Putting the pieces togetherAmerican Civil Constructors was built by combining five companies with different but complementary strengths, Gary Toushek learns. In the first year of this new millennium, five construction companies, each with its particular specialty, amalgamated to form American Civil Constructors (ACC):  West Coast Bridge, founded in 1986 in San Francisco, specialized in seismic bridge retrofitting and tunnel rehabilitation, mainly in Northern California.

That small-town feelModern life has all but abolished the sense of community that residents in many large urban areas crave. This Canadian superpower has drawn up some creative plans for a derelict downtown area. Kate Sawyer reports. Devimco, a commercial developer based in the province of Quebec, Canada, has taken on the biggest project in its historyÔÇöthe $1.3 billion restoration of Griffintown, the partially abandoned ÔÇ£old canalÔÇØ district of Montreal.  ÔÇ£We are offering Montrealers a unique urban project.

A sparkling new realityDianor Resources Inc. has been focusing exclusively on diamond exploration for several years now to help meet the worldwide demand for diamonds. Keith Regan gets the details from the companyÔÇÖs CEO. For decades the diamond market was dominated and controlled by the DeBeers cartel, which was able to set prices and help determine which types of diamonds were most sought after by consumers.

Good medicineInvestments in facilities, training and technology are helping Jewish General Hospital in Montreal to remain in the forefront of medicine in Canada, Philippe Castiel tells Ruari McCallion. ThereÔÇÖs always the danger that the presence of a renowned institution can overshadow neighboring organizations, but that doesnÔÇÖt seem to be a problem for MontrealÔÇÖs Jewish General Hospital (JGH). It cooperates well with nearby McGill University Health Centre in teaching and has been hugely successful in attracting and retaining specialist staff.

Everything old is new againAs Keith Regan learns, for Viger DMC InternationalÔÇÖs director, a million-square-foot redevelopment project in Old Montr├®al is a labor of love and a way to connect the cityÔÇÖs rich past with its promising future. Multiple elements of CanadaÔÇÖs storied history come together on a single parcel of property in Montr├®al.

Efficiency expertsThe University of Waterloo stands as a model of energy efficiency in Ontario, Jenn Monroe reports. Energy efficiency has been part of the University of WaterlooÔÇÖs operations strategy long before it became a trend. According to Rick Zalagenas, director of maintenance and utilities, the university started its efforts more than 20 years ago, even preceding his arrival on campus.  ÔÇ£In the early to mid-1980s it was a high priority,ÔÇØ he says.

Efficiency expertsThe University of Waterloo stands as a model of energy efficiency in Ontario, Jenn Monroe reports. Energy efficiency has been part of the University of WaterlooÔÇÖs operations strategy long before it became a trend. According to Rick Zalagenas, director of maintenance and utilities, the university started its efforts more than 20 years ago, even preceding his arrival on campus.  ÔÇ£In the early to mid-1980s it was a high priority,ÔÇØ he says.

Everything old is new againAs Keith Regan learns, for Viger DMC InternationalÔÇÖs director, a million-square-foot redevelopment project in Old Montr├®al is a labor of love and a way to connect the cityÔÇÖs rich past with its promising future. Multiple elements of CanadaÔÇÖs storied history come together on a single parcel of property in Montr├®al.

Right-sizing healthcareUniversal Health Services balances costs, care, and construction, Jenn Monroe reports. Universal Health Services is doing its part to ensure greater access to healthcare in communities across the country. As one of the largest hospital operators in the US, it both builds new facilities and acquires existing facilities. ÔÇ£We will pursue attractive opportunities, no matter what form they take,ÔÇØ says William Seed, director of facilities design and construction.  Alan B.

Head of the classKate Sawyer takes a tour of the many renovation and construction projects underway at University of Texas at Austin. When University of Texas (UT) at Austin was founded in 1883 as a small campus on 40 acres, it had only one building, eight teachers, two departments, and 221 students. Today, it represents the most robust facet of the University of Texas System, which includes nine academic universities and six health sciences centers.