“No one who achieves success does so without the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.” – Alfred North Whitehead
Collaborative Contracting on the Rise
Commercial and industrial projects across the Greater Cincinnati region are benefitting from an industry-wide shift to a more collaborative project model. As a community partner for over 65 years, Universal Contracting Corporation has grown and evolved alongside our clients, subcontractors, and Cincinnati. We have formed strong partnerships with developers, architects, and subcontractors to deliver the best collaborative approach for our clients.
What exactly is “collaboration”?
In a few words: a team effort. When we come together with architects and owners and work together as a team from the start, it makes for smooth and efficient project execution. In the past, clients would complete a design independently from the contractor, which could sometimes lead to problems. Now, we are often hired at the same time as the architect and work with them from design all the way through, which effectively utilizes everyone’s strengths.
What problems are solved with a collaborative project model?
Identify and address issues early. With a collaborative approach, we are reviewing with the architect at the onset. This means reviewing for constructibility, tracking budget so when the design is complete there are no surprises, scheduling, pre-purchasing equipment like HVAC and roof (which lately are 9 months to a year out!) so we are able to streamline and reduce supply chain issues. The equipment is often purchased before the drawings are even done, so stakeholders know the equipment they will need will be delivered on time. Working through all these issues early on is the key to the success of a collaborative project.
Project Update: Full Renovation of the Xavier University Armory, Design/Build Collaboration
Universal Contracting is proud to partner with Xavier’s in-house architects on a complete building renovation of the XU Armory. We are currently in the pre-construction phase of this Collaborative Construction venture and are eager to share our progress in the next newsletter. Pictured above are some of the previous collaborative projects we’ve completed with XU, and the current Armory building (photo credit: Xavier University and Rev. Ronald Irick).
Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting project!
Collaborative Project Feature: Operations Center Renovation & Addition
Universal Contracting collaborated as the Construction Manager with a local energy company and Champlin Architecture to develop budgets and bid packages for this 5 million dollar project. This included the 10,000 SF office addition and renovation of the existing 12,000 SF Operations Center at their Amelia, OH facility.
We also coordinated the new roofing and furniture installation with client assigned subcontractors. The project was completed in September of 2021.
Project Update: Mercy Anderson Hospital
Looking forward to this functional improvement and expansion at Mercy Anderson Hospital! Stay tuned for more project updates and photos as we transform the Emergency Department entrance and the helipad. We are honored to provide our clients and theirs with better, safer spaces.
We’d like to express our gratitude to our clients, our team, and our partners in all aspects of our business. Thank you!
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