Building with the Community
Our experience has shown that collaborative approaches to construction produce the most noteworthy buildings. By working with clients and our architecture/engineering partners as a team, we build landmark mixed use projects that exceed expectations performance, quality, cost, and schedule. We provide the commercial construction services that fit your needs:
- Integrated Project Delivery
- Design/Build
- Design/Build Assist
- Build
Echelcon’s project management approaches the high density construction process by describing the conditions for success before, during and after construction. Working as a team we create the plan for construction staffing and supervision, scheduling compliance, quality control, safety monitoring, and financial oversight.
We pride ourselves on our standard for continuous communication with clients, subcontractors, and field staff. We conduct weekly team meetings to discuss status and progress. Action items, schedules, and meeting minutes are distributed to make sure all team members have important project details.
Echelcon Provides:
- Construction Services
- Project Management
- Detailed Construction Scheduling
- Field Supervision
- Safety & Quality Control
- Cost Control
- Sustainable Building / LEED-certification
- Accounting/Administration
- Construction Management
- Construction Accounting
Project Changes
Echelcon acts as the coordinator, leader, and manager for results. If change orders arise the budget and scheduling impact are analyzed and disclosed. Managing project change orders are just one way our team helps you avoid project risk and defects. We use our expertise to provide you solutions so that you are ahead of potential overruns that can change the original scope, time and cost.
Another important job is managing and overseeing subcontractors. We manage billings, materials, equipment costs and labor. One of our key strengths is the strong working relationships we have with all the subcontractors your project could need. We know the contractors and have built relationships based on trust and quality. Our site superintendents take full responsibility for the quality of your project and makes sure all goals and jobs are completed.
Completion
Echelcon likes nothing better than to turn over the keys of your new building to you. Before we do that we use best in class practices to make sure your building meets all the requirements set forth by the project. We:
- Prepare final reports
- Confirm and submit warranties
- Turn over O&M manuals and final documentation
- Conduct on-site training
- Sign off punch lists
- Confirm commissioning
Benefits of Mixed Use & High Density Construction
Mixed-use centers are a very appealing alternative in the current marketplace. The ability to diversify multi family buildings with retail and even office space uses the land in a very efficient way. You create stable and sustainable high density properties that are green and minimize the ecological footprint. As you vertically stack usage, you get more efficiency and utilization, as well is improve the quality of life for the consumers.
But mixed use building comes with a learning curve. Its important to have a builder on your side who has been there before. Some of the important experience we bring to the table is knowledge about:
Maintenance
Mixed-use buildings have special maintenance needs because parts of the building me be accessible and occupied during most hours of the day. Access logistics should be built into the construction. Other specialties like smells, sounds, and traffic all have an impact on the building’s users. Echelcon has seen and solved all these challenges before.
Sustainability
Sustainability is usually associated with energy-efficiency projects. If a project can reduce operationtal costs by including efficiency into the construction the developers are going to ultimately come out ahead. Using life cycle cost strategies will encourage the cost effective maintenance of the building. Being green certified and lowering operational costs is very appealing to tenants and there are a variety of ways this can be done. From using gray water systems to durable systems and materials. From rooftop gardens to integrated solar energy, these features are building a solid foundation in our economy and are becoming very important to high density development.
Life-cycle cost thinking can not only help reduce operating costs, but also helps attract tenants – a very important point for owners and managers of mixed-use facilities. “Often, with a triple net lease, the operational costs are passed on to the tenant, so it’s not as much of a direct incentive to the developer because those costs aren’t going to be paid by them directly,” says Breshears. “But, despite that, tenants are beginning to see the value in long-term life-cycle thinking, and, therefore, it’s trickling up.”
Parking
Both the construction and use of high density parking are very important factors when planning your building. Shared parking, whether in the building or “on-grade” must be well thought out and effective management must be built into the facility. Conflicts can arise between residents and consumers and if your building should have the proper security tools in place in the building.
Residential & Retail Relationships
Creating balance in the intended use of your mixed use facility is critical. Knowing the needs of the different stakeholders is going to be very important as you plan your building. For example, if you have condominiums over retail each owner of a condo is going to become a possible source of complaints regarding noise and foot traffic. In contrast if it is rental apartments above retail you may have to set up a reporting system that only deals with the property manager and not 20 individual condo owners.
We believe that mixed-use buildings contribute to our community, economics, and sustainability. They bring energy our neighborhoods and people can live where they work. They reduce the environmental foot print, reduce car usage and brings positive benefits to our lives.
Echelcon, Inc.
Building a Sustainable Future
