Entries by Alison Clack

Day of Mourning

April 28 is the Day of Mourning – a day to remember those who lost their lives or were injured because of their work. The website DayOfMourning.ns.ca features a powerful new video about a young Nova Scotia man named Kyle Hickey. His tragic story, told by his family and friends, is an emotional reminder of […]

BIM as a Lean Tool

Although it’s a tool, it’s also a new paradigm that fosters a collaborative process, he said Bob Hildenbrandt, chair of Institute for BIM in Canada (IBC). The industry can be resistant to change, he added, but invested in BIM is like investing in a computer in the past. It’s going to become a necessary component, […]

Design Work Planning for More Profitability

Marku Allison, the director of engagement and strategy at Chandos, walked the audience through the challenges of adopting lean construction methods to a project his team recently worked on. He said that construction tends to lump things into “done and “not done” categories, but there is more granularity to the process. Read more

Collaboration in the Big Room

Ken Melax, a Calgary-based engineer, said the ‘big room’ has the power to break down silos across a project. Cathy Hopkins, a continuous improvement specialist with NOvaTel Inc., said every implementation of a big room has its own unique characteristics, but there are certain consistencies. Read more

3P for Project Teams

Paul Blaser, the principal architect of RBM Architecture, began by explaining how he was tasked to help revamp the entire Saskatchewan health care system using lean construction principles. He said while touring hospitals he spotted building inefficiencies that slowed doctors down as they did their rounds, which drove design decisions for his firm when renovating […]

Target Value Design

Craig Webber, the principal of Group2 Architecture, elaborated on some of the tools used to enhance collaboration and communication between teams. He said that partner sessions commonly happen at the beginning of projects, but there is generally little follow up, which results in sliding back into traditional behaviours. Read more