Familiarity – WDS Construction has worked with several Christian schools and colleges, and we understand the unique requirements of faith-based educational facilities. We will leverage this knowledge as we move forward with you understanding your goals, local contractors and regulations, campus safety needs, communication preferences, and more.
Transparency – WDS Construction does not self-perform any of the construction trades but rather employs an open-book approach to provide full transparency when reviewing and evaluating bids. WDS provides clear and transparent pricing, ensuring schools understand precisely what they’re receiving, with no surprises.
Self-Performance – There are specific occasions when our clients require quick-turnaround solutions for smaller projects, and in those instances, we mobilize our Special Services Division to rapidly respond to client needs. Often, these projects are related to specific issues that need to be resolved quickly and require a team skilled in understanding the issues and expediting the construction process.
Communication – The top cause for failed design and construction projects is communication. This lack of communication is often invisible to the client, who doesn’t see the communication breakdowns happening between the design team and the contractors, or between the trade contractors, or the construction manager and the rest of the team. WDS Construction is committed to a culture of open and proactive communication between all parties, and we endeavor to drive communication frequently and consistently, deep into members of the project team.
Collaboration – Closely aligned with communication is collaboration, and the success of any Christian School construction project is related to how well the team works together. We endeavor to proactively collaborate with all project partners – the client, the architects and engineers, trade contractors, regulatory officials, vendors, and more. We drive collaboration via open communication, creating spaces where all team members can safely question and even challenge project assumptions and decisions to create better outcomes. We’ve found our most successful relationships occur when members of the design and construction team provide input into one another’s areas of expertise, helping everyone to rethink and reframe the decisions we are making.
Budgeting & Estimating – The WDS approach towards estimating is to provide our clients with the “best of both worlds”. Beginning with the early Cost Models through the presentation of a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP), the WDS approach combines a national reach that reflects potential supply chain constraints and material availability with a localized canvassing of the subcontractor market to confirm labor availability and appropriate means and methods of construction.
Value Management – Value engineering too often happens late in the process, after decisions have been made. Value management is an ongoing process that begins early in the preconstruction phase. Every dollar is precious to our clients, particularly faith-based institutions, and WDS Construction will bring a practical approach to making responsible decisions in concert with our project partners. Once again, communication and collaboration are critical components of value management to keep everyone apprised of potential cost issues, scope creep, and other challenges that may arise.
Agility – Change happens, and successful Construction Managers understand and plan for change. WDS Construction has built a culture adept at agility, whether due to weather, unforeseen conditions, material availability, inflation, client requests, or any other area. We’ve dealt with hundred-year floods and major last-minute changes to showcase prototype buildings, embracing change and developing meaningful solutions, not complaining about problems.
Team – Your project team has experience working together on similar projects as well as a deep background of projects in both educational and faith-based environments. Although WDS Construction may be your construction partner, at the end of the day, you do business with people, and our people are the primary difference we offer. They embrace our core values of being Humble, Hungry, and Loyal day in and day out, focusing on creating memorable client experiences.
Creativity & Problem-Solving – Every construction project presents unique challenges, and often, within the Christian School environment, we deal with occupied buildings and active campuses. Additionally, the site logistics flow and staging requirements present opportunities for creative problem-solving. Our team demonstrates a passion for construction – thriving on dealing with complex projects with many moving parts.
Safety – Nothing is more important than the safety of the students, faculty, administration, families, and project design and construction team members. WDS Construction brings a safety-first culture to our clients, evidenced by our EMR rating of 0.77 as well as numerous recent construction safety awards. Safety is always paramount and the top priority on a WDS Construction project.
Solutions Customized to Your Needs – At WDS Construction, we realize that every project is unique. Even though we’re highly skilled at adapting prototype buildings throughout the United States, each project is unique, no matter how similar it is to the last project. That’s why the solutions we offer our clients are right-sized to their specific needs. We’ll be upfront with you about the required scope and recommend the options that make the most sense for you – not the options that inflate the project budget and our profits.
Culture & Values –The primary driver for our focus on the Christian educational market space is due to our shared values. Actions are stronger than our words, evidenced by WDS Works, our philanthropic arm that provides construction services primarily to faith-based nonprofit organizations. These incredible non-profit organizations have significant construction requirements yet often face challenges due to limited expertise and financial resources.
