The Construction Source

When Dan Legal formed Édifice Construction in 1999, his vision was to do things differently. He had been in construction for almost all his life, in one form or another, and he had seen how builders could be pitted against clients. He had seen how communication could break down, how disputes could arise, and ultimately, how quality could suffer. With Édifice, his goal was to avoid those adversarial interactions. He wanted to build relationships, like buildings, that lasted the test of time. Prior to his realization, Dan had graduated from university with a degree in architecture, and then had worked in project management and sales roles with some of the largest builders in Western Canada. He had also spent three years with a smaller construction company, helping them to grow their business and take on larger projects. That experience inspired him to go out onhis ownand create Édifice Construction in Coquitlam. Soon after incorporating, the company earned a contract with TechBC, a special-purpose university in Surrey, and Dan got the chance to deliver the project in true partnership with the client. From that point, he says “there was no turning back” – he had experienced a building process that was collaborative, transparent, and satisfying for all stakeholders, and he wanted NOVEMBER 2020 The Édifice team also gravitated to complicated projects, such as seismic upgrades and structural modifications. They like those jobs, Dan says, because “you really have to think outside the box, which we love to do.”