Two major construction companies are teaming up on a thought leadership project that aims to elevate how the industry builds projects, protects the planet and develops talent.
Chandos Construction and Bird Construction Inc. have entered into a three-year strategic partnership for the Building Good initiative. Established in 2021 by Chandos, Building Good is looking to catalyze owners and industry partners to change the way the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry designs and builds for the betterment of people and the planet.
Through Building Good’s key channels, including the Building Good blog and podcast, partners and industry guests will discuss AEC’s biggest challenges, innovative solutions and the opportunities that these changes bring AEC organizations, government and the public.
Nicole Monaco, director of marketing and communication for Chandos, explained the company initially launched Building Good as a webinar series in 2020 to try and help customers and partners manage building during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The vision soon expanded, and a podcast was launched. After a successful season of episodes, the team wanted to broaden the scope of the podcast and partner with others in the AEC sector.
“We realized that if we could look outside Chandos and partner with others we could really advance the priorities,” said Monaco, adding Building Good’s focus revolves around three areas: industry transformation, equity and inclusion, and sustainability.
“We knew Bird was also committed to a lot of these pillars, so we reached out and proposed a strategic partnership to build this community-focused brand and initiative that was all about raising awareness around these three topics.”
After some back-and-forth discussion, the companies agreed to partner on the project.
In addition to collaborating on the existing podcast, Building Good also features a blog, videos and the team is looking at doing events. Monaco noted the team also wants to get as many resources and tools they come across into the hands of other companies as possible.
“It’s about finding a way to activate the AEC industry,” said Monaco. “The intent is to drive change. It’s about building a community and connecting with like-minded organizations.”
The collaboration might not stop with Bird. Nicole said she would like to look at partnering with other organizations as well.
“We would love to see this grow,” she said. “We would love to see others come forward as sponsors and have a voice in helping shape this community.”
Some of the more specific topics scheduled for coverage by Building Good are Indigenous relations, young workers new to the sector and emerging construction technology.
Rachel Pattimore, vice-president of marketing and communications for Bird, said the partnership comes on the heels of its acquisition of Stuart Olson, one of the largest construction companies in Canada.
“We have doubled in size and we have been working through navigating our culture and the shared values between us,” she said. “The strong culture of community involvement, sustainability and innovation, those are things that Bird and Stuart Olson had and was one of those synergies when we came together.”
Pattimore said Bird and its new employees were eager to dive into to developing the project’s blog and podcasts which will feature accomplished experts.
“There are some really dynamic individuals that have done so much,” said Pattimore.
She explained one of the biggest benefits of the project will be introducing young people to the exciting things happening in the construction sector.
“All these exciting, forward-thinking work and ideas happening maybe get overlooked sometimes when compared to other industries,” said Pattimore. “Construction is such an interesting, dynamic sector and I think these conversations showcasing some of the things happening will show those opportunities and how there is so much space for innovation, change and positive impact. We are really excited about that part of it.”
To learn more about the initiative visit BuildingGood.ca. The podcast can be found on the website, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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