Urban development in a city like Nashville presents both exciting opportunities and unique challenges. With the city’s rapid growth and increasing demand for space, construction projects in urban environments often require innovative approaches to navigate the obstacles of tight site construction. These projects provide the chance to create something truly special, but they also require a keen understanding of how to manage every single step of the process.
One of the most crucial factors to the success of these projects is maximizing efficiency through effective collaboration and strategic coordination. With decades of experience and hundreds of projects under our belt, we’ve honed our ability to navigate tight site challenges. We’ve had the privilege of working on a variety of urban construction projects—ranging from hotels and residential developments to car dealerships and grocery stores.
In this article, we’ll share some of the best practices we’ve developed for maximizing efficiency in urban construction projects. We’ll also highlight examples from our portfolio to illustrate how these strategies have played out in real-world scenarios.
5 Best Practices for Maximizing Efficiency for Urban Construction
1. Streamline Collaboration with Internal and External Stakeholders
Open and transparent communication is crucial for any construction project, but it’s especially important in urban settings where neighboring businesses, residents, and infrastructure may be impacted. By fostering strong relationships with neighbors and maintaining regular communication with stakeholders, you can mitigate potential conflicts and ensure a smoother project execution.
Portfolio Example: Our historic Aertson project, located in the heart of Midtown Nashville, required close collaboration with Vanderbilt University Medical Center, as well as nearby retail establishments, restaurants, and residential buildings. Proactive and consistent communication was essential to keep neighboring businesses and residents informed about nighttime concrete pours and other activities that could impact them. This level of coordination helped us maintain a good relationship with the community while staying on schedule.
2. Clarify Scheduling and Site Access
On a constrained construction site, careful planning and coordination of access points are key to maintaining workflow efficiency. Managing site access, including scheduling deliveries and controlling worker entry points, is critical to minimizing congestion and avoiding unnecessary downtime. By staggering deliveries and coordinating site access, you can prevent overcrowded work areas and keep the project moving forward smoothly.
Portfolio Example: The Chelsea project, situated on the bustling 12South Avenue in Nashville, was a prime example of the need for strategic scheduling and site access management. With only 25 feet between the building and the roadway, our team had to meticulously plan the timing of deliveries and coordinate with suppliers, subcontractors, and local code officials. Creative solutions, such as nighttime and off-peak traffic lane closures and tailored worksite schedules, were implemented to maximize construction efficiency and minimize disruption to the surrounding area.
3. Harness the Power of Prefabrication
Prefabrication offers significant advantages on tight urban sites, where space and time are at a premium. By using prefabricated materials—such as wall panels or framing systems—you can reduce on-site labor, minimize waste, and accelerate the construction timeline. This approach is particularly beneficial for projects with tight schedules and spatial constraints, as it allows for greater control over quality and reduces the likelihood of delays.
Portfolio Example: The Element Hotel, part of the oneC1TY development in Nashville, is a LEED-certified project that faced significant logistical constraints. The hotel features five floors of prefabricated stick framing on a concrete podium supported by caissons. By opting for prefabricated walls, we were able to shave a full month off the installation time, demonstrating the efficiency and effectiveness of this approach in a challenging urban environment.
4. Leverage Technology and Data Analytics
Incorporating advanced technology and data analytics into your construction management process can greatly enhance efficiency, especially on tight sites. Our experienced team has implemented a variety of innovative construction tactics to help streamline communication, track progress, and optimize resource management. Data analytics can be used to identify bottlenecks, optimize workflows, and predict potential issues before they arise. Additionally, tools like drones can provide valuable insights during site inspections, progress monitoring, and stakeholder communication.
Portfolio Example: At The Crestmoor Senior Living Center in the busy Green Hills neighborhood, our team faced the challenge of navigating inspections and external quality assurance for a 12-story building on a busy corridor. By leveraging drone technology, we were able to document progress and perform quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) on exterior elements, keeping the project moving efficiently and reducing the need for disruptive, manual inspections.
5. Protect People and Progress in Tight Spaces
Safety is always a top priority in construction, but on constrained sites, the risks are often amplified due to limited space and the close proximity of different activities. Developing a comprehensive safety plan that includes regular safety audits, clear signage, and strict adherence to protocols is essential for preventing accidents and ensuring that the project progresses without interruptions caused by safety incidents.
Portfolio Example: One of our proudest achievements is the safety record we maintained during the construction of the BNA Hilton Hotel, one of the premier airport hotels in the country. Despite the challenges of working on a tight site with heavy foot and vehicle traffic, our in-depth safety plan—which included weekly safety meetings and close coordination with airport staff—resulted in only one lost-time accident over the 19-month project: a minor knee sprain.
Your Trusted Partner for Urban Nashville Construction Projects
Navigating the complexities of tight urban construction sites requires experience, strategic planning, and a commitment to collaboration. We’ve honed these skills over decades of working on some of Nashville’s most challenging and rewarding projects.
If you’re looking for a commercial construction partner with proven experience in building urban projects in Nashville, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to our team today to learn how we can help bring your vision to life.
