Kelson

We know mechanical systems to the nth degree.

It takes a combination of collaboration, technology, experience, and design to get there. Working from a detailed understanding of project parameters we devise mechanical approaches that are integrated, efficient, and cost effective – and we model them accurately in 3D to prove they’ll work.

Design-Build

Kelson is a fully integrated company, which means we’re ideally configured for Design-Build project delivery. Our design, construction, and facility teams combine their expertise, finding solutions that outperform traditional approaches but cost less. And those solutions are constructible, energy efficient, sustainable, and reliable.

Design-Build is a growing part of our business because owners recognize the significant benefits we can provide:

Single-Source Accountability First we align our objectives with those of the owner. Then we take responsibility for engineering and constructing a solution that meets those objectives – unequivocally.
Cost Savings Our team expertise is both wide and deep. We have a reputation for delivering systems that are remarkable for their efficiency and value.
Faster Delivery We’re responsive. We’ve adopted lean principles to streamline our workflow and maximize the benefits of our investment in BIM. Kelson’s design-to-construction times are faster than anyone else’s in our market.
Improved Quality We pinpoint specific products and construction techniques that we know will meet or exceed each owner’s specific performance expectations.
Reduced Risk We are able to guarantee cost, schedule, and system performance even in the early stages of a project, allowing our partners to focus on their priorities rather than on managing us.

Design-Assist

In Design-Assist scenarios, our preconstruction and construction teams work with clients during the design development phase to offer expert advice that improves decision making. Our input ranges from equipment selection to system optimization to cost-reduction strategies, such as designs for prefabrication or modular construction.

We have a proven history of providing key benefits as a Design-Assist partner:

Better Solutions Working collaboratively, we use our expertise to develop approaches that successfully balance the often competing demands for system performance, cost effectiveness, rapid completion, and quality work.
Managed Scope and Cost We know how to manage costs – and we have a track record to prove it. Using knowledge gathered over 70 successful years, we help our clients minimize scope gaps among project partners, improving project planning, trade sequencing, construction scheduling, and related activities.
Effective Communication As a Design-Assist partner, we develop a working relationship with the client’s design team, building a comprehensive information base that facilitates construction. The results are measurable: improved schedules and a signficant reduction in field-driven requests for information and change orders.
Risk Eliminated We offer clients a comprehensive approach to risk management. We’ll present a Guaranteed Maximum Price in the early stages of our involvement. And we’ll take full responsibility for mechanical design, functionality, cost, schedule, coordination, commissioning, and maintenance if requested. It’s the reassurance of knowing the most complex aspects of the project are under control.

Integrated Project Delivery

We collaborate with all stakeholders in the interest of the project as a whole. When tough decisions need to be made, we’re there. That’s the way it’s always been at Kelson, which is why Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is a natural fit for our organization.

Aligning an entire project team through IPD and multi-party integrated agreements offers significant benefits to the owner:

Collaborative Problem Solving By bringing all stakeholders to the table in collaboration from the outset, design and construction can be executed as a single process. We welcome opportunities to contribute our in-house expertise to the search for optimal solutions.
Shared Risk and Reward A key tenet of IPD is the use of relational contracts that reward collaboration and distribute risk to those in the best position to manage it. We proactively accept responsibility for our work, and we use a variety of tools and technologies for managing risk and reporting progress to team partners.
Cost Savings Using target value design to establish scope and project costs, IPD teams find solutions that maximize value for the owner within the funding limits. Because of our Design-Build-Maintain expertise, Kelson is adept at conceptual design and cost estimating. We set realistic goals and then we track against them to ensure our clients achieve the best value.
Maximum Efficiency IPD projects typically incorporate lean principles and collaborative technology to benefit team efficiency. We’ve invested significantly in BIM systems to meet those expectations, upgrading the way we collaborate, coordinate workflow, and transfer knowledge to all stakeholders.

Modular Design

At Kelson, we’re champions of well executed modular design. When introduced appropriately, a focus on standardization and repeatability reduces costs and increases efficiency. And concentrating labour requirements in an offsite manufacturing facility improves quality, productivity, and safety.

Our extensive knowledge of leading technologies and trends, in conjunction with our in-house manufacturing capacity, means that we’re able to recommend innovative but practical modular approaches for a wide range of project scenarios. We can detail the advantages gained by installing bigger, more complete mechanical elements. And we have extensive experience collaborating with architects and structural engineers to answer any construction challenges that present themselves early in the project lifecycle.

Building Information Modelling

Kelson’s building information modeling (BIM) strategy leverages technology to solve project challenges, share information, and improve collaboration during the design, construction, and operation phases of a building or facility.

It’s a successful strategy with three key components:

People Kelson has the largest, most proficient BIM department in our market. We intentionally built a team with comprehensive expertise – some members provide technical leadership, others ensure that constructability is infused into every design. Ongoing BIM training keeps us in step with process and technology advances. The depth of our BIM team means our clients avoid coordination problems and their projects stay on schedule.
Process We use BIM to build a single model that answers both design and fabrication requirements – which means that a single source provides all vital project information. To support this method we’ve fully integrated our design-coordination and spooling resources. Our streamlined workflow generates actionable intelligence for the entire project team.
Technology Our modeling, coordination, and fabrication software is the most advanced in the industry, and we’ve developed a range of tools and standards to improve interoperability with other modeling solutions. Leveraging our proprietary database, we can manage a wide array of information associated with each project. We’ve invested in function-specific technologies too, such as the bar codes and mobile devices we use to support our fabrication process.