In luxury residential construction, people often assume that great outcomes come down to impeccable craftsmanship or world-class design. And while those elements matter enormously, they aren’t what make or break a project. The real differentiator is alignment between the owner's representative and the general contractor.

Successful projects often look like they’re managing themselves. Meetings run smoothly. Decisions move without friction. Milestones fall into place. Observers naturally wonder: If everything appears to be happening organically, what is the project manager actually doing? As both a practitioner and a lifelong learner, I’ve found that ease is almost always engineered, not accidental.

Each year, the CoreNet Global Summit helps define where corporate real estate is headed. This year, the collective message was unmistakable: the pace of change in the world is accelerating, and our processes need to keep up while remaining innovative.

When we talk about risk management in construction, most people think of cost contingencies, safety plans, or schedule buffers. And while all of these are essential, they’re really just tools to manage something deeper. At the heart of nearly every project issue—whether it’s a cost overrun, a quality lapse, or a safety incident—lies one root cause: a breakdown in communication.

Most people say "Wait...what?" when they learn I spend my free time racing cars, but the truth is, my hobby as a race car driver and past team manager and pit crew chief has more in common with my career as a project manager at VVA than you might expect.

Beyond traditional architecture and construction, projects now involve specialists in smart technology integration, wellness amenities, sustainable design, and even disaster-resilient materials. Increasingly, savvy homeowners are recognizing the need for an Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) to be involved from the very start.

When a longtime corporate client turned to VVA for help with their private residence overlooking NYC's Central Park, the assignment was both an honor and a natural next step.

VVA is proud to announce the addition of Lisa Knip as our first team member in Toronto, marking an exciting new chapter in our firm’s growth across North America.