Resilience: Challenges Old and New

In an earlier blog, we defined “resilience” as: 1. the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness 2. the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry has used the term resilience to refer to a community’s ability to recover from a range of… Read More

Paradigm Shift in P3 Delivery

There is an old saying that “the only constant is change” which translates literally to things are always changing. This has never been more apparent than in our current state of economic, political, and environmental flux. However, what about a paradigm shift where a significant essential change takes place, and a new and different method… Read More

To Meet Virtually…or In Person. That is the Question!

“Jenny…Jenny, yes, you are still muted!!” “Donny, let’s let someone else talk now!!” These oft-repeated occurrences frustrate today’s remote work environment. But the important part is that the work continues, despite Jenny and Donny’s computer skills and personalities. At MBP, our Optimization Strategies Group conducts facilitated workshops, both for project and process improvements. The project… Read More

Practical Risk Management: The 5 “W’s” for the Win!

Oh no, watch out! Oh no, better jump! As construction professionals, we are fully aware of the many risks that surround our projects and understand the actions needed to manage and mitigate them. We know these risks can hamper the outcome of projects and quick reactions by project personnel are usually not well thought out… Read More

Q&A with James Madison University: Getting Buildings Ready for Back to School

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to evolve, colleges and universities face unprecedented challenges. Many that planned to bring students back to campus for the fall semester have reversed course entirely and opted for online-only instruction. Others have welcomed back students and staff with strict guidelines and social distancing protocols, mask-wearing requirements, and regular testing. Each… Read More

Emergency Management in the Wake of COVID-19 Looks Different, Yet Similar

Over the past several months, MBP has been supporting a client in their COVID-19 emergency response efforts. This experience has given me time to reflect on how it differs from previous natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes. Yet there are many elements that remain the same regardless of the emergency type. Without a doubt, the… Read More

As COVID-19 Budget Cuts Loom, Here Are 5 Ways to Reduce Facility Costs

The last four to five months have been disruptive to almost every organization in one form or another. Some obstacles, like moving an operation from a traditional office setting to a virtual setting, have been overcome. Others, such as budget shortfalls, are still being felt and managed. These unplanned budget impacts have taken a negative… Read More

Design-Build-Operate P3 Delivery in Sports Facilities for Municipalities

Most of us grew up playing sports throughout the year. The type of sport was typically determined by the season. Sometimes we were free to play outdoors while other times the weather kept us indoors. No matter the environment, we all have fond memories of those places where we spent our formative years learning sportsmanship,… Read More

Six Strategies to Build an Effective Project Change Order Management Program

Have you ever had the thought, “why can’t we get these changes approved?” or “this change has been lingering for months, how can we move forward?” Well, you are not alone. Regardless of sector, client, or contracting mechanism, every project team encounters some degree of change – typically in the form of a change order… Read More

Q&A: How to Get Your Building Systems Ready for Reopening

States, counties, and municipalities have recently begun to gradually reopen following the widespread COVID-19 shutdown. A great number of facilities have had their operations scaled back or were shuttered in place. Operations & maintenance (O&M) staff will soon be presented with the challenge of how to plan for – and safely reopen – these facilities…. Read More