Project Planning
- Preconstruction budget and schedule review
- Permitting, inspections and owner reviews tracked to closeout
- Specialty trade partners scheduled, coordinated and supervised by our superintendent
- Closeout records, warranties and as-built drawings delivered with the building
Capital outlay funding arrives with deadlines attached, and campuses have their own calendars on top of that. A university facilities director may hold an appropriation that has to be spent in a fiscal year, a student housing opening that cannot slip past move-in and an academic building that is only empty between spring commencement and fall registration. Our work for schools, colleges and districts starts with a reading of those dates, before we draw up a logic for cost or sequence.
We approach education projects as stewards working alongside the people who will use the building. Teachers, deans, athletic directors, custodians and neighbors have views about what a campus needs, and the best-built building is one that someone has asked them about. We attend board meetings when invited, answer questions in plain language and explain how construction will affect traffic, parking and student movement.
We build classroom additions, new schools, science labs, residence halls, athletic buildings, library renovations and the unglamorous infrastructure that makes them work. Every project follows public procurement rules where they apply, and we document our work so an auditor can trace each dollar.
Building Inside the Academic Calendar
The school year decides our schedule. Work that disrupts classrooms, such as roofing, demolition, utility cutovers and paving, is concentrated in the summer window, while quieter interior work can continue during the term. We plan procurement months in advance so mechanical units, doors, casework and flooring arrive in time for summer installation, and we keep a contingency of float for the inevitable late shipment.
When a window is too short for the whole scope, we divide it. A district might renovate a few classrooms at a time over two summers, or complete a gymnasium roof in July and finish interior work in the fall. Our education facility construction process includes a day-by-day summer calendar, a list of what must be done before staff return and a plan for turning over rooms in sequence.
Public Funding, Procurement and Code Review
Public education buildings come with funding rules. In April 2025, Eastern New Mexico University announced $11.483 million in capital outlay funding for its Portales campus for fiscal year 2025-26, including $6.5 million to complete a new Student Academic Services building, $2.5 million for HVAC repairs to the Science Building and $408,000 for agriculture equipment in a new Animal Production facility. A mix like that, covering a building, repairs and equipment, shows why scope boundaries need to be written clearly.
Design and construction follow the 2021 New Mexico Commercial Building Code, which adopts the 2021 International Building Code as amended and took effect July 14, 2023. We help districts and colleges understand the code path early, including accessibility, fire separation, assembly occupancy for gymnasiums and auditoriums, and energy requirements. Using construction management at risk lets a school involve us in pricing while the design is still being refined.
Campuses Across the State Have Different Needs
No two campuses look alike. San Juan College in Farmington reports more than 9,200 fall credit students and 1,048,266 gross square feet across 31 structures on five campuses, so its needs include maintenance and renewal on a large existing footprint. Western New Mexico University in Silver City has an 80 acre campus with over 40 buildings and over 3,500 students in fall 2024, where older buildings and steep terrain add their own challenges.
Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari is home to the North American Wind Research and Training Center and signed a 2009 agreement with Sandia National Laboratories on turbine operations and maintenance, which points to training spaces and shops with heavy equipment. In Portales, the state's third-largest university and nearby agriculture create a demand for both academic and applied buildings.
Listening to Boards, Faculty and Neighbors
We try to be the quiet builder whose work is easy to describe at a board meeting. Before construction begins, we offer a briefing for staff and neighbors that covers hours, haul routes, noise and temporary changes to parking. During the project, we send short updates and designate one superintendent as the point of contact for the school.
Because education projects are public, transparency matters. We keep records of bids, subcontractor selection, change orders and pay applications in forms that audit staff and boards can follow. If a cost grows, we show the reason in drawings and photographs. That clarity is part of why a project like a new school building remains easy to explain years later.
Protecting Students, Staff and the Public
Safety on an active campus begins with separation. We fence work zones, control deliveries so trucks do not arrive during drop-off or dismissal, and schedule crane picks when students are not outside. Background checks and visitor procedures follow the district's policy, and trade workers are briefed on behavior expectations before they enter a school.
Inside buildings, fire alarm, sprinkler and exit systems must stay functional whenever students are present. Where a system is interrupted, we arrange a fire watch and notify the building administrator. Dust, odors and noise are managed carefully near classrooms and labs.
Housing, Health Clinics and Other Campus Facilities
Colleges increasingly build more than classrooms. Residence halls follow the pattern in our student housing approach, health clinics follow the rules we describe for healthcare systems, and many campuses use public funds subject to the procedures in our guide for government and public sector owners.
We also help with campus infrastructure, including roads, parking, storm drainage and utility tunnels. Coordinating that work with building projects can save money and avoid tearing up a new sidewalk to lay a pipe.
Plan Your Next Summer Window With Us
Share the list of buildings, the funding sources and the dates you cannot miss. We will walk the campus with your facilities staff and help you decide what fits in each window.
Questions Owners Ask
Can you finish a major renovation in a single summer?
Sometimes. The answer depends on the scope, the lead times and the building systems involved. We evaluate the work early, order long-lead items right after approval and add extra crews in the critical weeks. If a single summer is not realistic, we propose a phasing plan that protects classrooms during the school year.
How do you work with a district that has limited facility staff?
We carry more of the coordination load. That includes managing submittals, scheduling inspections, tracking funding sources and preparing materials for board meetings. We tell the district what we need from them and when, so staff can plan their own workload.
What delivery method is best for a school or college?
There is no single answer. Design-bid-build offers clarity when drawings are complete, while construction manager at risk adds early pricing and scheduling input. Design-build can be efficient when a program is well defined. We explain tradeoffs and tailor our proposal to what procurement rules allow.
How do you handle construction near students?
We separate work areas with fencing and signage, schedule heavy deliveries outside peak traffic times and brief trade crews on conduct. We also coordinate with administration about fire drills, testing days and special events, and adjust activities that might disturb them.