Institutional Construction

Institutional Building Construction

The team at Southwest and Midwest Design & Construction has over 40 years of experience as General Contractors in Western Canada, particularly in custom design-builds and construction in the institutional sector.

For institutional projects, we almost always use our design-build approach. These projects require careful planning and execution to ensure budget and schedule are adhered to - without sacrificing value.

We’ve cultivated excellent customer relationships throughout the years, and we’ve got the team and expertise to tackle any institutional project - from schools to emergency response facilities!

Defining Institutional Builds

Institutional build projects are a mixture of public and private clients - although it’s most common for these projects to be commissioned by public government entities, from the federal government all the way to municipal.

It’s worth noting that almost all institutional builds provide an essential community function with a high concentration of essential employees.

Institutional sector projects will generally involve the following sub-categories:

• Healthcare (hospitals, clinics, and research laboratories)
• Education (universities, college, and K-12 facilities)
• Military (Department of Defense and training facilities)
• Government (offices and related facilities)
• Public works (fire halls, police stations, training)

No institutional project is the same; we may find ourselves renovating a school in Nunavut or renovating a fire hall in rural Alberta!

Design-Build Delivery for Institutional Builds

We use a design-build approach at Southwest and Midwest Design & Construction, a collaborative method of construction project management that’s been around for centuries.

Design-build means incorporating a single-team approach, with the project owner only responsible for keeping up with one contract - as opposed to traditional project delivery methods which may have several contracts for design, construction, and their subsequent subtrades!

The contract in question covers both the designer and the contractor, who operate under one entity and work together throughout the project until completion. This team-oriented approach ensures that any roadblocks are addressed linearly, given that both design and construction operate on the same team. This means reduced delays, budget-conscious projects, fast delivery, and a single point of contact throughout the entire project.

As you can imagine, with institutional builds, this cohesive and comprehensive approach is fundamental to success.

It’s not uncommon for an institutional project to occur while school or other essential services continue day-to-day operations, and our team maintains an organized, safe, and respectful environment while carrying out our tasks. We consistently work with project owners and core team members to iron out a schedule that works for everyone.

Our Institutional Build Expertise

The Southwest and Midwest team has experience in all aforementioned institutional subsectors, specifically with emergency response facilities. Within the last 10 years, we’ve completed new builds, renovations, and additions for five fire halls and emergency facilities in Alberta.

Feature Project:

In 2016, the Southwest and Midwest Design & Construction team built a Fire Hall in Debolt, Alberta, with the Municipal Department of Greenview as the project owner.

In 2022, we learned that Greenview was looking to add another bay for peace officer use. We submitted a fair bid and were awarded the project, and our previous professional relationship with Greenview and experience with fire halls helped with the award decision.

The bottom line? Our team always keeps client satisfaction, reasonable costs, and high-value top of mind when taking on institutional projects - and our customers know it!