As a general contractor, MBC operates primarily in the Institutional, Commercial and Industrial (ICI) sectors and offers a variety of construction delivery methods, focusing predominantly on construction management and design-build.
MBC also specializes in a variety of building concepts (from sustainable building practices like passive housing to building systems like Honco) and building processes, such as BIM.
In this common contractual format the owner first engages the services of an architectural consultant who acts as the owner’s agent. The architect produces drawings and specifications, and upon completion of the design, the project is opened to general contractors to bid on the total cost on a competitive basis. Typically, the low bidder is awarded a CCDC2 contract between the owner and the contractor.
This format joins the owner, architect and/or engineers and the construction manager in a team-based approach. The owner directly retains all parties for a fee that is based on services required. The Construction Manager acts in a consultant capacity, and typically prepares trade contract packages for tender on a competitive basis for the owner while the design is finalized.
Site work commences almost immediately upon selection of the construction manager, translating into an early start and subsequently earlier finish compared to a lump-sum delivery method. The construction manager is also involved in implementing a system of value engineering, infusing their construction knowledge into the design at an early stage with the objective of creating efficiencies throughout that can lead to maximization of material selection and pricing, delivery schedules and logistics, and new technological solutions.
Additionally, this format allows for the owner to convert the constructor’s fee for service into a guaranteed maximum price after an amount of certainty in the design is achieved.
Gaining popularity in today’s market, the design-build format creates a single entity led by the design-build contractor and the owner retains this administrative entity for a fee under a CCDC 14 contract. This method is often called an “open book” or “turn-key” approach, as it hands complete responsibility over to the single team who works on the owner’s behalf in an information sharing capacity to deliver the project.
Typically, an owner will first retain an “advocate architect” to create a set of specifications on what the owner believes should guide the project. This way the owner can outline the particular needs of the project in a general way (e.g. energy efficiency requirements, visual appeal, tie-in with neighbouring structures, etc.) but rely on the design-build team to implement those needs in their best design. Again, on-site activity can often be fast-tracked as the design evolves. Allowing for a competitive process however, requires that several complete teams create their own designs, meaning significant time and effort is expended before tender. As a result, many owners have opted to provide stipends to all participating teams in order to promote participation.
This format takes the design-build structure and extends it further to include the financing and sometimes the operation and maintenance of the project to provide a completely turn-key solution. The additional partners all combine to form the project team, enabling all participants’ greater control and freedom to manage the project. Compensation is based on the completion of milestones and the long-term profitability of the building’s operation. This format requires the participation of a public body such as a city administration who maintains the ultimate ownership of the building.
IPD is an emerging project delivery method which is quickly gaining traction in the construction world due to its unique approach to collaboration, goal setting and rewarding of the entire project team. In an IPD delivery method, the owner, architect, constructor and any other key team members all agree to share the risks and rewards of the completed job. All budgets, costs and expected profits are shared to the entire team at the pre-construction stage and all team members are brought in before breaking ground to iron out design issues and suggest cost and/or time savings measures. All team members either profit-share in cost savings as a group or must each incur and split any cost overruns and thus fosters a culture of teamwork, transparency and incentivizes rapid problem solving at all levels.
At MBC, while we have extensive expertise in providing solutions across a variety of building types and formats, we typically operate in the Institutional, Commercial, and Industrial (ICI) sectors, and our project sizes typically range from $1M to $30M.
As a builder with an extensive portfolio of completed work, we are often asked by clients and consultants to outline the benefits and drawbacks of the variety of building envelope solutions available. With energy costs on an upward trend, and an increased social responsibility towards sustainable building, we are always prepared to help guide the design process by offering effective solutions that match the capital costs of building a facility, with the operating costs that will live with it for decades.
Having gained a tremendous amount of experience building sports arenas and recreation facilities, MBC have partnered with our established team of designers and consultants to form United Recreation. Under the Design-Build delivery method, the United Recreation team has successfully delivered arenas all across the province from Thunder Bay’s Lakehead University, to the Twin Pad arena in Rockland. By collaborating under this umbrella, we encourage the discussion on innovation and cost savings at the pre-design stages to ensure that our clients get the absolute best value for money.
The Honco frameless system uses the strength of its walls to eliminate the need for interior framework of any kind. Just as a twenty dollar bill resting on its edge falls over, while the same bill folded in series stands on its own, Honco’s corrugated wall panels provide their own structural support.
By having walls that serve as both structural supports and exterior cladding, Honco buildings reduce the amount of components needed in turn reducing cost of materials used. Moreover, connected with the innovative Honco roof and ceiling trusses, buildings can span hundreds of feet without any interior framework.
In the end the space that you design becomes entirely useable. That means you have more skating room, more change rooms and more amenity space, and an easier design process that is cheaper and faster to build than traditional methods.
Furthermore, your ongoing operating costs are significantly reduced by increased ventilation, unrivaled insulation capacity and improved ceiling reflectivity reducing the need for increased lighting and heating costs.
BIM, or Building Information Modeling, is a process that uses 3D modeling to help plan, design and construct buildings more efficiently. It allows quantity surveyors to more definitively identify costs in a project by achieving more accurate and available metrics. BIM can also enable more effective communication between all parties involved in the construction process by helping coordinate building models across different fields of work.
MBC often partners with architects like Parkin Architects and Bryden Martel who use BIM regularly. One of the most prominent examples of our projects that used BIM technology was Carleton University’s ARISE building, where the entire design of the building along with the completed (as-built) drawings were modelled in 3D using the popular Autodesk REVIT program. MBC also opened the ARISE site to grad students on the Carleton U Architecture program to perform a revolutionary 3D laser scanning / photogrammetry process of the entire building structure as part of their research studies.
Lean construction (similar to Lean Manufacturing) aims to design the project delivery with the aim of minimizing the waste of time, materials and overall effort all the while generating the maximum amount of value possible.
Essentially, the process refers to the use of all available tools including BIM modelling and Just-In-Time (JIT) manufacturing of supplies and effective scheduling of labour to keep work flowing so that all elements of the project delivery are continuously productive at all times.
Lean Project Delivery is most commonly associated with the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) solutions where the project team is assembled beforehand and each participant’s objectives are properly aligned with incentives thus overcoming the key organizational and contractual problems commonly associated with traditional project delivery methods.
The aptly-named “Passive House” design has made waves in the construction sector recently for being extremely energy efficient and emitting far less greenhouse gases compared to other buildings. This is because passive houses rely on “passive” methods of heating and cooling instead of “active” methods. While many buildings use HVAC systems to regulate temperature, passive house buildings instead rely on heat sources like the sun or body temperature, ultra-efficient windows and doors, heavy insulation and airtightness, and mechanical ventilation systems.
The design principles and standards in passive housing allow buildings to use up to 90 percent less energy for heating and cooling when compared to buildings using conventional methods.
MBC is at the forefront of passive house design in Ottawa’s ICI sector, particularly with our Ottawa Community Housing project located at 900 Merivale Road, Ottawa, Ontario – one of Ottawa’s first passive house projects and one of its most energy efficient buildings.
One of the newer green building initiatives to come to the forefront of sustainable building has been the Green Globes certification program. A nationally-recognized green rating, guidance and certification program, Green Globes offers a different approach to green building. Each assessment is customized to the design and operation of each unique individual building. Ratings are based on clearly-defined criteria to validate sustainability requirements in order to demonstrate excellence in energy conservation, lower water consumption, responsible use of materials, increased recycling and other sustainable processes.
Recently, MBC worked with CSV Architects to achieve Green Globe certification on the CFHA Petawawa Housing project, which was completed in the Fall of 2019.