them around, and keep them employed here for a long time. Our goal is for every employee to want to retire from our company.”

The post Growth Mode: Taking Pride in Service, Skills, and Communication<p class="company">GM Equipment Rentals</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

The advent of new technology across countless industries, especially in the way of AI (artificial intelligence), means that there are new advancements every year in practically every market niche, even when it comes to creating a backyard and/or patio space. As usual, the aim for a lot of homeowners is an outdoor space that provides maximum comfort and security, and manufacturers in the construction space are rising to meet that desire. According to an article for HBSDealer by Joe Raboine, “Experts predict that the outdoor living market will hit $3.66 billion by 2033.”

Lee Rivett for Retail Insider says that retailers across Canada, for instance, are beginning to move into displaying outdoor living supplies and ornamentation much earlier than usual in 2026, which could be an indicator that it will be an important market segment this year.

It will likely not be surprising for many to see more AI-infused technology become part of the typical backyard experience. In an article for Residential Tech Today, Rob Stott says that automation is already here for many areas of outdoor living and luxury. For example, motorized screens and outdoor shade structures like pergolas allow homeowners to relax in the shade to their desired intensity and coverage. Stott says that these systems can also be helpful in transitional zones like covered patios and screened porches to improve sun protection, wind and rain management, and even bug repelling. Lighting can also be controlled via LED strips on dimmer switches and customizable lighting schemes.

Outdoor automation can also be valuable for additional weather protection, as with sensors that measure important outdoor elements like humidity. “This level of automation is particularly beneficial for second homes or vacation properties,” says Stott, when owners may not be present to ensure an optimal environment. Now, homeowners invested in digital and AI platforms through Amazon Alexa and other like platforms can control lighting, home security, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems, and now the patio environment overall in one place.

An article for Realty Times says that automation in backyard technology continues to shape what the modern patio looks like. Products like the Pergola X by StruXure, a Georgia-based builder, allow for automatic control over the elements with innovations like sensors that automatically close the pergola roof when it’s raining or detect movement to synchronize with homeowner lighting. Even heating elements like fire pits can be remotely controlled and adjusted via mobile apps or even voice-controlled AI assistants.

StruXure is joined by others in the space aiming to make an impact in outdoor living, with outdoor furniture companies like Yotrio Corporation, Brown Jordan, Agio International, and more all focusing their efforts on the values of innovation, sustainability, and aesthetic appeal within the sector.

Another trend behind backyard and patio spaces is the desire of homeowners to create a space that supports physical and mental well-being. This endeavour can take many forms, like an outdoor space designed to enhance nearby natural elements like plants and trees. It can even mean simply making room for elements that look to bring a homeowner further comfort, from a simple yoga mat for daily practice to a barrel sauna or cold plunge for more intensive practices. Lee Rivett says that, when it comes to selling products associated with outdoor living, “Retailers are selling an aspirational lifestyle centred on entertaining, relaxation, and home investment.”

The patio/backyard space as one for positive effects on health has to do with its sensory qualities as much as any one piece of technology. Outdoor living experts often suggest promoting a quiet, peaceful spot through the plants and greenery you may choose to add, the natural light you let in, and the use of both the local environment and helpful tools like barriers or vertical wall gardens to keep noise at bay. Adequate space is also encouraged.

Comfort and ease of use are not the only concerns for modern homeowners, as many want to embrace the use of more ecologically friendly building materials so as to lessen a new project’s carbon footprint. Joe Raboine’s article says that alternative materials for fencing and decking became a much bigger talking point in 2025, including vinyl and aluminum options. Materials like these can be used to create spaces that are more resistant to weather elements like snow and rain as well as heat and insects.

The use of alternative materials to create a wood-like exterior in the backyard/outdoor space is called composite decking, a product now offered by hardware store chains. This practice allows for various aesthetic specifications to be made without sacrificing durability against typical North American weather or the wear-and-tear that traditional materials experience over time. Modular deck systems, ones that can be customized easily and installed affordably, are also a rising trend in the backyard industry. Raboine says that hardscape (i.e. pavement) manufacturers are bringing more modularity into their product designs because of its increasing popularity and the desire for customers to create a patio that is truly their vision.

Nothing is above rethinking in the backyard, to the point that even grass lawns are beginning to fall out of favour. The eco-friendly lens sees lawns as a more maintenance-intensive backyard option that has a less favourable environmental footprint, especially when compared to alternatives like low ground covers or turfs. Alternatives like these, such as certain clovers, echo the appearance of grass but require far less upkeep, with many types of cover calling for less watering or mowing than traditional grass. In some areas of the world, the methods of lawn upkeep (watering, sodding, mowing) are placing excessive strain on valuable water and electricity resources, so the move into environmentally friendly takes on the classic is a trend likely to accelerate with time.

No matter the reason for a new backyard or patio project, there are all-new considerations for both would-be and experienced builders as a new season approaches. Whether incorporating automation and new tech into the space, building more consciously, or simply looking to make a house feel like home, there are so many new and exciting ways to improve your outdoor experience and make something that may have only been imagined until now.

The post Patio Season<p class="company">How Technology Is Enhancing the Backyards of Today</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

For good reason, play is even protected as a fundamental right in Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, deep recognition of the benefits of play and the importance of its role in development. Play is paramount to cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development, which makes it good for the mind, body, and soul. It is where imagination comes to life, where challenges and fears are faced, and where relationships with others and the environment are navigated.

While play can happen almost anywhere, one of the most accessible locations for play is found in public parks and playgrounds where children can congregate and be free to explore and where the imagination can run wild. From spaceships and pirate ships to castles in faraway lands, a playground can become whatever a child’s mind can muster. It is a blank canvas where children can be anything, or anyone, they want to be, particularly when the equipment and the space have been optimized for use and safety.

Fun for all ages and abilities
Any discussion about safe and inclusive spaces must begin with universal design (UD), a principled approach to creating spaces, places, and products that support access, safety, and inclusion in the built environment, enabling use by all people regardless of age or ability. Where UD is applied, there is no need to require special adaptations as they are already considered and incorporated into the design proactively and thoughtfully.

Established by architect Ronald Mace at North Carolina State University, UD is built upon seven principles including equitable use, flexibility in use, simple and intuitive use, perceptible information, tolerance for error, low physical effort, and size and space for approach/use.

Whether it is the inclusion of automated sliding doors, the use of symbols and language, tactile flooring, lever-style doors or handles, or ensuring that spaces are barrier-free and have room to manoeuvre, UD is the consideration of the component parts of a space that contribute to the functioning of the whole. For instance, an inclusive park is one that seeks to remove physical and social barriers to interaction and enjoyment of the equipment and lands, or the inclusion of sensory zones and quiet areas, and so much more. From the design to the materials, like swings with harness supports and wheelchair-accessible structures with double-wide ramps, these spaces are designed for use by all.

The importance of play
Play stimulates brain development which supports cognitive function including the ability to think critically, solve problems, navigate challenges, and build confidence in one’s fine and gross motor skills and abilities, as well as social skills. Whether engaging individually or as a part of a collective, public recreational spaces offer countless opportunities for social interaction where children (and adults) can cooperate, empathize, share, and navigate disputes.

Children especially benefit from unstructured play time, which supports the development of their independence, confidence, and ability to navigate their own feelings of physical and emotional safety. And while this is true of children, adults also stand to benefit from time spent in play in parks and public spaces, as it serves to support cognitive growth and memory, physical wellbeing, and emotional and social faculties at all ages.

Parks with outdoor gym equipment are gaining popularity as one way to improve access to the tools that support health and wellbeing across all ages. As not everyone has access to a gym membership, these spaces can be a gateway to a healthier physical lifestyle as well as the social and emotional wellbeing of the community as it brings different ages together in a shared, common space.

This is the same for integrated walking trails that promote physical activity for all ages. American Trails says that there is a direct correlation between the availability of trails and the health of a community, which means that where there is access to these resources, people will use them for the betterment of themselves and the community as costs and reliance on healthcare are reduced.

Gardens are another impactful form these spaces can take. Beyond their aesthetic appeal, research shows that engaging with flowers and plants can significantly impact emotional well-being. Sustainable, native plantings and even vegetable gardens can create healthy spaces where skills can be learned and the literal fruits of labour can be enjoyed, feeding the bellies of the people and the souls of the neighbourhood.

All of this play results in fun, but more importantly, the spontaneity serves to reduce stress, foster creativity, and support a more productive individual and society. At a time when anxiety and depression are at an all-time high, these kinds of experiences are truly invaluable. There is also much to be gained from interaction between people of all ages, particularly in the post-pandemic period when isolation is worse than ever before. The shared use of these spaces is an opportunity to create interpersonal bridges through design.

Whether the space acts as a communal ground for peers to meet or for new relationships to blossom, there are countless ways that such spaces can be designed to optimize their performance and the outcomes of their use.

Investing in the future
Whether it is a park upgrade, a new build, or a space that is integrated into a new development, there is plenty to consider in the design of a space to ensure that people of all ages benefit from the investment. While municipalities carry a great deal of the responsibility to ensure these safe and inclusive public spaces exist, communities are not the only ones who are investing in the future of children through play.

Canadian Tire, through its Jumpstart program, which was established in 2005 to make sport and recreation more accessible to youth, particularly those with financial barriers, is a private interest that works tirelessly to ensure play is truly inclusive for children of all ages and abilities. This empowering program seeks to bridge the gap between children and sport and recreation to ensure that everyone has access to the essential benefits therein including the previously mentioned advantages as well as the self-esteem and confidence needed to succeed in social and academic settings.

Jumpstart also helps communities build more inclusive play spaces. As it stands, there are 24 Jumpstart Inclusive Playgrounds and 19 additional inclusive play spaces supported by Jumpstart across Canada, which have been designed from the ground up to be universally accessible and enjoyed by all. From barrier-free playgrounds to multi-sport courts like inclusive baseball fields and para hockey rinks, Jumpstart is available to work with municipalities to extend the benefits to residents and communities at large.

Maintaining a standard
Like anything, the materials and equipment used to construct these communal public spaces have evolved greatly over time. High-performance flooring designed to minimize impact and maximize grip, static-free materials, and even anti-microbial surfaces can be integrated to ensure the optimal use and outcomes of the shared built environment.

As the availability and performance of materials have changed, so too have the regulations and standards to which they are subject. The structures are getting higher, more complex, and more imaginative, but not at the expense of safety.

Not only have national standards been established in the wake of these advancements, but a sector of trained inspection professionals who ensure the safety and performance of these spaces has also come to be. In North America, the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), the Canadian Playground Safety Institute (CPSI), and the International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) are the most recognized bodies in the space and demonstrate the importance of establishing and enforcing standards to ensure that kids can be kids in the spaces that are designed for them.

Furthermore, such regulation speak volumes about the value that these spaces add to a community’s vibrance. Where these built environments encompass inclusivity and safety, and where designs are optimized for use, children and people of all ages find a sense of self, a sense of community, and a sense of imagination thanks to having a place where body and mind can be free to explore.

Maximizing return on investment
Personal and social growth is certainly an outcome of a well-designed public space, and a well-designed public space would take every opportunity to maximize return on investment (ROI) through design.

Every community has its own unique needs that can be accounted for in the design of public spaces and playgrounds, multiplying the countless benefits of their existence and use. Like any public project, successfully meeting these needs begins with community consultation. Once a baseline is established, offering the public several design options to choose from is best practice.

Once a decision is made and construction is complete, the very nature of the community will be changed for the better thanks to a new frontier for play and the countless advantages it will afford people of all ages and walks of life. Where the infrastructure of play exists, so too does the rich vibrancy of community.

The post The Infrastructure of Play<p class="company">Building up Individuals and Communities</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

“You could go to another company and work on a similar project with a different logo on your shirt,” McDonald says. “What makes the experience different is the people. When you have a team that shares common values, supports one another, and embraces a true foxhole mentality—where everyone is committed to each other’s success—it creates a culture that’s difficult to replicate.”

That philosophy, rooted in accountability and a quietly fierce loyalty to culture, has defined Erland’s nearly five-decade journey from a five-person open-shop spinoff in Burlington, Massachusetts, to a multi-division construction firm with a portfolio spanning student housing, life sciences, and academic institutions across New England.

Erland Construction was established in 1977 as the open-shop arm of a leading union contractor, created to deliver more cost-effective construction, particularly for Nordblom Company in Northwest Park, where Erland’s offices remain to this day. When legislation prohibiting so-called double-breasting (the simultaneous ownership of both union and open shop companies) came into effect, Erland broke away as an independent entity with just five employees.

The company took its name from its founding president, Kenneth Erland Froeberg, whose story was cut short when he passed from a heart attack in 1983. At that point, Tom Blesso and Chuck Vaciliou, both still with the company today as Board Members, faced a pivotal decision. Young, capable, and clear-eyed about what they didn’t yet know, they sought additional leadership rather than overreach.

They found it in McDonald’s grandfather, Bob McDonald, whose own story is one of improbable ascent. Growing up in Jamaica Plain, when he was 10 years old he lost his father, so he and his brother caddied after school to help their mother cover rent. In 1949, he was in the first class of Francis Ouimet Scholars, an award that paid full college tuition and enabled him to go to MIT and Harvard. Upon graduation he went to Vappi Construction for 27 years followed by a stint at Gilbane, before he joined Erland as President. “He grew up with a lot against him,” McDonald says, “but through that scholarship, he was able to accomplish things that would have seemed very unlikely given the environment he was raised in.”

Steve McDonald, Sean’s father, joined the firm in 1986 and later became President in 1997. The triumvirate of Steve McDonald, Tom Blesso, and Chuck Vaciliou each brought complementary strengths that have carried the company through decades of growth.

Sean himself worked as a laborer during summers while in high school and college, and eventually joined as an Assistant Project Manager in 2017, also serving as a Project Manager, Estimator, and Vice President throughout his tenure. He stepped into the presidential role around a year and a half ago. “I grew up around the business,” he says. “Coming to kids’ holiday parties at five years old and going to the Erland family cookouts. What always stood out was that our people never approached it just as work. They took pride in what they built, held themselves accountable, and genuinely cared about each other and the company’s success.”

Today, Erland operates in several markets. Its Residential division focuses on heads-in-beds projects, apartments, student housing, senior living, and hotels. Its Advanced Tech/Life Sciences group handles technically complex environments, including cleanrooms, laboratories, and increasingly, client-driven expansions into office renovations and institutional upgrades. The third arm, ACC, Academic, Corporate, and Commercial, covers the broadest range of work, with academic construction currently representing one of the firm’s strongest performing sectors.

In 2022, the company reached a peak of $320 million in volume, a high-water mark that was followed by what McDonald describes candidly as turbulence—a convergence of market headwinds, high interest rates, material cost escalation, and the significant internal transition involved in implementing an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

“It takes discipline to remain focused on the opportunities that align best with your team’s expertise and capacity,” McDonald says. “Our goal is always to ensure we have the right people and resources in place to deliver exceptional results for our clients while creating a positive experience for all team members. When those elements come together, it sets the foundation for a successful project for everyone involved.”

The ESOP transition, which Erland completed in 2022 and announced in 2023, was deliberately structured to preserve independence rather than enable exit. Leadership made the decision to sell a portion of the company to its employees, giving them a direct financial stake in Erland’s future.

For McDonald, the ESOP formalized something he had observed since childhood: that Erland’s people had always behaved like owners. Average tenure at the company currently sits at 12 to 13 years, a striking figure given that the majority of its staff are under 40 years of age. “Employee ownership reinforces that commitment by creating meaningful opportunities for long-term wealth creation and career growth,” he says. “The goal was: how can we make Erland an enduring organization for generations to come?”

The ESOP also functions as a retention and recruitment tool at a moment when the construction industry more broadly is seeing average tenures shrink to two or three years. Erland’s workforce includes four members of the Driscoll family, three McDonalds, three Crafts, three Burkes, and multiple second-generation employees who grew up knowing the company before they ever worked for it.

Perhaps the most visible expression of Erland’s current capabilities is a $130 million student residence project underway for Capstone Development Partners at Tufts University in Medford, a two-tower, 10-story development delivering 664 beds to a campus operating in one of the country’s most acute student housing markets. “The greater Boston area has been under a severe housing crisis,” McDonald notes. “Having the privilege to help shape the student residential experience on such an important campus is something our team takes a lot of pride in.”

The project was procured as a design-build undertaking in partnership with Capstone Development Partners, an Alabama-based developer whom Erland had previously engaged on a potential student housing project at Clark University in Worcester, a project that ultimately was canceled due to FAFSA-related complications. Despite that early setback, a strong partnership was developed between Erland and Capstone.

The Tufts project marks Erland’s second use of Canam Hambro’s composite floor system, a prefabricated solution involving composite steel joists capable of spanning up to 43 feet, with larger web openings for routing of services. The system allows 3.5 inches of concrete to be poured over wire mesh and plywood, with the plywood stripped from beneath within 24 hours. The key advantage over traditional stick-frame construction is that the floor below can be worked on concurrently, accelerating the overall program.

The project is also Erland’s first to be built under Massachusetts’ passive house energy code requirements, an increasingly prominent feature of the state’s construction landscape.

“Complex projects inevitably present challenges, but they can be successfully managed when the entire team is aligned around a common goal,” McDonald says. “That collaborative approach has allowed us to maintain our schedule and budget objectives while continuing to meet our client’s expectations.”

Erland’s Advanced Tech/Life Sciences division has built its reputation through sustained positive client relationships that generate ongoing campus-wide work. EMD Serono’s Billerica facility is focused on difficult-to-treat conditions like infertility, multiple sclerosis, and cancer research, and has been an Erland client since approximately 2018, with ongoing projects as their program expands.

Vice President and Director of Operations, Matthew Combs, who oversees the division as a partner in the business, was the original project manager on the account, and McDonald tells a story that captures what long-term partnership in life sciences construction can mean in practice: a medication developed in the facility Erland built was later used to treat a member of Combs’ own family. “It’s pretty meaningful when you see that you’re not just building a project, but something that has a real impact on the community and people around it,” McDonald says.

In the independent school market, Erland is currently delivering a field house at Middlesex School in Concord, emblematic of the academic sector relationships which McDonald says are built on trust and transparency.

This kind of investment in the community also underpins the Erland Foundation, now in its tenth year of service under the leadership of Steve Craft, Chris Landry, Nicole Harrison, Chris McHugh, Melissa Craft, and Bernadette Flaherty. The Foundation has evolved from a charitable giving vehicle into a broader platform for employee volunteerism and community engagement, and has exceeded $300,000 in fundraising in the past decade, a milestone the company marks with visible pride.

A longstanding partnership with the New England Center for Children (NECC) sits at the heart of the foundation’s work. Erland’s eighth annual Strikeout Autism bowling event brought together NECC staff, students, families, employees, and trade partners in February. And more recently, Erland staff participated in NECC’s annual 5K, giving up personal weekend time to support the center’s work.

The foundation also supports housing organizations, youth membership programs, food security initiatives, educational nonprofits, and healthcare causes across Greater Boston.

Never one to stand still or lag behind, Erland’s approach to artificial intelligence mirrors its broader philosophy: measured, purpose-led, and resistant to trend-chasing. The company currently uses Voyage Control for material tracking on the Tufts site, Briq for financial automation, and Billy for insurance compliance monitoring.

“We’re not always the early adopter of whatever’s hot in the market,” McDonald says. “We’re looking for the right thing that’s going to address the issues we’re actually trying to solve.”

This caution is grounded in experience. On takeoff tools, Erland found that the time saved by automation was largely consumed by the verification process required to catch errors—missing windows on an elevation, for instance. The tools are evolving, McDonald acknowledges, but have not yet reached the point where they can be trusted without the kind of scrutiny that negates the efficiency gain.

Erland participates in a peer group of non-competing firms from across the country, meeting twice yearly to share Best Practices and intelligence on technology adoption, AI in particular. “We want to find the right things that actually improve efficiency and provide value to our clients and our team,” McDonald says. “We also focus on AI policy, making sure people are using it responsibly and that we’re protecting not just our own information but our clients’ information.”

At the heart of Erland’s next chapter is a recently revised set of core values operating under the banner of “O.W.N. It,” which stands for One Team, Winning Results, and No Excuses. McDonald is candid about the tendency of company values to exist only on websites and in welcome packs, and Erland makes it a point to do things differently.

In the past year, the company has sent 20 percent of its employees to Team Trek. This week-long program in Arkansas is centered on personal and professional development and leadership self-awareness. It is this kind of investment in people that McDonald believes will contribute to Erland’s competitive position going forward as much as any technology platform.

“If we continue to invest in our people and do everything we can—with more of a servant leadership approach than a shape-up-or-ship-out attitude—we’re going to be more successful,” he says. “Construction is still, at its core, a people-driven industry. Pick up the phone, go to the job site, be a person. The human connection is so important.”

For a company approaching its 50^th year, still headquartered in the same Northwest Park where it first broke ground, that is not nostalgia; it is strategy. And it is a winning formula that will surely stand this firm in good stead for another 50 years.

The post Built on People: A Culture-First Approach to Growth and Innovation<p class="company">Erland Construction</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

For RAWSO Constructors, a Tennessee-based earthwork and utility contractor that has grown from a single rented skid steer into an operation of roughly 200 people, that lack of glamour is part of the point. The company has built its reputation not on flashy projects, but on the systems, people, and partnerships that sit underneath them.

According to Shawn Hampton, Board Member and Chief Strategy Officer, RAWSO has deliberately stayed narrow in its scope. “‘People’ is more of our business and ‘construction’ is what we do,” Hampton says, quick to add that the company has no interest in stretching across multiple trades. RAWSO sticks to earth and utilities, site development work that includes grading, excavation, and the underground infrastructure that must go in before a building can rise. That focus, Hampton argues, is itself a competitive advantage: rather than being a generalist contractor that does many things adequately, RAWSO has built deep expertise in one demanding discipline.

RAWSO’s origin story is a familiar one in the trades, with a twist. Founder and CEO, Dylan Stephens, came through Middle Tennessee State University’s Concrete Industry Management program and went to work for a local civil contractor. What he found frustrated him—particularly, how employees were being treated and developed within the industry.

Rather than staying and trying to change the system from the inside, Stephens made a leap. With a young family to support, he bought a skid steer, started taking on driveway work, and built a small operation job by job. That early period of odd jobs, small grading work, and the kinds of projects most contractors outgrow quickly, laid the foundation for everything that followed.

By 2014 and 2015, the projects started getting bigger, and RAWSO began adding team members beyond a handful of field helpers. Crucially, the frustrations that drove Stephens to launch the company in the first place didn’t get forgotten as the business scaled; they became the operating philosophy, to build something where people are developed, not just deployed.

Early on, the company moved away from Excel-based estimating and adopted HCSS software, a platform widely used across the civil construction industry for estimating, project management, and field reporting. That sequencing mattered. By building a technological foundation first, RAWSO created a shared set of processes and data structures that new hires could plug into as the team grew. Rather than each project manager or estimator developing their own methods, everyone works from the same playbook, which means a new hire can get up to speed faster and contribute sooner.

That investment has compounded over time What started as basic scorecards has evolved into dashboards built on top of HCSS data, giving leadership and field teams real-time visibility into project performance, costs, and trends. The company is now exploring how AI tools might extend this visibility further, layering smarter, more efficient dashboards on top of the data it already collects.

Kimberly Lush, Director of Cultural Relations at RAWSO, points to the impact directly: “I feel like technology has allowed us to grow and build a team, and to achieve a consistent level of excellence,” she says. This kind of institutional knowledge, made accessible and clear, is something RAWSO sees as central to how it develops talent.

A culture of safety is also integral to employee success, with the company’s safety program led by Colton Richardson, who came up as an estimator and project manager after graduating from the same concrete industry program as Stephens. When Richardson found himself burned out in that role—but passionate about safety and people—RAWSO restructured around that passion, spending several months transitioning him out of project management and into building a dedicated safety department from scratch.

What he built goes well beyond standard compliance tracking. Field crews log not just injuries, but near misses, equipment incidents, and minor issues—a scratched piece of equipment, a close call, anything that didn’t go quite right. These get discussed in field operations meetings as lessons learned: what happened, why it happened, and what the takeaway is.

The real value, though, is in the pattern recognition that all that logging enables. If minor incidents that normally show up once or twice a week start showing up two or three times a day, RAWSO treats that as a leading indicator, a sign that crews are stretched thin or under pressure, even before anything serious occurs. When that pattern shows up, leadership responds by scaling back hours, holding all-hands conversations, and addressing the underlying strain before it turns into a real incident.

This data-backed approach is layered with regular inspections and third-party reviews, and RAWSO holds itself to standards that, in many cases, are tighter than OSHA or TOSHA requirements. The cultural framing matters too. As Hampton puts it, “We don’t have safety police; we have a safety culture.” The goal is participation, a safety culture that field crews own rather than one imposed on them.

Across the heavy civil industry, one topic comes up at nearly every conference and peer group meeting: the workforce. Specifically, the looming retirement of a generation of highly skilled field leaders, and the comparatively thin pipeline of younger workers coming in to replace them.

Lush is blunt about the stakes: “We have this entire generation of highly skilled individuals who are on the cusp, in the next 10 years, of retiring, and we’re going to lose all that information if we can’t figure out how to download it from them to the next generation.”

Rather than just talking about the problem, RAWSO hired a dedicated training professional, someone with a teaching background and family ties to the construction industry, who understood both the technical content and the people she’d be working with.

Many field employees didn’t pursue traditional higher education, so a classroom-style training model wouldn’t have worked. Instead, RAWSO built its program around partnerships with the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), using existing industry-specific resources as a foundation.

But the bulk of the training is in leadership and communication. Field leaders and foremen are often spread across multiple job sites, making consistent communication difficult even before generational differences are factored in. RAWSO’s training focuses heavily on helping experienced leaders translate what they know into language that resonates with younger crew members, rather than assuming younger workers simply lack the right attitude or work ethic.

One concrete output of this push is RAWSO’s GRIT Line program, still in its early stages, which is designed to help field employees move into their first leadership roles. The company is also showing up in schools and at trade fairs, working to raise awareness of civil construction as a career path, an industry that, Lush notes, tends to get overlooked in skilled-trades conversations dominated by HVAC, electrical, welding, and plumbing.

Even the equipment itself is part of the solution. Manufacturers are increasingly building GPS-guided digital-control systems that appeal to a generation that grew up with video game controllers rather than farm equipment.

Certainly, RAWSO’s growth hasn’t been a straight line. For several years running, the company saw growth rates between 50 and 300 percent year over year, the kind of trajectory that builds reputation fast but can also outpace systems. In 2022, that growth caught up with the company. A combination of challenging projects and problematic soil conditions on one of its largest jobs caused things to unravel quickly. What had taken roughly a decade to build started to come apart within 12 to 18 months.

Hampton describes it as a humbling period, one that forced leadership to recognize that intuition and a small group of key people could no longer carry the operation. The response wasn’t to retreat, but to invest more intentionally in both people and systems.

Two leaders in particular reinforced the rebuild: Keith McBride, who came on as Vice President of Construction Operations, and Matthew McQueen, who became President. McBride is described as the kind of veteran field leader every heavy civil contractor needs, someone with decades of old-school construction experience and a reputation for high standards. What makes him different, in Hampton’s telling, is humility: rather than becoming an indispensable bottleneck, McBride has leaned into mentoring younger employees and adapting his own approach rather than insisting it’s his way or nothing.

McQueen, meanwhile, became the connective tissue for culture as the company scaled, reinforcing the values that had carried RAWSO from its earliest days.

Looking back, Hampton frames the period as one of the company’s defining moments because of how the team responded to it. “Being able to walk away from it and say we’re much stronger now, and we realize what our mistakes were and we were humble enough to fix them, I think is huge,” he says.

Today, the company focuses primarily on private-sector work, with public and DOT work historically making up less than five percent of its business. The team deliberately gets involved early, working alongside owners, developers, engineers, and general contractors well before construction begins. That early involvement allows RAWSO to propose value-engineering solutions and reduce risk before it becomes costly. It’s a more labor-intensive approach than simply submitting a number at the last round of bidding—RAWSO may end up pricing a job three, four, or five times before it’s awarded—but Hampton suggests the upfront investment pays off for everyone involved.

Earthwork and utility work occupy a particular position in a project’s risk profile. Dollar for dollar, it’s often one of the largest and riskiest scopes in a construction package, outside of structural steel, and one of the pieces most likely to determine whether a project can move forward, especially in markets with limited sites or difficult terrain.

For general contractors, particularly younger project managers who may have only a few years of experience managing dozens of trades on a vertical build, having an earthwork partner who understands those risks and proactively manages them can be the difference between a project that pencils and one that doesn’t.

Once a project moves into execution, that same forward-looking approach continues in the field, with two-week and four-week lookaheads that account not just for RAWSO’s own scope, but for how the team interacts with other trades on site.

As RAWSO continues to grow, the company’s leadership remains focused on the combination that got it here: a narrow and deep expertise in earthwork and utilities, a technology foundation that gives people at every level visibility into how the business runs, a safety culture built on data and participation rather than enforcement, and a training pipeline aimed squarely at the industry’s looming workforce gap.

For Hampton, the measure of success isn’t any single project, but the broader company culture. “I feel like that’s given us the ability to give people really great growth,” he says. “I’m so proud of the culture and the environment where we’re able to bring in young talent and see them grow.”

In an industry bracing for a wave of retirements and a widening skills gap, RAWSO’s bet is that the contractors who invest in both their systems and their people now will be the ones still standing and still building a decade from now.

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