Feature Project – Exceeding All Expectations
The Kelowna and Vernon Hospitals Project
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Understanding the Clients' Needs and Expectations
The project officially began in September 2008 when 40 project Graham employees were mobilized to Kelowna and Vernon, most were newly hired and trained and some re-located from different branch offices, all within a span of six months. The project team faced many challenges - fast-tracked construction requirements coupled with significant penalties for non-compliance and late delivery; management of 585,000 document transactions amongst several teams spread over multiple locations and effective management of a 120-person design team dispersed across two provinces while meeting all design requirements, including achieving LEED(R) Gold standards. The biggest challenge, not coincidentally, also came with the biggest opportunity - understanding the clients' complex needs and expectations to deliver the project ahead of schedule, without affecting quality, to maximize the potential early completion bonus. In the end, the overall project was delivered seven months ahead of schedule!
"We focused on maximizing our efforts so that we were ahead each and every day of construction," says Grant Beck, Vice President, Major Commercial, Calgary, who led Graham's 40-person team. "We were consistently one step ahead of our designers, owners and trades throughout this project which is why we delivered with the level of quality that we did - while also remaining cognizant of LEED(R) obligations, understanding the P3 environment and mastering our internal construction processes."
