Grande Prairie Regional College | Olds College

Grande Prairie Regional College

Grande Prairie Regional College has long been a destination point for exceptional educational, athletic and cultural opportunities in Grande Prairie and the Peace River region. When one of its education partners required new facilities for its growing nursing program, GPRC took the opportunity to expand its own facilities to accommodate their new program via a five building addition on existing serviced land on the campus. When the partner institution’s lease terminated, GPRC had to work quickly in addressing their need for instructional facilities.  Further research concluded that the College could realize additional short-term cost-savings on total project costs by using a manufactured process. At the same time, long-term cost savings could also be achieved through the built-in energy efficiencies inherent in the next generation Modus unit. A large part of the initial cost-savings can be attributed to the compressed timeline of the construction project. 

Built in a factory setting with a team of in-house construction specialists employed year-round, typical construction site delays due to weather and the resultant rescheduling are virtually eliminated.  Standard construction materials for the units are readily available at the plant, further reducing the wait times for project starts that are endemic to the traditional construction industry that must wait for materials to arrive after ordering.

"With regular construction and the labour shortage affecting the whole industry, it would have been impossible to finish on time. You wouldn’t even know they are modular buildings.  They look very good, and are just better overall for the students."

 -John Webster, Director of Capital Projects, Grande Prairie Regional College