Construction management and general contracting with Prime Projects Ltd.

At Holland, our design projects are a collaborative team effort. We're fortunate to have a solid network of contractors and consultants who bring our designs to life, and enjoy working with, including Prime Projects Ltd. ('Prime Projects'). As one of our valued partners, Prime Projects offers a comprehensive range of services such as project management, construction management, general contracting, furniture management, and site selection. Their expertise and commitment to excellence ensure timely and high-quality construction of our designs, and satisfaction of our clients.

We recently partnered with Prime Projects at a NAIOP Calgary event where they delivered a valuable presentation on construction management and general contracting. In this collaborative post, we cover highlights from their presentation, their expertise and approach to construction, as well as trends they're observing in office design.

How does construction management differ from general contracting?

Construction Management begins much earlier in the process – ideally during site selection or at the start of design.

It's a collaborative effort, involving ongoing cost estimation throughout the design phase, with corrective action taken to stay within budget and ensure constructibility. The construction schedule is established early on to order materials and equipment in advance. Subtrades (subcontractors) are pre-qualified before tendering – based on their ability, capacity, and past performance. Contracts are typically cost-plus, though other options exist. Construction management aims to minimize changes by thoroughly understanding project scope, using pre-qualified subtrades, and advanced planning and scheduling.

General Contracting is a stipulated bid process.

General Contractors submit fixed pricing based on completed tender drawing packages. This method offers fixed-price certainty at the project's beginning. However, a challenge of this method is that bids are based solely on provided drawings and specifications, lacking full project context. To minimize changes and cost overruns, it’s crucial to have well-detailed and coordinated drawings sets. There is limited control over subcontractor quality and capacity. Additionally, advanced planning is constrained as the general contractor is typically awarded just before construction begins, potentially impacting schedules with long lead times for materials or equipment.

What is value engineering?

Value engineering is a way to reduce cost by revising details, specifications and/or layout - all without changing project requirements or fundamental concepts. It’s a collaborative process with the project team to find budget-friendly solutions while preserving the project's integrity.

What measures do you take to prevent delays and cost overruns during construction?

Going back to the difference between Construction Management and General Contracting, we have a lot more control over delays and cost overruns acting as a Construction Manager.

During construction, we:

• Ensure all parties involved clearly understand the change management process to prevent delays caused by indecision and delayed deliverables.
• Maintain clear communication and direction through regular site meetings, ensuring all parties are informed about schedules, critical milestones, and their responsibilities.
• Conduct inspections at critical projects stages to uphold quality standards and regulatory compliance.
• Award contracts to reliable subtrades based on their proven skillsets and ability.

What is the client's role during construction?

Construction shouldn’t be cumbersome for the client, especially if the proper steps were taken during the pre-construction process. During construction, the client's main role is to make quick decisions and approvals for changes when needed.

The level of client involvement varies; some prefer frequent site visits to see progress firsthand, while others choose minimal onsite presence. We provide comprehensive site reports to keep clients informed, regardless of their preferred level of involvement.

Prime Projects specializes in project management for office interiors. What office design trends are you currently seeing?

We're observing a shift towards more refined and functional office designs, still with a hospitality-inspired feel (no more Google fun zones). Reception areas are now serving as central hubs for connection, with larger communal areas strategically placed throughout floors to encourage collaboration among staff. Office sizes are becoming smaller, accompanied by flexible furniture layouts to accommodate diverse working styles.

Architecturally, open ceilings and polished concrete floors remain popular, but there’s a heightened focus on managing acoustic challenges associated with these features. Office technology is advancing with simplified AV solutions. There's also a trend towards reducing physical data cabling in favour of wireless solutions. We're starting to see some organization move to completely wireless solutions.

Get in touch with us!

Seeing our team's ideas take shape during construction is always rewarding. We find it especially rewarding when we team up with contractors and consultants who help us in aligning budgets and constructibility, as well as in planning and pre-ordering materials and equipment.

We've collaborated with Prime Projects on several projects, including office designs for Wellington-Altus and BGC Engineering. And we're grateful to have them in our network and have witnessed their confident management of constructing our designs. To learn more about Prime Projects, visit their website or email their team at info@primeprojects.ca.

If you’re interested in human-centred and innovative workplace designs, get in touch with our team!

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This post was created in collaboration with:

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